204 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



Wild animals of every race and variety, herd together, come 

 in heat, copulate without regard to blood relation, the stronger 

 males taking precedence in such service, and the young usually, 

 unless accident occur, being healthy, robust, and keeping up the 

 qualities of their sires and dams. Put a pair of wild deer in a 

 park, and let them breed together for years, and their young also,, 

 promiscuously together ; no deterioration is found in them — pro- 

 vided their natural habits and food are not interfered with. 

 There are herds of wild cattle in some parks in the north of 

 England, which have been bred together for centuries, without 

 molestation or interference, save when they are occasionally 

 slaughtered, and they remain the same in vigor, form, and appear- 

 ance. Instinct and desire are the passions which govern them 

 in procreation, regardless of blood relation, and with no evil con- 

 sequences. A pair of pigeons, geese, swans, ducks, rabbits, or 

 other small domesticated animals, are put together in the same 

 way, and they and their offspring breed at will, promiscuously, 

 for years together, with no bad results, and we think nothing of 

 it. So with cattle, horses, sheep, p'igs and goats — every brute 

 animal, in fact, which breeds at all. They have no family affec- 

 tions or sympathies, no permanent likes or dislikes, after the 

 mother has weaned her young, and it has become able to provide 

 for itself. The female, when in heat, freely receives the male, 

 comely or uncomely, no matter what, if of her own kind ; and 

 the male, with the same ungovernable propensity, seeks his grati- 

 fication with her. Blood relation among themselves amounts to 

 nothing, even if they had the capacity to think of it, which they 

 have not. The indulgence of their lust is the sole object of their 

 desire, and that is effected regardless of consequences. 



We say, then, that the question of hrute incest amounts to 

 nothing. Breeding in-and-in, so far as the animal is affected, is 

 no more than breeding "out-and-out" into strange blood at every 

 cross, under like conditions and circumstances. 



