308 



With respect to the interbreeding of Sheep, Darwin 

 says: 



"With Sheep, there has often been long-con- 

 tinued INTERBREEDING WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE 



same flock ; but, whether the nearest relatives have 

 been matched so frequently, as in the case of Short- 

 horn Cattle, I do not know. The Messrs. Brown, during 

 fifty years, have never infused fresh blood into their ex- 

 cellent flock of Leicesters. Since 1810, Mr. Barford has 

 acted on the same principle, with the Foscote flock. 

 He asserts, that one half a century of experience, has 

 convinced him, that when two nearly related animals 

 are quite sound in constitution, in-and-in breeding does 

 not induce degeneracy; but, he adds, that he 'does not 

 pride himself on breeding from the nearest affinities.' 

 In France, the Naz flock has been bred, for sixty years, 

 without the introduction of a single, strange ram. Never- 

 theless, most great breeders of sheep have protested 

 against close-interbreeding prolonged for too great 

 length of time. The most celebrated of recent breeders, 

 Jonas Webb, kept five separate families to work on, 

 thus retaining the requisite distance of relationship be- 

 tween the sexes." 



And, then continuing, Darwin says, that : 



"By the aid of careful selection, the near interbreed- % 

 ing of Sheep may be long continued, without any mani- 

 fest evil" 



It is a noteworthy fact, that all of the breeders, 

 quoted by Darwin, unlike Darwin, seem to have hewn 

 their opinions, close to the line of the facts. They 

 formulate no " great law of nature ! " Darwin doubt- 

 less calls it a "law" upon the lucusa non lucendo prin- 

 ciple; — because it governs nothing. 



It may be thought strange, that Darwin, who so 



