Miscellaneous, ^7 



"11. State what differences are observable in the nature of their 

 food, in their habits, their longevity, and their fecundity. 



" 12. State if any, and what, peculiar diseases occur; or. If any 

 diseases to which they are liable in Europe are absent. 



" 13. State if crosses between European and native races are mot'e 

 or less productive than when both parents are of native race ; and 

 state what differences are observable in the offspring in the two 

 cases. 



" 14. Observe what changes occur when domesticated animals 

 from other countries are first introduced ; and do these changes 

 occur in the individuals imported, or only in their offspring ? 



" C. — Special Inquiries relating to the more common Domestic 

 Animals. 



" 15. Sheep. — When sheep are introduced from ano^ther country, 

 does the quality of the wool change in the individual or in the pro- 

 geny ? what time is required to effect the change 1 Is any difference 

 perceptible in very young lambs 1 or at what age does it take place 1 

 are they covered with wool or hair 1 does the altitude of the station 

 have any effect 1 



"16. Horses. — Do introduced or native races of horses breed most 

 freely ? are crosses between the two advantageous ? do stripes or 

 bands on the back, legs, shoulders, or faces of horses ever occur ? 

 and in all cases where such stripes occur, ascertain if the parentage 

 is pure or mixed. 



" 17. Cattle. — Are there any truly native races of cattle in the 

 country? do they breed freely with foreign cattle ? are the hybrid 

 offspring fertile, and capable of forming a hybrid race without any 

 second cross with either of the parent stocks ? 



" 18. Doffs. — When wild dogs occur, is there any evidence to show 

 if they are truly indigenous species, or a race escaped from domes- 

 tication? do they intermix with domesticated races? and are the 

 offspring perfectly fertile ? 



" 19. Ducks and Geese. — When an indigenous race of ducks or 

 geese is domesticated in the country, experiments of great value on 

 the phenomena of hybrid ity can be made. The point to be ascer- 

 tained is whether the cross between a pure native and pure foreign 

 breed produce offspring which are capable of propagating their kind 

 for several generations without any further intermixture with either of 

 the parent races. To carry out this experiment fairly, two persons 

 should co-operate, each breeding a number of hybrids and then ex- 

 changing their males, so as to avoid breeding too closely in-and-in. 

 This should be done at each successive generation, and the fertility and 

 character of the offspring accurately noted. Persons with facilities 

 for such experiments would confer a boon on natural science by 

 carrying them out with as many different races as possible. The 

 experiments need not be confined to ducks, though they offer many 

 advantages, from the ease with which they may be everywhere ob- 

 tained, and their greater propensity to cross than in the case of most 

 other animals.' 

 British Museum, June 21, 1863. 



