31 6 Evolution and Adaptation 



born in Massachusetts having short crooked legs and a long 

 back. From this one ram by crossing, at first with common 

 sheep, the ancon race has been produced. " When crossed 

 with other breeds the offspring, with rare exception, instead 

 of being intermediate in character, perfectly resemble either 

 parent ; even one of twins has resembled one parent and the 

 second the other." 



Two especially remarkable cases remain to be described. 

 These are the Porto Santo rabbit and the japanned peacock. 

 Darwin has given a full account of both of these cases. 

 " The rabbits which have become feral on the island of Porto 

 Santo, near Madeira, deserve a fuller account. In 1418 or 

 14 1 9 J. Gonzales Zarco happened to have a female rabbit on 

 board which had produced young during the voyage, and he 

 turned them all out on the island. These animals soon 

 increased so rapidly that they became a nuisance, and actually 

 caused the abandonment of the settlement. Thirty-seven 

 years subsequently, Cada Mosto describes them as innumer- 

 able ; nor is this surprising, as the island was not inhabited by 

 any beast of prey, or by any terrestrial mammal. We do not 

 know the character of the mother rabbit ; but it was probably 

 the common domestic kind. The Spanish peninsula, whence 

 Zarco sailed, is known to have abounded with the common 

 wild species at the most remote historical period ; and as these 

 rabbits were taken on board for food, it is improbable that 

 they should have been of any peculiar breed. That the breed 

 was well domesticated is shown by the doe having littered 

 during the voyage. Mr. Wollaston, at my request, brought 

 two of these feral rabbits in spirits of wine ; and, subsequently, 

 Mr. W. Haywood sent home three more specimens in brine 

 and two alive. These seven specimens, though caught at 

 different periods, closely resemble each other. They were 

 full-grown, as shown, by the state of their bones. Although 

 the conditions of life in Porto Santo are evidently highly 

 favorable to rabbits, as proven by their extraordinarily rapid 



