OF VARIETIES liN FORM. 391 



ediy of the same species. What differences in the figure 

 and proportion of parts in tlie various breeds of horses — in 

 the Arabian, the Barb, and the German 1 How striking 

 the contrast between the long-legged cattle of the Cape of 

 Good Hope and the short-legged of England ! The same 

 difference is observed in swine. The cattle have no horns 

 in some breeds of England and Ireland : in Sicily, on the 

 contrary, they have very large ones. A breed of sheep, 

 with an extraordinary number of horns, as three, four, or 

 five (ovis polycerata), occurs in some northern countries ; 

 as, for instance, in Iceland, and is accounted a mere variety. 

 The Cretan breed of the same animal (ovis strepsiceros) has 

 long, large, and twisted horns. We may also point out 

 the solidungular swine, with undivided hoof, as well as 

 others with three divisions of that part ; the five-toed fowl 

 (gallus pentadactylus) ; the fat-rumped sheep of Tatary 

 and Thibet ; and the broad-tailed breed of the Cape, in 

 which the tail grows so large, that it is placed on a board, 

 supported by wheels, for the convenience of the animal ; 

 and the rumpless fowl (gallus ecaudatus) of America, and 

 particularly Virginia, which has undoubtedly descended 

 from the English breed. 



The common fowl, in different situations, runs into 

 almost every conceivable variety. Some are large, some 

 small ; some tall, some dwarfish. They may have a 

 small and single, a large and complicated comb ; or great 

 tufts of feathers on the head. Some have no tail. The 

 legs of some are yellow and naked ; of others, covered with 

 feathers. There is a breed with the feathers reversed in 

 their direction all over the body ; and another in India with 

 white downy feathers and black skin. All these exhibit 

 endless diversities of colour. 



A breed of sheep was lately produced in America, the 

 origin and establishment of which confirm the positions 

 already brought forwards. An ewe produced a male lamb 

 of singular proportion and appearance. His offspring, by 

 other ewes, had, in many instances, the same cha- 

 racters with himself. These were, shortness of the 



