Hypbridity in Animals. A7 
It is therefore certain that dissimilar species of the dog. tribe 
are capable of producing a fertile hybrid offspring; and if it was 
the interest of man again to cultivate and extend these mixed 
species, there is every probability that the race would become 
unlimited. 
“Experiments show,” observes Mr. Lyell, “ that after repeated 
failures, the union of two recognized species may at last, under 
very favorable circumstances, give birth to a fertile progeny ; and 
such circumstances,” he adds, “the naturalist may conceive to 
have occurred again and again in the course of a great lapse of 
eg. * - 
’ Every one who is in the least degree acquainted with the 
hatural history of dogs, knows that certain remarkable changes 
of color, and sometimes of form, take place in particular lo- 
calities. These changes are usually attributed solely to climate, 
food, training, and other exterior agents. I do not deny the 
modifying action of such agents in these and other cases ; but it 
is a reasonable subject of inquiry, whether there may not be 
something in these localities that favors an effort of nature to re- 
produce a primitive type? The localities to which we allude,+ 
do not operate equally on all varieties of the dog tribe; which 
we might suppose would be the case if all the canine breeds were 
ived from a single stock or species. It is important in connec- 
oe this subject, to observe that all the pure Indian dogs 
America are of one variety, with erect. ears, a wolfish 
aspect, and having a howl in place of a bark. Most naturalists - 
agree in considering it a reclaimed w A 
Say, regarded it as the canis latrans or howling wolf, in a state 
of domestication. It is remarkable, when unmixed, for the uDi- 
formity of its characters, which are the same in every locality 
over thousands of miles in extent.{ No varieties have arisen 
been taken when young, and successfully trained to deer hunting. 
The difficulty, however, with these animals was, that they de- 
voured the game, unless the sportsman was on the spot to pre- 
hap. 2. : ae : 
farat Hisar? Man, for an admirable exposition of 
eg. 
_+ Carver’s Travels in North America, p. 417. See also the plates of the mag- 
nificent Atlas of the Prince de Wied's Travels in this country. 
