THE STATUS OF MAN. 253 



individuals. We have seen, that these breeds are species in 

 every essential sense. And the dogs of one country fall into a 

 number of species plus a variable number of animals outside 

 these species, hybrids. And if we consider selection, we see that 

 the groups which are subjected to selection by the breeders are 

 these species, and not the compoimd groups, not the whole 

 horse-population, or all the dogs of a country. 



Now it is to be deplored, that most of the studies by geneto- 

 cists on domestic animals have been on the inheritance ot 

 definite single points rather than on the causes for species- 

 fonnation, or on the improvement of species by selection. In 

 other words, most of the work has been done with varietal 

 characters. It is obvious, even if we know in one species of dogs, 

 how blue, black, cream and yellow colours are related one to 

 the other, there is no connection between such knowledge and 

 what we would have to know to enable us to improve the dog- 

 population of one country as a whole. 



All work on the improvement of dogs or poiiltry logically 

 starts with a study of the different breeds, the species. And the 

 man who would try to improve the dogs of a country as a 

 whole, would be laughed to scorn by the dog-fanciers. It would 

 be equally impossible to lay down rules for the improvement, 

 not of one or the other species of fowls, but of chickens in 

 general. And yet, people who propose ^;o find methods and 

 regulations to improving the whole human population of 

 a country, or even to improve aU mankind are listened to with 

 respect. 



There would be one exception to the rule, that it is impossi- 

 ble to improve the whole dog-population, or the whole horse- 

 population of a given territory as such, namely in the case in 

 which there was no differentiation into species, specialized 

 breeds, and if such specialization were not desirable. In such 

 a case it would be possible to establish a set of ideals, and breed 

 towards it. The reindeer in Alaska may be bred in this way. 



And it is evident, that even if some authors would not go so 

 far as to believe in the specific unity of all mankind, the spe- 



