210 CROSSING AND CLOSE-INTERBREEDING. 



that the highly cultivated pig is susceptible of the 



greatest evil effects ; and that the least-cared for pig, 



the one which is forced to root around, for its living, — 

 displays little, or no evil effects, from the same degree 

 of close-interbreeding? Why is it, that the more 

 widely divergent the varieties of a species are, the 

 greater are the evil effects from interbreeding? and 

 why is it that the increase of good, from crossing, is 

 the greatest with them ? 



Why is it, that the most well-bred animals, of the 

 horse, sheep, and cow species, are the ones which need 

 the least crossing, to ward off lessened fertility, when 

 it is the finest bred animals among the pig, pigeon, 

 and fowl species, which require it the most ? 



Why is it, that the more that varieties realize Dar- 

 win's divergence of character (which, according to his 

 view, is to convert them into distinct species), the 

 greater is the need, that they be crossed in order to avert ■ 

 the sterility and delicacy of constitution which, he as- 

 serts, always accompany such divergence of character? 



Why, — to urge the most significant of questions, 

 the answer to which involves a full refutation of Dar- 

 winism, — are the individuals of a divergent variety, 

 which Darwin deems an "incipient species," sterile, or 

 partially so, when interbred together; and, why are 

 they of greatly increased fertility, when crossed with 

 individuals of other divergent varieties of the same 

 species; when the individuals of a species, are gener- 

 ally fertile with each other, and absolutely sterile (or 

 produce absolutely sterile hybrids), when crossed with 

 individuals of another species ? 



