14 on varieties of domestic animals. Sept. 25. 
farther, and are now in general disposed to maintain 
that all the varieties, properly so called, have been 
produced by accidental deviations only from one pa~ 
rent animal, which they believe has originally con- 
stituted the whole of each indivual species; they of 
course endeavour, in most cases, to condescend upon 
some one of these varieties as having been the origi- 
nal from which all the others have sprung. In both 
these last afsumptions however, they seem to go far- 
ther than facts hitherto well authenticated can au- 
thorise them: they reason here at best only from 
probabilities ; from which no inferences can be admit- 
ed as certain: and as there are probabilities, perhaps 
equally strong against the opinion they have adopt- 
ed, as for it, the safest course in this case would seem 
to be, at least, tosuspend our opinion for the present, 
and to decline drawing any certain conclusion, till 
the facts necefsary for giving authenticity to any o- 
pinion shall have been fully ascertained. 
Buffon, who is the least scrupulous of all modern 
naturalists, has been the most forward to decide in 
this, asin many other cases. He does not so much 
as condescend to admit that there can be a doubt in 
this case ; but on all occasions afsumes it as a certain~ 
ty, that all the varieties of one species have been de- 
rived from one parent ; and boldly rajses upon that 
supposition many practical inferences, which if his 
theory fhould prove tobe unfounded, might lead to 
very important errors ; so that it is not a matter of 
idle curiosity to investigate this question. 
Among the varzeties of the same species of animals, 
we find very great and striking diversities in re- 
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