TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 81 



another ; 3rdly, the cultication of fishes, Sec, by the restocking of rivers, the colo- 

 nizcation of ponds, or the renovating of worn-out oyster- or pearl-fisheries by fresh 

 supplies. 



Uomnieuciug with the first of these objects, which is by many regarded as the 

 most important, I would observe that some animals seem to have been created with 

 more or less of an instinctive desire to associate vnth. man, and to become useful to 

 him ; but the number of these is very limited, and as it undoubtedly takes a long 

 period to become acquainted with the qualities and habits of these animals, anS 

 with the mode in which their services may be rendered available, it would almost 

 appear as if all the animals which are possessed of this quality, and are worth 

 domesticating, had already been brought into use. Indeed all tho'se which are now 

 truly domesticated were in domestication in the earlier historic times. The Turkey, 

 it may be said, was not known imtU the discovery of America ; but I think it has 

 been satisfactorily proved that our domestic Turkey is not descended from the wild 

 Turkey of America, but comes of a race which was domesticated by the Mexicans 

 before the historic period. Again, the number of such animals is necessarily 

 limited ; for it is not worth while to go through a long process of domestication 

 with the \-iew of breeding an animal that is not superior in some important par- 

 ticular to those which already exist in domestication. For example, where would 

 be the utility of introducing other Ruminants which do not breed as freely, feed as 

 cheaply, afford as good meat, and bear the climate as well as our present races of 

 domestic cattle ? 



It has been thought that some of the numerous species of African Antelopes might 

 be domesticated here ; but every one who has eaten their flesh describes it as harsh 

 and dry, and without fat ; and such being the case (even could the domestication 

 be eflected, which I very much doubt), such an animal must have some very valu- 

 able peculiarity in its mode of life, and be capable of being produced at a very cheap 

 rate, to enable it to take rank in om- markets beside the good beef and mutton with 

 which they are at present supplied ; and, even supposing it to be semidomesticated 

 only for the park, it could not for an instant be put in competition with the fine 

 venison which it is thought that it might displace. 



I am aware that certain French philosophers have lately taken up a notion that 

 it is desirable to pervert the true pm-poses of the Horse by cultivating him for food 

 instead of work ; and that a society of Sippopliagi has been instituted with this 

 view. Of course, under present circimistances, the flesh of old and worn-out horses 

 is sold for much less than that of weU-fed Ruminants ; and the miserable classes in 

 some countries are glad to obtain animal food of any kind at so low a rate : but 

 whenever an attempt has been made to fatten horses for food, it has been foimd 

 that the meat could not be produced at so low a rate as that for which far better 

 beef and mutton could be bought. 



There are also some small semidomesticated animals, such as the Porcupine and 

 other Glires, which are said to aftbrd good meat ; but they have long been driven 

 out of the market by the cheapness and abundance of the prolific Rabbit. 



With regard to the larger Ruminants (such as the Giraffe, the Eland and some 

 other foreign Deer, the Llama, and the Alpaca), which have been bred in this 

 countiy, but never brought into general use, I cannot consider them as at all accli- 

 matized. They have almost always had the protection of warmed buildings, espe- 

 cially in the winter ; and though they may have lived through a certain number of 

 years, they are liable to attacks of diseases dependent upon our climate, and gene- 

 rally die off before their natural term of existence is completed. I can only regard 

 them as partially domesticated, and that only as objects of curiosity and luxury, and 

 85 incapable of being tm-ned, in this country at least, to any useful domestic pui-pose. 



With regard to those animals which may be considered as more or less completely 

 under the control of Man, there exists considerable ditierence in the natm-e of their 

 domestication. 



The more tj'pical among them, or truly domesticated, such as the Oxen, the 

 Sheep, the Horse, the Camel, the Dog, and the Cat, like the Wheat and the Maize 

 among plants, are never found truly wild ; and when thev are permitted to run 

 wild, as in the case of horses and oxen in South America, thev are easily brought 

 back to a state of domestication, especially if caught young. What may be called 



1864. Q 



