

312 



VAEIATION OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS. [Ch. XXXVL 



they are all turned out together, ' in a very short time separ- 

 ate to a sheep ; ' the Lincolnshires drawing off to the rich 

 soil, and the Norfolks to their own dry light soil ; and as long 

 as there is plenty of grass ' the two breeds keep themselves as 

 distinct as rooks and pigeons. In this case different habits 

 of life tend to keep the races distinct.''^ 



The origin of a new race of sheep, recorded in the Phi- 

 losophical Transactions for 1813, also illustrates the disposi- 

 tion of even closely related varieties to herd apart, and has 

 also been cited by Professor Huxley as proving the strong 

 tendency which there is in a newly arisen variety to be per- 



petuated. 



Massachusett 



ram 



of the ordinary kind. In the year 

 1791 one of the ewes presented her owner with a male lamb 



from 



emulate 



rela- 



tives in those sportive leaps over the neighbouring fences, in 



much 



farmer's vexation. His neighbours imagined 



be an excellent thing if all his sheep were endued with the 



J_ _ 1 I t "V A .^^ 



home ^..^^^^^ 



ram, and they advised TV 



ram 



justified their sagacious anticipations. 



The young lambs 



were almost always pure Ancons or pure ordinary sheep, and 

 when sufficient An con sheep were obtained to interbreed with 

 one another, it was found that the offspring was always pure 



In this well-authenticated instance we have a dis- 



Anco 



tinct race established at once or by a leap, and that race 



breeding true. When 



other sheep they kept together, so that it was beheved that 



mi 



Merino 



been superseded by the introduction of the _. „_^, 



which were not only superior to the Ancons in wool and 

 meat, but were equally quiet and orderly. 'f 



Pallas on domesticity eliminating sterility. Correlation of 



* Danv-in ' On Variation,' chap, xvi, 

 p. 102, who cites Marshall. 



t Huxley, Westminster Eeriew, 1860 



Article on Darwin ' On the Origin of 



Species.' 



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