RACE. 79 



There is no doubt that all the different 

 breeds of cattle or of sheep that now exist, 

 existed in herds more or less pure before selec- 

 tive breeding was practised. Then as now, 

 the animals varied among each other in size, 

 shape, and quality, and the history of any 

 pedigreed breed tells us that the breeder, 

 by continuously selecting the best animals 

 in his herd for breeding purposes, and by 

 protecting them in their struggle for exist- 

 ence, developed the breed and established 

 its reputation, by demonstrating what could 

 be done by careful selection and generous 

 treatment. No breeder ever created or made 

 a breed the breed existed from all time ; 

 he," simply by following, probably uncon- 

 sciously, Nature's method of maintaining 

 purity of race, as explained in a preceding 

 chapter, purged his herd of any strain of 

 impurity, and by generous treatment secured 

 a full expression of the type. There is no 

 specific difference between pedigreed animals 

 and those of the same breed, whose ancestors 

 never appeared in the herd-book. 



If then, as experience shows, it is im- 

 practicable, either by cross or by selective 

 breeding, to establish a new variety between 

 two closely allied races, or within a pure 

 race, does it not follow that every group 



