VARIATION UNDER DOMESTICATION 17 



find in the most ancient records, more especially on 

 the monuments of Egypt, much diversity in the breeds ; 

 and that some of the breeds closely resemble, perhaps 

 are identical with, those still existing. Even if this 

 latter fact were found more strictly and generally true 

 than seems to me to be the case, what does it show, 

 but that some of our breeds originated there, four or 

 five thousand years ago ? But Mr. Horner's researches 

 have rendered it in some degree probable that man 

 sufficiently civilised to have manufactured pottery 

 existed in the valley of the Nile thirteen or fourteen 

 thousand years ago ; and who will pretend to say how 

 long before these ancient periods, savages, like those of 

 Tierra del Fuego or Australia, who possess a semi- 

 domestic dog, may not have existed in Egypt ? 



The whole subject must, I think, remain vague ; 

 nevertheless, I may, without here entering on any 

 details, state that, from geographical and other con- 

 siderations, I think it highly probable that our 

 domestic dogs have descended from several wild 

 species. Knowing, as we do, that savages are very 

 fond of taming animals, it seems to me unlikely, in the 

 case of the dog-genus, which is distributed in a wild 

 state throughout the world, that since man first 

 appeared one single species alone should have been 

 domesticated. In regard to sheep and goats I can form 

 no opinion. I should think, from facts communicated 

 to me by Mr. Blyth, on the habits, voice, and con- 

 stitution, etc., of the humped Indian cattle, that these 

 had descended from a different aboriginal stock from 

 our European cattle ; and several competent judges 

 believe that these latter have had more than one wild 

 parent. With respect to horses, from reasons which I 

 cannot give here, 1 am doubtfully inclined to believe, 

 in opposition to several authors, that all the races have 

 descended from one wild stock. Mr. Blyth, whose 

 opinion, from his large and varied stores of knowledge, 

 I should value more than that of almost any one, thinks 

 that all the breeds of poultry have proceeded from the 

 common wild Indian fowl (Gallus bankiva). In regard 



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