192 SELECTION. Chap. XX 



Damaras take great delight in having whole droves of cattle 

 of the same colour, and they prize their oxen in proportion to 

 the size of their horns. "The Namaquas have a perfect 

 " mania for a uniform team ; and almost all the people of 

 *' Southern Africa value their cattle next to their women, and 

 " take a pride in possessing animals that look high-bred." 

 '* They rarely or never make use of a handsome animal as a 

 " beast of burden."^^ The power of discrimination which 

 these savages possess is wonderful, and they can recognise to 

 which tribe any cattle belong. Mr. Andersson further in- 

 forms me that the natives frequently match a particular bull 

 with a particular cow. 



The most curious case of selection by semi-civilised people, 

 or indeed by any people, which I have found recorded, is that 

 given by Garcilazo de la Vega, a descendant of the Incas, as 

 having been practised in Peru before the country was sub- 

 jugated by the Spaniards. ^° The Incas annually held great 

 hunts, when all the wild animals were driven from an im- 

 mense circuit to a central point. The beasts of prey were 

 first destroj^ed as injurious. The wild Guanacos and Vicunas 

 were sheared ; the old males and females killed, and the 

 others set at liberty. The various kinds of deer were 

 examined ; the old males and females were likewise killed ; 

 " but the young females, with a certain number of males, 

 selected from the most beautiful and strong," w^ere given 

 their freedom. Here, then, we have selection by man aiding 

 natural selection. So that the Incas followed exactly the 

 reverse system of that which our Scottish sportsman are 

 accused of following, namely, of steadily killing the finest 

 stags, thus causing the whole race to degenerate.^^ In regard 

 to the domesticated llamas and alpacas, they were separated 

 in the time of the Incas according to colour : and if by chance 

 one in a flock was born of the wrong colour, it was eventually 

 put into another flock. 



In the genus Auchenia there are four forms, — the Guanaco 



*® Andersson's 'Travels in South 136. 

 A-frica,' pp. 232, 318, 319. " 'The Natural History of Dee 



«<» Dr. Vavasseur, in < Bull, de la Side,' 1855, p. 476. 

 See. d'Acclimat.,' torn, viii., 1861, p. 



