170 NATUBAL HISTORY OF 



tains, the booted of Egypt (Ft lis maniculata), the wild Indian 

 [Fells pennantii), and the original tortoise-shell, — all regs 

 as distinct; yet remaining prolific, with but small appearance 



of being varieties.* 

 Among Pachyderms, the Hoi e, and, still more evidently, the 



domestic Il(>L, r , by the great irregularity in the vertebral column, 

 &c., indicate a plural ori 



.in, in BuminantiOt Goats and Sheep intermix-, producing 

 permanently fertile hybrid-; although the genus Ovis, exclu- 

 sive of the Argalis, offers several species in a wild state, which 

 have themselves every appearance of being the types of differ- 

 ent domestic races, that have been blended into common sheep 

 after they had been separately subjugated. Such are the Sha, 

 a species of Little Thibet; the Koch of the Suleimany range, 

 having only five molars; the Persian Sheep of Gmelin; and 

 the bearded or Kebsch of Africa, which is sufficiently aberrant 

 to have been placed in a sub-genus, denominated AmmolragusA 

 Another example may be pointed out in the promiscuous breed- 

 ing of common cattle with Zebu (Bos Gibbosiis), a species born 

 with two teeth already protruded) ; with the Gayal (Bos Gav- 

 (Bus) ; and with the grunting Ox (Bos Poephagns). 



Finally, let one more instance be named from among the 

 Rodentia, where the Hare and Rabbit of Europe, and the vari- 

 able Hare of America, produce a continued progeny; more par- 

 ticularly when the hybrids are again crossed with one or other 

 of the pure species — a condition likewise the case with all the 

 foren-oin?. 



* There is, besides, the brown black-footed eat of north-eastern Russia, 

 and others that may claim a distinct origin ; but whether the Jaguar of 

 South America, and the black variety (Jaguarete), forming a common cross- 

 breed with the Leopard of the old continent, in our itinerant menageries, 

 be successively prolific, is not satisfactorily determined, though the hy- 

 brids so obtained are asserted to be both stronger and healthier than a 

 genuine breed. 



t I believe, by Mr. Blyth, who first distinguished several of the above 

 species. 



