Chap. XXIV. CHANGED HABITS OF LIFE. 293 



the several species of cats are so closely allied that the 

 comparison is probably a fair one. The iu creased length 

 appears to be due to the domestic cat being less strictly car- 

 nivorous in its diet than any wild feline species ; for instance, 

 I have seen a French kitten eating vegetables as readily as 

 meat. According to Cuvier, the intestines of the domesticated 

 pig exceed greatly in proportionate length those of the wild 

 boar. In the tame and wild rabbit the change is of an 

 opposite nature, and probably results from the nutritious food 

 given to the tame rabbit.^^ 



Changed and inherited Habits of Life. — This subject, as far as 

 the mental powers of animals are concerned, so blends into 

 instinct, that I will here only remind the reader of such cases 

 as the tameness of our domesticated animals — the poin'ing or 

 retrieving of dogs — their not attacking the smaller animals 

 kept by man — and so forth. How much of these changes 

 ought to be attributed to mere habit, and how much to the 

 selection of individuals which have varied in the desired 

 manner, irrespectively of the special circumstances under 

 which they have been kept, can seldom be told. 



We have already seen that animals may be habituated to 

 a changed diet ; but some additional instances may be given. 

 In the Polynesian Islands and in China the dog is fed exclu- 

 sively on vegetable matter, and the taste for this kind of food 

 is to a certain extent inherited.^"^ Our sporting dogs will not 

 touch the bones of game birds, whilst most other dogs devour 

 them with greediness. In some parts of the world sheep have 

 been largely fed on fish. The domestic hog is fond of barley, 

 the wild boar is said to disdain it; and the disdain is partially 

 inherited, for some j^'oung wild pigs bred in captivity showed 

 an aversion for this grain, whilst others of the same brood 

 relished it."^ One of my relations bred some young pigs 

 from a Chinese sow by a wild Alpine boar ; they lived free 

 in the park, and were so tame that they came to the house to 



** These statoments on the intestines borne,' 1825, vol. ii. p. 121. 



!' re taken from Isidore Geoffroy Saint- ^* Burdach, 'Traite de Phys.,' torn. 



Hilaire, 'Hist. iSat. Gen.,' torn. iii. pp. ii. p. 267, as quoted by Dr. P. Lucas^ 



427, 44 1. ' L'Hered. Nat.,' torn. i. p. 388. 



s* Gilbert White ' Xat. Hist. Sel- 



