THE FORM OF ANIMALS. 29 



Thus a cross which, at first, was an improvement, would, 

 by giving occasion to a contrary cross, ultimately pre- 

 judice the breed. 



The general mistake in crossing has arisen from an 

 attempt to increase the size of a native race of animals ; 

 being a fruitless effort to counteract the laws of nature^ 



The Arabian Horses are, in general, the most perfect 

 in the world ; which probably has arisen from great care 

 in selection, and also from being unmixed with any va- 

 riety of the same species, the males have therefore never 

 been disproportioned in size to the females. 



The native Horses of India are small, but well propor- 

 tioned, and good of their kind. With the intention of 

 increasing their size, the India company have adopted a 

 plan of sending large stallions to India. If these stal- 

 lions should be extensively used, a disproportioned race 

 must be the result, and a valuable breed of Horses be 

 irretrievably spoiled. 



From theory, from practice, and from extensive ob- 

 servation, whicn is more to be depended upon than either, 

 it is reasonable to form this conclusion, that it is wrong to 

 enlarge a native breed of animals ; for in proportion to 

 their increase of size, they become worse in form, less 

 hardy, and more liable to disease.* 



* [For this plain reason, our farmers should have recourse to well-formetl 

 bulla of a smaller or middling size, rather than to those of a larger breod 

 than the average size of their own cattle, and also why it is far better 

 to employ compact, short-backed, well-formed, thorough-bred stallions, 

 than cold-blooded stallions of larger size. 



Essential difference has been found, by analysis in France, beiween 

 the hlood of the ordinary Horse and that of the aristocratic lace de- 

 scended from the south-eastern courser. It is stated to be less serous 

 than that of the common Horse. One cannot but admire the ardour 

 with which, in France, they are now applying the sciences to enlighten 

 all branches of agriculture, as it has been so much more and more suc- 

 cessfully applied to other industries. A society of the first men of 

 that country is devoted to the meliorution of the Horse, and they under 

 take %o predict the time not distant when « la science du chevi,U' tb« 



