BREEDIN-J, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 311 
Merino sheep, Black Hawk horse, and Devon bull. These are 
permanent varieties, the type of each having been established by 
a long course of in-and-in breeding. We are told, however, that 
many of the imported French Merinos (so called) have produced 
offspring scarcely worth the trouble of raising—far inferior to our 
common native stock. The principal reason is, many sub-races 
of Merinis, existing in Fiance and elsewhere, are the result of 
aress-breeding. They are nothing less than mongrels, destitute 
of that permanency of type indicative of pure blood. But there 
are other causes for the deterioration complained of, which will be 
noticed hereafter. 
By preserving the race pure through a certain period, we thus 
obtain the requisite permanency of type, which can then be trans- 
mitted indefinitely. Let us see, now, if we understand what is 
meant by a permanent variety, and inquire if such do really trans- 
mit their permanent peculiarities. A permanent variety (Black 
Hawk breed, or Devon cow, for example), are animals whose pe- 
culiarities were not coeval with the tribe, but have arisen, or been 
engrafted on the same, subsequent to the advent of their existence 
and, therefore, what some may term distinct species are, in reality, 
nothing more than permanent varieties. The Shetland pony, 
therefore, is a permanent variety. Circumstances have made him 
just what he is. He, being an inhabitant of a stormy, tempestu- 
ous region, comparatively destitute of shelter and artificial food, is 
left, in many instances, like the cattle of Norway, (whose diminu- 
tive size is notorious,) to seek such food as the county affords ; and, 
owing to their being secluded from other horses, frequent inter- 
course among themselves have rendered their small and peculiar 
forms permanent in the race ; and, with unerring precision, “ like 
begets like.” 
The permanent varieties that now exist among the cattle of the 
British Isles is due to local circumstances and the art of man. 
Most of the fine breeds now owned by English husbandmen are 
named after the location in which they are said to originate, 
These are permanent varieties, yet the most of them (in fact all, 
except importations) are descendants of the “Wild or White 
Forest breed.” Hence the Highland brecd, dispersed over the 
mountains of North Britain; the Alderney, of the Norman Isles; 
and the Devon, from the Bristel Channel, etc., are all permanent 
rarietics, originally of the White Frrest breed. Yorkshire ia 
