62 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



parents, others will certainly fall short of their standard, owing to 

 the disturbing influences of the different strains. If the blood of 

 the parents is impure the variations will be all the greater, but even 

 with the purest blood they will be present, and utterly destroy that 

 uniformity of characteristics which is sought for in breeding. We 

 see, then, we may mate individuals of equally fine qualities, and even 

 of equal purity in blood, yet they will not produce progeny equal 

 to themselves. Like does not produce like, therefore, in such cases. 



Even if we advance a step further and demand that in addition 

 to similarity in field qualities there shall be similarity in blood, we 

 shall find, if we stop here, we have not got all that is essential to 

 the highest success. There may be as wide divergence in physical 

 characteristics or in character in individuals of the same blood as 

 in those of different strains, and the union of these will destroy 

 the equilibrium which naturally exists in cases of true like to like. 

 To fully meet the requirements of the theory, there must be simi- 

 larity and equally high development in blood, physical character- 

 istics, character, disposition, and field qualities. When all these 

 are present we have indeed a union of like with like, in which 

 there can be no disturbing elements, and the effect of which must 

 be the perpetuation and intensifying of the qualities of the indi- 

 viduals mated. 



This is the perfection in theory of breeding, but it is seldom 

 reduced to practice, owing to the fact that comparatively very few 

 breeders are so circumstanced that they can examine with sufficient 

 closeness into the fitness of one individual for another. If it was 

 possible to obtain a general and strict adherence to the rule, there 

 is no doubt the result would be a race of dogs superior to those we 

 have, for we see the superiority of those produced by breeders most 

 careful in their selection of their breeding stock, and the principle 

 which produces such results on a small scale has no limits, and 

 will be equally effectual if applied to general breeding. The diffi- 

 culties in the way, and the effect of past carelessness in mating, 

 fully account for the differences observable in individuals nearly 

 related, and as we must take dogs as we find them, we can only 



