THE WHITE, CHINA GOOSE. 



" Man as he extends his dominion over earth and ocean, is gener- 

 ally a Destroyer, occasionally an Enslaver, and so far a Protector ; 

 hence, sometimes, even a Selecter and Improver, but never a 

 Creator. 



" EVERY like is not the same," is a principle that is 

 beginning more and more to influence the reasonings 

 of zoologists, and to effect their conclusions with re- 

 spect to wild animals. But, according to the prevailing 

 opinion with domestic ones, a diametrically opposite 

 axiom would seem to hold ; as the latter are described 

 and catalogued apparently on the rule that " Things 

 may be unlike, and yet the same." The various kinds 

 of domestic fowls are supposed to be " varieties" by 

 which, it is presumed, is meant transmutable, or at 

 least, transmuted forms of one, or at most, two or 

 three wild originals ; and the history of the common 

 domestic goose is quietly settled by considering it as 

 the result of a fusion of ti.ree or four different species 

 melted and mixed into one. Believe it ! those who 

 may, and classify it with the marvellous story of the 

 " bernicle goose originating from a worm engendered 

 in the sea from rotten wood !" 



But, before finally determining to fix the appellation 

 of species, or variety, to any particular race of animals, 

 it will be necessary first to settle the question of what 

 is meant by the terms Genus, Species, and Variety. 

 They are all understood to denote certain degrees of 



