OO INTRODUCTIOX. 



Now, adverting to the circumstance of the fertility 

 of the mixed breed between wolf and dog (one cer- 

 tainly of very great weight), the experiments made 

 by Buffon should have been taken into the account ; 

 for that celebrated naturalist, after denying that 

 they would commix, lived to prove that they bred, 

 and the oflfepring of the wolf and dog to be prolific 

 indeed, but that in four generations, the Hybrid 

 type, though not obliterated, had not passed into a 

 domesticated race. If wolves and dogs commixed 

 breed readily, how does it happen that several races 

 of true dogs, such as mastiffs, bulldogs, and particu- 

 larly the Irish greyhound, breed so imperfectly >vith 

 their own variety of species that it requires much 

 attention to preserve the race ? 



If the Australian Dingo be a true dog, what is 

 the cause that experiments to make it breed with 

 well selected individuals of the domestic species 

 have failed ? At least, this was the case at Paris.* 

 Finally, if the facility of breeding together were 

 admitted, would it establish identity of species ? It 

 is asserted, and we know of no contradiction, that 

 the older breeds of sheep in Russia have very coarse 

 fleeces, because they breed promiscuously with 

 goats. Should this be a fi\ct, and we believe it 

 rests on the authority of Pallas, would the inference 

 of the identity of the two species be established? 



* We believe Sir John Jamieson, who made similar expe- 

 riments in New Holland, was not more snccessful ; but I find 

 that Mr Cunningham mentions a breed of Hybrids of the race 

 to be now established in New Holland. 



