1(52 TRICHOLOGIA MAMMALIUM; 



The Babyroussa, or East India Hog, is often seen with tha Wild Boar; with which, 

 however, he is never known to engender. And the Pecary of South America, although 

 he herds with the Wild Hog, which he so much resembles, has never been known to 

 breed with him. This is the voice of Nature, proclaiming in unmistakable terms, her 

 abhorrence of the amalgamation of SPECIES. 



How is it where man exerts the powerful influence of domestication? Sometimes, even 

 here, all efforts to subvert nature are abortive. Buffon for three years kept a male matin 

 Dog and a she Wolf together, but they refused to have any intercourse. Goldsmith tells 

 us that a similar experiment was tried with a Fox and a Dog, with the same result. And 

 the Hare and the Rabbit, though so nearly resembling each other in form and disposition, 

 refuse to hold any communication. Buffon bred up several of both kinds together ; but 

 from being at first indifferent, they soon became enemies, and they would sometimes 

 combat until one was disabled or destroyed. 



How is it (it may be asked) with the Horse and the Ass? The Mule, (it is asserted,) 

 may be engendered by mixing either a Horse and a she Ass, or a Jack and a Mare. 

 When the latter method, (which is the one preferred,) is resorted 1o, a Horse is used as a 

 teaser; and before the Jack is brought forward the Mare is hoodwinked! Is this the free 

 sexual intercourse, spoken of in the rule above quoted ? But we have another question to 

 ask in regard to this connection, viz : is the Mule prolific ? Is he capable of continuing 

 the race ? 



Goldsmith says, that "from the great resemblance between the Horse and the Ass, one 

 would be led to suppose that they are of the same species; that the Ass was only a degenerate 

 Horse; but that they are perfectly distinct, an inseparable line having been drawn between 

 them." He adds that it had been said by Aristotle,* that the male Mule was prolific, but 

 that after 2000 years' experience this assertion had been modified. That others had said 

 that in warm cli mates, female Mules are prolific; but that, upon examining the cases, it 

 was found that such progeny were incapable of continuing the race. 



Fortunately we have the reports of two cases which occurred in our own country, 

 which, as they are exceedingly interesting, we will be excused for giving at large: 



"John Thompson Kilby, of Springhill, Nancomond county, Virginia, was the owner of 

 a female Mule, which, on the 23d of April, 1834, was delivered of a male young one. 

 She was not suspected of being with foal, and therefore it was not known what animal 

 was the father; but suspicion alighted upon a three-year old Colt, belonging to Mr. Kilby, 

 which had been allowed to run with the Mules on Sundays. Also, the young one 

 resembled the Colt. When born, it was very lean, but its mother, although she had a 

 small udder, having plenty of milk, it throve pretty well until the 20th of October, in the 

 same year, when (having been previously weaned) it was taken sick and died, of lock-jaw, 

 the following day." 



"Another (female) young one was born of the same Mule, on the same plantation, on 

 the 13th of August, 1835, and died on the 26th of August, 1836, after having been sick 



* He died 322 years B. C. 



