Wild Hybrids 



nil. It is, however, curious that three-quarter- 

 bred animals have rarely, if ever, been recorded 

 in a state of nature, though a good many wild- 

 bred hybrids are on record. 



This points to some unfitness for the struggle 

 for existence even in a fertile hybrid. It is 

 necessary to emphasise the fact that wild hybrids 

 are always exceedingly rare as individuals, in 

 spite of what has been said as to the number of 

 recorded crosses. 



More hybrid unions have been noted among 

 the duck family than anywhere else in the animal 

 kingdom. Nevertheless Finn never once saw a 

 hybrid duck for sale in the Calcutta market, 

 although for seven years he was constantly on 

 the look-out for such forms ; nor does Hume 

 record any such specimen in his Game Birds and 

 Wild Fowl of India. 



The hybrid which occurs most commonly as 

 an individual is that between the blackcock and 

 capercailzie, which is recorded yearly on the 

 Continent; but it appears to be sterile, and so 

 has no influence on the species. 



Wild hybrids between mammals are far rarer 

 even than bird hybrids, the only ones which 

 seem to be on record being those between the 

 Argali and Urial above alluded to ; those between 

 the brown and blue hares and the common and 

 Arctic foxes. 



A consideration of the phenomena of hybridism 



