BREEDING 131 



so with camels the ages of sires and dams should be care- 

 fully considered, the extremes of old age and youth being 

 naturally prejudicial, and being another cause of the 

 degeneracy of offspring. This I imagine has been a 

 prominent feature in assisting to degenerate the camel, 

 as Orientals keep no records and are altogether careless 

 on these points. 



In the last point a great deal is embraced. It is, 

 as it were, the text to a sermon. But as the whole 

 object of this work is to lay down a certain treatment 

 and management of the animal which should be pro- 

 ductive of the best results, it will be waste of time to 

 enter into any specially elaborate explanation of it. In 

 a few words, by hygienic conditions are included 

 feeding, cleaning, sanitary and all other arrangements 

 that ensure health. That these are all-important 

 factors in this most vital question which if neglected 

 have a highly and directly injurious effect on the 

 animals, and indirectly on the offspring by the trans- 

 mission of tendencies no one will deny. 



It stands to reason, therefore, that the closer and 

 stricter the observation on these points, the greater the 

 certainty of success. And it is only vain repetition to 

 say that the better nourished and better cared for are 

 sires and dams, the healthier and better fitted are they 

 to produce a vigorous progeny ; and in the same way 

 it follows that a cultivation of the mental faculties 

 will also tell. As I have previously remarked, how- 

 ever, although the Eastern and African races do not 

 specially ill-treat their camels, they do not, on the 

 other hand, devote any special attention or care to sires 

 and dams, and with the exception of their riding 



K 2 



