174 DOMESTICATED ANIMALS 



than its exceeding grace. We cannot believe that much 

 pains was ever taken with this creature to break up the 

 migratory instincts which are common in the wild kindred 

 species. We have to suppose that the bird in its pristine 

 form was without the impulse to undertake distant journeys 

 in the winter season, or that it abandoned ancient habits with 

 no great difficulty. We obtain some light on this point by 



Swans 



noting the fact that among the migratory species it not 

 infrequently happens that, while the greater number of indi- 

 viduals undertake the annual journey, certain of them will 

 remain on the ground where they were born. Those which 

 remain would be more likely to mate with those which were 

 like-minded than with others that journeyed afar. In this 

 way small local breeds might well be originated which would 

 differ from their migratory kindred not only in the measure of 

 the wandering instincts, but in the capacity for flight which 

 their kindred preserve. There is some reason to believe that 



