194 WILD TRAITS IN TAME ANIMALS. 



It is easy to see that, had we been unable to 

 make use of larger and more robust animals, 

 the goat might have come to our aid in this 

 particular kind of service, just as did the llama 

 among the ancient Peruvians. Moreover, I see 

 no reason why, under the influence of domestica- 

 tion and proper selection, his size and strength 

 should not have been doubled or trebled. We 

 find, however, in investio-atinor the orowth of 

 civilisation among primitive races, that as soon 

 as their affairs are complex enough to require 

 pack-animals, they find it profitable to disregard 

 the claims of the goat and to take into their 

 service some more robust creature, such as the 

 yak, the donkey, or the mule. There are several 

 reasons for thinking that the goat was one of 

 the first animals domesticated by man. We find, 

 from the numerous records of prehistoric races 

 yielded by the mud on the shores of the Swiss 

 lakes, that the bones of goats are associated 

 with human remains belonging to a period long 

 anterior to that of the advent of the domestic 

 sheep in Central Europe. 



Probably in nearly all cases where savages 

 have habitually tamed wild animals the custom 

 has arisen somewhat in the following way. The 



