2 WHAT IS EUGENICS? 



brought about. All our dogs are descended from some 

 wild wolf -like ancestors, who had been captured when 

 young and tamed. Those with the wildest natures often 

 ran away, and became wild animals again. Some of the 

 naturally tamer animals could be kept, but when they 

 failed to follow our savage ancestors out hunting, or when 

 they turned sulky or unsociable, or when they bit a child 

 in the camp, they were often promptly killed. This may 

 be described as unconscious or unpremeditated selection. 

 It has been going on for several thousand years, and it has 

 had wonderful effects. The wild ancestors of our dogs 

 were ready enough to attack a man if found at a disad- 

 vantage. Our dogs of to-day, their descendants, are our 

 most faithful companions. Their affection for men is so 

 bred into them that they pay much more attention to us 

 than to other dogs. 



The effects of the deliberate efforts which have long been 

 made to breed better animals have been even more re- 

 markable than the effects of this unpremeditated selection. 

 All savages are known to pay some attention to breed. As 

 it was obvious that it was the swiftest hound of the pack 

 which succeeded in running down the hare or the rabbit, 

 it was that dog which was selected by primitive man for 

 breeding purposes. This went on century after century, 

 with the result that in time the greyhound of to-day made 

 its appearance. When our ancestors wanted protection 

 for themselves or their herds, they looked more to strength 

 and weight when selecting for breeding; and in conse- 

 quence many stronger kinds of dogs were produced at the 

 same time as the greyhound. When it was a creature to 

 pet that was desired, dogs like the Chinese chow slowly 

 appeared as if in answer to this demand. The differences 

 between all the innumerable breeds of dogs — ^bulldogs, 

 pugs, mastiffs, terriers, bloodhounds, poodles, lapdogs, 

 etc. — are probably partly the result of the differences 

 between the wild animals which were tamed originally. 

 But this extraordinary diversity of form is really mainly 

 due to the different ideals in the minds of the men who 



