190 BREEDING. 



season, wlien she broke a toe in running the last course but one in 

 a large stake at Ashdown. In her case too the blood of the dam 

 was somewhat notorious for a tendency to run cunning ; and 

 indeed the same might be said of nearly' all the strains of which 

 she was composed ; nevertheless, throughout her career she was 

 entirely free from this vice, and left ofi' without a stain. She has, 

 however, unfortunately refused to breed ; but, as I have never 

 known this peculiarity confined to in-bred bitches, I do not allege 

 the fact as arising from her close in-breeding. Thus I have shown 

 that in practice in-and-in breeding, within certain bounds, is not 

 only not prejudicial, but absolutely advantageous, inasmuch as it 

 does not injure the nervous temperament and mental qualities of 

 the produce ; and that the bod)^ does not suffer is a well-known 

 fact, easily capable of proof by examining the external forms of the 

 dogs so bred. Theoretically, also, it ought to answer, because we 

 find in nature gregarious wild animals resorting to in-breeding in 

 all cases, the stag adding his daughters to his harem as long as he 

 has strength enough to beat off his younger rivals. In the same 

 way the bull and the stallion fight for supremacy, till at length 

 from age or accident they are beaten off, and a younger and more 

 vigorous animal masters them and their female attendants. Yet 

 this seems Nature's mode of insuring a superior stock, and pre- 

 venting the degeneration which we see take place among human 

 beings, when a feeble pair take upon themselves the task of pro- 

 ducing a family. It would ajDpear that man is an exception to 

 the general rule, for there is a special revelation prohibiting inter- 

 marriages, while we find them constantly going on among brutes, 



