the Varieties of Animals. 47 



I more peculiarly restrict the term variety, consists of what 

 are, in fact, a kind of deformities, or monstrous births, the 

 peculiarities of which, from reasons already mentioned, would 

 very rarely, if ever, be perpetuated in a state of nature ; but 

 which, by man's agency, often become the origin of a new 

 race. Such, for example, is the breed of sheep, now common 

 in North America, and known by the name of ancons *, or 

 otter sheep. A ewe produced a male lamb of peculiar form, 

 with a long body, and short and crooked limbs : the offspring 

 of this animal, with ordinary females, was found sometimes to 

 resemble the one parent, and sometimes the other ; but did 

 not usually blend the characters of each ; and, in the cases of 

 twins, the two lambs were often equally diverse with their 

 parents. This variety was extensively propagated, in conse- 

 quence of being less able to jump over fences than the ordi- 

 nary breeds of sheep. The solidungular [" donkey-footed"] 

 variety of swine, tailless cats, back-feathered, five-toed, and 

 rumpless fowls, together with many sorts of dogs, and pro- 

 bably, also, the race of fan-tailed pigeons, are other striking 

 examples of true varieties. 



The deviations of this kind do not appear to have any tend- 

 ency to revert to the original form : this, most probably, 

 could only be restored, in a direct manner, by the way in 

 which the variety was first produced. 



To this class may be also referred, with more than proba- 

 bility, some of the more remarkable varieties of the human 

 species. With regard to colour, we know that temperature 

 exerts no permanent gradual influence whatever: white races 

 remain unchanged at slight elevations within the tropics ; 

 and the natives of Boothia Felix are very dark; the swarthy 

 inhabitants of Mauritania are a white race, and their sun- 

 burnt hue is merely an acquired variation, which is not trans- 

 missible by generation, and which does not extend to those 

 parts which are not exposed to the sun. The colouring 

 principle of black races is inherent in them, and is quite in- 

 dependent of external agency ; is even darkest in some parts 

 which are the least exposed, and vice versa. The Ethiopian 

 race is nowhere more black than in the vicinity of the Cape 

 of Good Hope, where the crops are sometimes injured by the 

 winter's frost. Strangely enough, this invariableness of co- 

 lour constitutes about, perhaps, the most fixed character of 

 these races. 



There is one fact, however, here to be observed, which is 

 very well worthy of attention ; and this is, that coloured 



* Agkon, an elbow, from the crooked form of the forelegs. See Law- 

 rence's Lectures, p. 447, 448. 



