294 THE LURE OF THE LAND 



classical work on variation of domestic animals, gives 

 some curious instances. Horses become " greatly re- 

 duced in size and altered in appearance by living on 

 mountains and islands, and this is due apparently to 

 want of nutritious or varied food." The horse can 

 stand great cold. He is found wild in Siberia, as far 

 north as fifty-six degrees; also, where it is very hot the 

 horse flourishes, as in Arabia and Africa. A very moist 

 climate seems to be more injurious to the horse than 

 extreme heat or cold. 



The English race-horse shows the effects of selection. 

 These horses are descendants from the mingling of three 

 races, called Arabs, Turks, and Barbs. Yet the im- 

 provement in these horses has been so marked that when 

 descendants from the same stock of the first generation 

 compete in the races, they are always allowed certain 

 odds. As an example of heredity in racers may be 

 mentioned " King Herod," who gained in prizes a mil- 

 lion dollars, and was the father of four hundred and 

 ninety-seven winners. " Eclipse," another great racer, 

 was the father of three hundred and thirty-four win- 

 ners. A German writer has asserted that there is not 

 a successful racer on the continent of Europe which has 

 not English blood in his veins. 



With respect to sheep equally as valuable data have 

 been collected. Quatref ages says : " Our [French] 

 sheep on being transferred to America generally become 

 acclimatized without undergoing great change. Their 

 fleece, particularly, is retained. But on the plains of 

 the Meta it is only retained on condition of the sheep 

 being regularly shorn. If they are left to themselves 

 the wool becomes of a felty nature, is detached in flakes, 

 and is replaced by a short, stiff, and shining hair. Un- 

 der the influence of this burning climate the same indi- 



