190 SELECTION. Chap. XX. 



do not like them, they are destroyed. On the other hand, 

 Azara states that a hornless bull, born in 1770, was preserved 

 and propagated its race. I was informed of the existence in 

 Banda Oriental of a breed with reversed hair ; and the extra- 

 ordinary niata cattle first appeared and have since been kept 

 distinct in La Plata. Hence certain conspicuous variations 

 have been preserved, and others have been habitually 

 destro} T ed, in these countries, which are so little favourable 

 for careful selection. We have also seen that the inhabitants 

 sometimes introduce fresh cattle on their estates to prevent the 

 evil effects of close interbreeding. On the other hand, I have 

 heard on reliable authority that the Gauchos of the Pampas 

 never take any pains in selecting the best bulls or stallions 

 for breeding ; and this probably accounts for the cattle and 

 horses being remarkably uniform in character throughout the 

 immense range of the Argentine republic. 



Looking to the Old World, in the Sahara Desert " The 

 " Touareg is as careful in the selection of his breeding Mahari 

 " (a fine race of the dromedary) as the Arab is in that of his 

 " horse. The pedigrees are handed down, and many a drome- 

 " dary can boast a genealogy far longer than the descendants 

 " of the Darley Arabian." 53 According to Pallas the Mongo- 

 lians endeavour to breed the Yaks or horse-tailed buffaloes 

 with white tails, for these are sold to the Chinese mandarins 

 as fly -flappers ; and Moorcroft, about seventy years after 

 Pallas, found that white-tailed animals were still selected for 

 breeding. 54 



We have seen in the chapter on the Dog that savages in 

 different parts of North America and in Guiana cross their 

 dogs with wild G'anidse, as did the ancient Gauls, according 

 to Pliny. This was done to give their dogs strength and 

 vigour, in the same way as the keepers in large warrens 

 now sometimes cross their ferrets (as I have been informed by 

 Mr. Yarrell) with the wild polecat, " to give them more devil." 

 According to Varro, the wild ass was formerly caught and 

 crossed with the tame animal to improve the breed, in the 



53 ' The Great Sahara,' by the Rev. burg,' 1777, p. 249 , Moorcroft and 

 H. B. Tristram, 1860, p. 238. Trebeck, ' Travels in the Himalayan 



54 Pallas. 'Act. Acad. St. Peters- Provinces,' 1841. 



