52 DARWINISM STATED BY DARWIN HIMSELF. 



VAGUE ORIGIN OF OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



Origin of ^ n the case °^ mos ^ of our anciently do- 



Species, mesticated animals and plants, it is not pos- 



page " sible to come to any definite conclusion whether 

 they are descended from one or several wild species. The 

 argument mainly relied on by those who believe in the 

 multiple origin of our domestic animals is, that we find 

 in the most ancient times, on the monuments of Egypt, 

 and in the lake-habitations of Switzerland, much diver- 

 sity in the breeds ; and that some of these ancient breeds 

 closely resemble or are even identical with, those still 

 existing. But this only throws far backward the history 

 of civilization, and shows that animals were domesticated 

 at a much earlier period than has hitherto been supposed. 

 The lake-inhabitants of Switzerland cultivated several 

 kinds of wheat and barley, the pea, the poppy for oil, and 

 flax ; and they possessed several domesticated animals. 

 They also carried on commerce with other nations. All 

 this clearly shows, as Heer has remarked, that they had 

 at this early age progressed considerably in civilization ; 

 and this again implies a long-continued previous period 

 of less advanced civilization, during which the domes- 

 ticated animals, kept by different tribes in different 

 districts, might have varied and given rise to distinct 

 races. Since the discovery of flint tools in the superficial 

 formations of many parts of the world, all geologists be- 

 lieve that barbarian man existed at an enormously remote 

 period ; and we know that at the present day there is 

 hardly a tribe so barbarous as not to have domesticated at 

 least the dog. 



The origin of most of our domestic animals will prob- 

 ably forever remain vague. 



