152 A DISQ^UISITION on 



a bag. The keeper fays he can occafionally fill this with 

 water, for his own ufe, but I faw it not fo eniployed. 

 2. Long lank fofter hairs alfo common in this country, 

 efpecially among the highland cattle ; fome of thefe have 

 manes like horfes, which I have feen. 3. Softer and 

 clofer hair more refembling wool, but fliorter : the Lou- 

 iiiana ox, according to the bcft defcriptlon I can get of it. 

 4. Still longer, and more foft and filky, the fieece ap- 

 plied to various purpoles in arts ; the Sarluc, and Chit- 

 tigong cow of India. 5. Longer and deeper fleece than 

 almoft any fheep ; the mufk ox of Hudfon's Bay. A gen- 

 tleman here who lived long in that country, afTures me 

 the fleece is as clofe as that of any fheep, that in fome 

 pats it is finer and fofter than any wool he has feen, and 

 about half a yard in length : But we are not yet fuf- 

 ficiently acquainted with the animal to fpeak with greater 

 certainty. 



The camel feems alfo to be referable to this head. Nor 

 is it altogether certain if the hog, and many other ani- 

 mals might not be included under it ; but I will not pufh 

 the matter further at prefent. 



The practical inference I would draw from thefe fads 

 is this. — If different breeds of animals preferve in general 

 their diftinguifhing peculiarities, when the breed is not 

 contaminated by an intermixture with other breeds ; of 

 which the proofs are undeniable — and if a breed of the 

 fame kind of animal which carries wool can be found, 

 which is equally good in other refpedts with another 

 breed that carries no wool, (the fheep of Madagafcar 

 feemed to be in no refpedl fuperior to other wool-bearing 

 fheep : nor is the goat of Angora, for aught that I can 

 learn, in the leaf! inferior in any refpedt to the common 

 goat) ; — will it not be a matter of great economical con- 

 cern to propagate as many of thefe wool-bearing breeds of 



animals 



