' GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 41 



of locomotion, as the trot or pace in the horse; 

 of habit or instinct, as exemplified in the Setter 

 or in the Shepherd dog, etc.; and classifying 

 with reference to the possession of any one of 

 these assumed peculiarities we may divide a 

 species into breeds. Theoretically there is no 

 limit to the extent to which this division into 

 breeds may be carried; but practically it is 

 confined to marked differences in appearance, 

 function, use, disposition or quality.. And when- 

 ever we have, by any means, produced a group 

 or family of animals possessing and transmitting 

 uniformity in any particular, in which there is a 

 lack of uniformity in the species to which they be- 

 long, they are fairly entitled to be classed as a 

 breed. 



Taking advantage of the almost numberless 

 shades of divergence from the original type to 

 be found among the different species of domes- 

 ticated animals, the laws of heredity and spon- 

 taneity enable man to work wonderful trans- 

 formations and improvements by selecting such 

 individuals as most nearly approximate to his 

 ideal and which manifest a tendency to assume 

 the desired form. By coupling such individuals 

 there is a probability that the quality for which 

 they were selected will be reproduced in the 

 offspring, and that it will be even more promi- 

 nent than in the parents. I say there is a prob- 

 ability that this will be the result, but it is 



