60 THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM. 



are equally observant of the purity of lineal descent among these 

 animals as they are ; and as these horses have maintained their 

 high character for ages, it forms a strong presumption in favour 

 of this system. Mr. Bakewell, whose name will ever rank high as 

 a breeder of cattle, reared his valuable stock wholly from con- 

 sanguinity : in fact, his important improvements were all founded 

 on this intercourse among kindred, or their affinities. Mr. Mey- 

 nell, who was no less celebrated as an experimentalist in the 

 breeding of sporting dogs, propagated the whole of his celebrated 

 fox-hounds in this manner. 



I have already stated, that numerous and powerful opponents 

 exist to the system of in-and-in breeding, whose opinions ought 

 to have their due influence when considering the question^. Sir 

 John Sebright, who has been long known as a practical breeder 

 and scientific experimentalist, has given us his opinions on the 

 subject, in a letter on The Art of Improving the Breeds of Do- 

 mestic Animals ; and as great importance is justly attributed to 

 his opinions, as there detailed, I shall, in candour, quote so much 

 as is necessary to shew the drift of his arguments. He says, " If 

 " a breed cannot be improved, or even continued in the degree 

 " of perfection at which it has already arrived, but by breeding 

 "from individuals so selected as to correct each others defects, 

 " and by a judicious combination of their diflferent properties (a 

 " position that I believe will not be denied), it follows that ani- 

 " mals must degenerate by being long bred from the same family, 

 " without the intermixture of any other blood, or from being what 

 "is technically called bred in-and-in." Against the contrary 

 opinion, as held by Bakewell, the ingenious Baronet thus reasons : 

 — " No one can deny the ability of Mr. Bakewell in the art of 

 " which he may fairly be said to have been the inventor ; but the 



' The principal arguments, in my own mind, against this mode of increase 

 are, that hereditary diseases, which in some hreeds are considerable, are, by 

 this means, perpetuated and probably increased : and also, that when breeding 

 by relationship is a settled practice, the accidental defects are too apt to be 

 passed over unobserved. 



