178 SELECTION. Chap. XX. 



which implies that the individnals which are best fitted for 

 the complex, and in the course of ages changing conditions to 

 which they are exposed, generally survive and procreate their 

 kind. With domestic productions, natural selection comes to 

 a certain extent into action, independently of, and even in 

 opposition to, the will of man. 



MetJiodical Selection. — "VThat man has effected within recent 

 times in England by methodical selection is clearly shown by 

 our exhibitions of improved quadrupeds and fancy birds. 

 With respect to cattle, sheep, and pigs, we owe their great 

 improvement to a long series of well-known names — Bake- 

 well, Colling, Ellman, Bates, Jonas Webb, Lords Leicester 

 and Western, Fisher Hobbs, and others. Agricultural writers 

 are unanimous on the power of selection : any number of 

 statements to this effect could be quoted ; a few will suffice. 

 Youatt, a sagacious and experienced observer, writes,^ the 

 principle of selection is " that which enables the agricul- 

 turist, not only to modify the character of his flock, but to 

 change it altogether." A great breeder of Shorthorns ^ says, 

 " In the anatomy of the shoulder modern breeders have made 

 " great improvement on the Ketton shorthorns by correcting 

 " the defect in the knuckle or shoulder-joint, and by laying 

 " the top of the shoulder more snugly in the crop, and thereby 



" filling up the hollow behind it The eye has its 



" fashion at different periods : at one time the eye high and 



*' outstanding from the head, and at another time the sleepy 



' eye sunk into the head ; but these extremes have merged 



* into the medium of a full, clear and prominent eye with a 



placid look." 



Again, hear what an excellent judge of pigs * says : " The 



' legs should be no longer than just to prevent the animal's 



" belly from trailing on the ground. The leg is the least 



but see some excellent observations ^ ' On Sheep,' 1838, p. 60. 



on this head by Prof. Huxley (' Nat. ^ Mr, J. Wright on Shorthorn 



Hist. Review,' Oct. 1864, p. 578), who Cattle, in ' Journal of Royal Agricult 



remarks that when the wind heaps Soc.,' vol, vii. pp. 208, 209. 



up sand-dunes it sifts and uncon- * H, D. Richardson * On Pigs,' 184-7, 



sciously selects from the gravel on the p. 44, 



beach grains of sand of equal size. 



