THE FIRST EDITION. 17 



duced by a Creative Power. I am even disposed to 

 adopt this view towards many forms that are usually con- 

 sidered as mere varieties. Half of the mongrels that one 

 sees are only transition-forms, passing back to the type 

 of one or other original progenitor. At least, my own 

 eye can detect such to be frequently the apparent fact 

 in the case of Domestic Fowls. 



The reader will perceive that a description has been 

 given, in most cases, of the newly-hatched chicks of each 

 species of poultry. The idea of doing this was suggested 

 by an inquiry, which had for its object to ascertain the 

 amount of differences in the very young of our supposed 

 domestic races, compared with the difference of the ma- 

 ture animals, in relation to the general belief that, in 

 youth, species differ very little from each other ; it being 

 really the fact, that the embryos of even distinct orders 

 are closely and fundamentally alike each other. But 

 if these embryotic similarities between birds and any 

 other class of creatures be sought for, the time of the 

 exclusion of the chick from the egg is far too late in its 

 existence to look for them. Observant persons, who 

 have themselves been practically engaged in the rearing 

 of poultry, will immediately recognise the newly-hatched 

 chick of each variety with which they are acquainted. 

 Nay, when an egg has been accidentally broken, after a 

 fortnight's incubation, I have myself been able to de- 

 cide of what breed it would have been, had it survived. 

 I believe that a comparison of the newly-hatched young 

 of all wild birds, would lead to the like result. The only 

 chance of finding any such analogies, or rather confu- 

 sion, would be obtained by examining the embryos of 

 birds, reptiles, and fishes, two or three days after the 

 hatching of the ovum had commenced. 



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