1868.] 415 [Hayes. 



each other ad infinitum. Tliey all claijn as their origin tlie eommon 

 goat, Capra hircuK, Avhich it is admitted by nearly all reliable natural- 

 ists derives its parentage frrtni the wild goat, Capra ieffrar/us, that still 

 exists on tlie P2uropean Aljis." After referring to the diversity of 

 color, aspect and form, seen in the goats of ITindostan, Chinese Tar- 

 tary and Thibet, he says, ' in a word, they are all of one species, but 

 under many varieties ; bi'eeds have become permanent, and some are 

 infinitely more valuable than others." He gives the results of breed- 

 ing the Angora with the common goat as shown in the lioeks of Mr. 

 Peters in the following hinguage: — "Familiar as we have lieen through 

 a long life, with the changes produced by crosses among varieties of 

 domestic animals and poultry, there is one trait in these goats which 

 is more strongly developed than in any other variety that we have ever 

 known. We allude to the facility with which the young, of the cross 

 between the male of the Asiatic goat and the female of the common 

 goat assume all the characteristics of the ibrmer. It is exceedingly 

 difficult to change a breed that has become permanent, in any of our 

 domestic varieties, whether it be that of horses, cattle, sheep or hogs, 

 into another variety by aid of the male of .the latter. There is a 

 tendency to run back into, their original varieties. Hence the ob- 

 jection to mixed breeds. But in the progeny of these Asiatic and 

 common goats, nine-tenths of them exhibit the strongest tendency to 

 adopt the characteristics of the male, and to elevate themselves into 

 the higher and nobler grade, as if ashamed of their coarse, dingy hair, 

 and musky aromatics, and desirous of washing out the odorous per- 

 fume and putting on the white livery of the more respectable race." 

 Speaking of the Angora goat, Mr. Israel S. Dielil, who has contrib- 

 uted a paper upon it of mucli research, and valuable for many 

 original observations, says:* "This goat, though described as the 

 Capra Angorensis, is only an improved variety of the Capra hircus 

 or common domestic goat." He refers to numerous State agi'i- 

 cultural societies and scientific and practical men to show the value 

 of the Angora goat and its fleece, "and the facility with which it can 

 be crossed and bred with the common goat, by which a flock can be 

 readily raised and increased," adding, "almost all the j^rogeny exhibit 

 the strongest tendencies to the higher and nobler grades by assimilat- 

 ing themselves to the male and putting on the white livery of the 

 more respectable, honored, and valued race." These views widely 

 circulated through the Government agricultural reports have been 

 accepted without question, and the efforts of breeders in this country 

 have been largely wasted in vain efforts to produce crosses which 

 would have all the value of the pure race. 



* Kcport of tlie Department of Agriculture for 1863, p. 216. 



