240 on varieties of domestic animals: Oct. 16. 
only be attained by a continued careful and uninter- 
rupted attention to the individuals of the. breeding 
stock, that with a distinguifhing cye every valuable 
peculiarity which accidentally arises, may be instant- 
ly siezed and perpetuated, and every hurtful singula- 
rity, be carefully banithed from the breeding flock: 
Among the females this is of great use ; but among 
the males, the importance of it is proportionally 
gteater : for a female can only rear one, of at most 
two young in a season, so that the flock is either be- 
nefited or hurt to that amount by her progeny 5 but 
above an hundred may in some cases spring from a 
single male, and of course the flock will either be de- 
teriorated or improved in the same ratio, by a judici- 
ous choice of the male ar the reverse.* 
% No attempt that I know of has ever been made in practice to ob- 
tain the improvements that might be gained under the two first 
heads, unlefs the trials now making by the society for improving Bri- 
tifh wool; and those made by some enterprising individuals, as War- 
ren Hastings Esq, Sir Joseph Banks, Mr John Hunter, Thomas 
Johnes Esq, M. P. and a few others, who have of late imported from 
distant regions some valuable domestic animals not hitherto known 
in this country, not for the purpose of being led about as a fhow, to 
amuse an idle curiosity, but for the purpose of propagating their 
breed, and thus giving room tor comparative experiments between 
these and other animals of the same Kind, may be so called ; and the 
alterations that have been made by importing horses sata England, 
and breeding from them, which give ample encouragement to follow 
a similar plan for i improving oth r breeds of domestic animals. 
With regard to the last mode of improvement, that by selection “ 
only of the best individuals of the same kind, and breeding from these, 
the practice of Mr Bakewell, all of whose experiments are reducible 
to this clafs, abundantly fhows the amazing lengths to which improve- 
ments may be carried by this kind of attention continued for a 
long time- This man, whose name will long be mentioned with 
respect among agvicultural improvers, raised his flock by this means 
