218 CROSSING AND CLOSE-TNTERBREEDING. 



portion as the animal or plant recedes from the original 

 type of its species. 



The close-interbreeding, of those which answer to 

 the original type of their respective species, is attended 

 with no evil whatever. 



Darwin attributes every imperfection, existing in the 

 offspring of parents related in blood, to the fact of con- 

 sanguinity alone; which is manifestly absurd. For, 

 even if there be no consanguinity, or relationship be- 

 tween the parents, but there be similarity of defects, 

 the result is the same; and, if there be consanguinity, 

 and no structural defects, there will be no evil entailed. 

 Consanguinity, per se, adds not a jot nor a tittle to the 

 evil effects. 



Mere relationship has not any influence, in producing 

 the evil effects. Given, full and proportionate develop- 

 ment, the same blood is in no wise injurious. There is 

 nothing necessarily pernicious, in a marriage of con- 

 sanguinity. It occasions evil, generally, merely be- 

 cause, it is far more likely for parents, which are 

 descendants of the same near ancestor, to have simi- 

 lar defects, than it is, for those not bound together by 

 any tie of blood. The nearer the connection, between 

 the individuals paired, the greater is the probability of 

 evil in the offspring; but, solely because, such blood 

 relationship generally implies, that the defects which 

 every individual has, more or less, will be similar, in 

 the pair so related, and thus augmented in the offspring. 

 The more remote is the connection between the couple, 

 the less, the Other things equal, will be the probability 

 of evil ; for, remoteness of connection generally implies 



