14 THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 



geologists believe that barbarian men existed at an enormously 

 remote period; and we know that at the present day there is 

 hardly a tribe so barbarous as not to have domesticated at least 

 the dog. 



The origin of most of our domestic animals will probably for- 

 ever remain vague. But I may here state that, looking to the do- 

 mestic dogs of the whole world, I have, after a laborious collection 

 of all known facts, come to the conclusion that several wild species 

 of Canidae have been tamed, and that their blood, in some cases 

 mingled together, flows in the veins of our domestic breeds. In 

 regard to sheep and goats I can form no decided opinion. From 

 facts communicated to me by Mr. Blyth, on the habits, voice, 

 constitution, and structure of the humped Indian cattle, it is al- 

 most certain that they are descended from a different aboriginal 

 stock from our European cattle; and some competent judges be- 

 lieve that these latter have had two or three wild progenitors, 

 whether or not these deserve to be called species. This conclu- 

 sion, as well as that of the specific distinction between the humped 

 and common cattle, may, indeed, be looked upon as established by 

 the admirable researches of Professor Rutimeyer. With respect to 

 horses, from reasons which I cannot here give, I am doubtfully 

 inclined to believe, in opposition to several authors, that all the 

 races belong to the same species. Having kept nearly all the Eng- 

 lish breeds of the fowl alive, having bred and crossed them, and 

 examined their skeletons, it appears to me almost certain that all 

 are the descendants of the wild Indian fowl, Gallus bankiva; and 

 this is the conclusion of Mr. Blyth, and of others who have studied 

 this bird in India. In regard to ducks and rabbits, some breeds of 

 which differ much from each other, the evidence is clear that they 

 are all descended from the common duck and wild rabbit. 



The doctrine of the origin of our several domestic races from 

 several aboriginal stocks, has been carried to an absurd extreme by 

 some authors. They believe that every race which breeds true, let 

 the distinctive characters be ever so slight, has had its wild pro- 

 totype. At this rate there must have existed at least a score of 

 species of wild cattle, as many sheep, and several goats, in Europe 

 alone, and several even within Great Britain. One author believes 

 that there formerly existed eleven wild species of sheep peculiar to 

 Great Britain! When we bear in mind that Britain has now not 

 one peculiar mammal, and France but few distinct from those of 

 Germany, and so with Hungary, Spain, etc., but that each of these 

 kingdoms possesses several peculiar breeds of cattle, sheep, etc., 

 we must admit that many domestic breeds must have originated 



