116 on varieties of domestic animals. Sept. 25. 
even some of the human’ race*. Some varietics of . 
dogs take to the water easily, while others avoid it 
with much care: Some only houl like the hound, others 
bark almost incefsantly, as the lap dog ; others like 
the grehound seldom let their voice be heard ; and 
others, are entirely mute. To enumerate all the di- 
versities would be tiresome ; but this slight fketch 
ought to be sufficient te’ make one hesitate in admit- 
ting, without proof, that such prodigious diversities 
fhould all have been the progeny of one common pa- 
‘rent. . id , 
Were these diversities only casual and apt tovary, 
it might be more easy for us to give faith to the hys 
potheses ; but this is not the case. Experience hath 
fully proved, that any one breed may be kept pers 
fectly uncontaminated for any length of time, with 
all its distinctive peculiarities entire, merely by pre- 
* Of the sagacity of dogs many instances might be adduced; but 
none that I have ever met with can equal the toliowing instances of 
the sagacity of a fhepherd’s dog ; the owner himseli having been hang. 
ed some years ago for sheep stealing, the. follpwing facts, among o 
thers respecting the dog, were authenticated /by evidence on his trial. 
When the man intended to steal any sheep, he did not do it himself, 
but detached his dog to perform the businesS. With this view, under 
pretext of looking at the fheep, with an intention to purchase them, he 
wentthrough the flock with his dog at hisfgot, to whom he secretly gave 
a signal so as to Jet him know the individuals he wanted, to the num- 
ber of perhaps ten or twelve, out of a flock of some oundreds; he then 
Went away, and from « distance of severaimiles sent back the dog by 
himseli in the night time, who picked out the individual sheep that 
had been pointed out to himn,—separated them from the flock, and 
drove them befo.e him by himself, for the distance of ten or twelve 
tailes till he came up with his master, towhom he delivered up his 
charge. F ‘ , F 
