104 BREEDING AND REARING 



stinctive habits to such a degree as to make the subjects of 

 such cultivation bad breeders, and still worse rearers^, of pro- 

 geny. If I mistake not, a tendency to this may be observed 

 in all our very high bred animals. Among the feathered 

 race it is peculiarly remarkable. The higher any animal is 

 bred, the more artificially he becomes placed with regard to 

 external circumstances, till at length he requires constant 

 care to obviate those contingencies that would be unheeded 

 by others. 



Among the practical and systematic breeders of all domes- 

 tic animals, and among none more than those sportsmen who 

 devote themselves to the improvement of the dog, a great 

 diversity of opinion has always existed on the subject of con- 

 sanguineous breeding, or of that between near relations, 

 characterised by the term In and In. The conflicting au- 

 thorities on the subject are numerous, and the testimonies 

 contradictory ; and it is more than probable that they will 

 remain so, until a long course of experiment is undertaken 

 by a body or society of scientific and observant breeders, on 

 various domestic animals, for the express purpose of arriving 

 at the truth in this particular. A few solitary or isolated 

 facts can do little to set the subject at rest : theory can only 

 assist by philosophically directing the inquiry aright. Truth 

 should be the ultimate object of every pursuit, and, from 

 whatever source it is obtained, it should be embraced. 1 

 profess to have had little experience myself as a practical 

 breeder, but I have endeavoured to profit by the experience 

 of others. 1 am by no means wedded to the in and in sys- 

 tem of breeding ; and when I hear grave authorities stating 

 facts (the only sure guides to truth) against it, I am disposed 

 to waver ; but renewed examination produces counter state- '^^ 

 ments, and 1 retrace my steps and become, as formerly, a 

 defender (but, 1 own, not so zealous one) o( consanguineous 

 breeding. I will, however, endeavour to state the pro's and 

 con's fairly, and then leave the matter, where it should be 

 left, with the experimentalist. 



The first argument that presents itself on this subject is. 



"Tt; 



