86 INTRODUCTION. 



Mr Bell concludes these observations in the fol- 

 lowing words : — " Upon the whole, the argument 

 in favour of the view which I have taken, that the 

 wolf is probably the original of all the canine races, 

 may be thus stated. The structure of the animal 

 is identical, or so nearly so as to afford the strongest 

 a priori evidence in its favour. The dog must have 

 been derived from an animal susceptible of the 

 highest degree of domestication, and capable of 

 great affection for mankind, which has been abun- 

 dantly prove'd of the wolf. Dogs having returned 

 to a wild state and continued in that condition 

 through many generations, exhibit characters which 

 approximate more and more to those of the wolf, in 

 proportion as the influence of civilization ceases to 

 act. The two animals will breed together and produce 

 fertile young. The period of gestation is the same." 



Unquestionably the foregoing observations are 

 stated with considerable force, but the conclusions 

 to be drawn from them do not appear to have satis- 

 fied the writer, nor have they sufficient weight to 

 be completely admissible. We shall therefore pro- 

 ceed to offer some remarks upon the alleged facts, 

 to show the reasons for withholding an unqualified 

 assent ; and we may be allowed to remark that the 

 statements are occasionally grounded upon insuffi- 

 cient data : moreover, w[here the question of iden- 

 tity, as in the present case, is concerned, it may be 

 doubted whether the words " all or nearly all the 

 essential parts being identical," appear to be unob- 

 jectionable. 



