296 M. Cuvier 07i the Domestication of 



I shall not detain the reader with the didelphides, the glifes 

 and the edentata ; the weakness of their body, and their limited 

 intellect, prevent them from being employed by us for any use- 

 ful purpose. But almost all the pachydermata, which are not 

 yet domesticated, might be so ; and it is especially to be regret- 

 ted that the tapir is still in a wild state. Much superior to the 

 boar in size and docility, it would afford domestic races not less 

 valuable than those of the hog, and whose qualities would cer- - 

 tainly be different, for the nature of the tapir, notwithstanding 

 some points of resemblance^ is very different from that of the 

 boar. Yet the tapir, which has but feeble means of defence, is 

 destroyed in America, where it is much sought after on account 

 of the excellence of its flesh. Now, however Httle addition may 

 continue to be made to the population of South America, the 

 species peculiar to that country will gradually disappear from the 

 face of the earth, :-r 



All the species of solipeda are as capable of being domesti- 

 cated as the horse or the ass ; and the education of the zebra, 

 the quagga, the dauw *, and the hemionus, would prove useful 

 to society, and lucrative to those who might undertake it. 



Almost all the ruminantia live in herds, and most of the spe- 

 cies of this numerous family are of a nature that qualifies them 

 for domestication. There is one, in particular, and perhaps 

 even two, that are already half domesticated, and which it is 

 matter of regret that we do not see among the number of our 

 domestic animals, for they would have two very valuable quali- 

 ties, — they would answer as beasts of burden, and would fur- 

 nish fleeces of excellent quality. The animals of which I speak 

 are the Alpaca and the vicugna. They are double the size of 

 our largest breeds of sheep ; the qualities of their fur are very 

 different from those of wool, properly so called, and might be 

 manufactured into cloths, which would partake of these quali- 

 ties, and thus give rise to a new branch of industry -|*. ) 



* The Equus montanus of Burchell. 



■f The difference of climate has been stated as an insurmountable obstacle 

 to the naturalization of the animals of warm countries in our northern re- 

 gions. This error would have been avoided, had the resources of nature and 

 the extent of our means of acting upon animals been better known. By a si- 

 milar error, the same difficulty has been opposed to the introduction of the 



