E 171 ] 



On Breeding In and In, by Richard Peters^ Esq, 



Read July 14, 1813. 



Belmont, June 2d, 1813. 



Dear Sir, 



I perceive in Mr. Ecroyd'^s communication, page 

 52, " 3rd. breeding in and in ;'' there is a striking co- 

 incidence of his experience with mine. You know 

 that I very much despise accumulating facts, merely 

 for the pui-pose of supporting an opinion. But truth re- 

 quires individual facts, pro and con, to form just con- 

 elusions. 



Mr. E. remarks "that (by breeding in and in) a 

 *' constant deterioration h.' taken place ; the bone be- 

 " comes smaller, and perhaps for the second and third 

 ** generation, the shape rather handsomer, but a conti- 

 *' nual diminution of size takes place ; perhaps, how- 

 ** ever, the greatest defect is a want of increase, ari- 

 " sing both from barrenness of the ewes, and the lambs 

 ** being so weak and sickly, as to die in great num- 

 " bers." I can truly say that this, in most particulars, 

 is exactly my experience. The last proofs I have had, 

 were exhibited by my Tunis sheep. The original pair 

 continued vigorous, and the ewe prolifick, to a late pe- 

 riod of their lives. But their lineal descendants of the 

 full blood, though handsome, were small ; and mere 

 runts in size, after four or five descents.. They re- 

 minded me of a Polish dwarf I saw in London ; who 

 was a Lilliputian figure of a very handsome man. He 

 said he was a nobleman of unmixed blood, through 

 many descents. Whatever was the fact, he seemed t© 



