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258- om varieties of domestic animals. Oct. 26. 
to pofsefs the distinguifhable peculiarity in a lefs 
eminent degree than the others, 
. Now, although every breed of animals preserves 
in general its distinguifhing peculiarities with little 
variation, yet these accidental deviations when con- 
joined with the peculiarity of their becoming in some 
measure hereditary by a careful selection, put it in 
the power of an attentive observer, to make prodi- 
gious improvements upon the domestic animals 
that are under his immediate care, and thus give 
room to permanent changes that never could have 
been experienced if the animals had continued in a 
state of nature. 
Let us suppose, for example, that the breed of 
fheep of which a man at first obtained pofsefsion, 
contained in general some hairs among the wool, and 
that he found these hairs were not fitted for the par- 
ticular uses he meant to make of that wool. He 
would soon observe that the fleece of some transient 
individuals in the flock containad lefs of that hair 
than the others. These individuals he selects to 
breed from. The wool of all their descendants of 
course contains much ‘efs hairsin it, than the gene- 
ral mafs of the original fheep. Here then is one 
amelioration in consequence of attention, that never 
could, have taken place in a wild state, because 
the peculiarty of the individual fheep would 
have been soon blended with the general mafs, and 
lost in consequence of a promiscuous intercopula- 
tion. 
A purer wool being thus obtained; by the same 
kind of attention continued, thotgh another transi- 
