IARACTER OF DOMESTIC VARIETIES. 15 



State of'^nature, and could be made to breed for an equal 

 number of generations under domestication, they would on 

 an average vary as largely as the parent species of our 

 existing domesticated productions have varied. 



In the case of most of our anciently domesticated animals 

 and plants, it is not possible to come to any definite conclu- 

 sion, whether they are descended from one or several wild 

 species. The argument mainly relied on by those who 

 believe in the multiple origin of our domestic animals is. 

 that we find in the most ancient times, on the monuments 

 of Egypt, and in the lake-habitations of Switzerland, much 

 diversity in the breeds; and that some of these ancient 

 breeds closely resemble, or are even identical with, those 

 still existing. But this only throws far backward the his- 

 tory of civilization, and shows that animals were domesti- 

 cated at a much earlier period than has hitherto been 

 supposed. The lake-inhabitants of Switzerland cultivated 

 several kinds of wheat and barley, the pea, the poppy for 

 oil, and flax; and they possessed several domesticated ani- 

 mals. They also carried on commerce with other nations. 

 All this clearly shows, as Heer has remarked, that they had 

 at this early age progressed considerably in civilization; 

 and this again implies a long continued previous period of 

 less advanced civilization, during which the domesticated 

 animals, kept by different tribes in different districts, might 

 have varied and given rise to distinct races. Since the dis- 

 covery of flint tools in the superficial formations of many 

 parts of the world, all geologists believe that barbarian men 

 existed at an enormously remote period ; and we know that 

 at the present day there is hardly a tribe so barbarous as 

 not to have domesticated at least the dog. 



The origin of most of our domestic animals will probably 

 forever remain vague. But I may here state that, looking 

 to the domestic dogs of the whole w r orld, I have, after a 

 laborious collection of all known facts, come to the conclu- 

 sion that several wild species of Canidse have been tamed, 

 and that their blood, in some cases mingled together, flow* 

 in the veins of cur domestic breeds. In regard to sheep 

 and goats I can form no decided opinion. From facts com- 

 municated to me by Mr. Blyth, on the habits, voice, consti- 

 tution, and structure of the humped Indian cattle, it is 

 almost certain that they are descended from a different 

 aboriginal stock from our European cattle; and some com- 

 petent judges believe that these latter have had two or three 



