68 ARE THE EFFECTS OF USE INHERITED? 



for by the " elongated neck." The Dragon also 

 has a long- neck. In the Pouter, although the 

 breast-bone has been shortened by 18-5- per 

 cent, relatively to the length of the body, it 

 has lengthened by 20 per cent, relatively to 

 the bulk of the body. 1 Darwin forgot to ask 

 whether allowance must not be made for a 

 frequent, or perhaps general, elongation of the 

 neck and the hinder part of the body, and the 

 relative shortening or the throwing forward of the 

 central portion containing the ribs (frequently 

 one less in number) and the sternum. The whole 

 body of the pigeon is so much under the control 

 of artificial selection, that every precaution must 

 be taken to guard against such possible sources of 



error. 2 



1 Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication, i. 

 179. 



2 In the six largest breeds the shortening of the sternum is nearly 

 twice as great as in the three smaller breeds which remain nearest 



