312 THE CROSSING, &C, OF CATTXE, ET AL. 



As before marked, the undue development of the 

 special excellence of a variety, is the principal element, 

 in the evils which ultimately manifest • themselves. 

 Where the horns are the peculiarity of a breed, they 

 are pushed to a development, out of all proportion. 

 The extreme development of the udders, and mam- 

 mary glands, in many breeds, is not without its dele- 

 terious effect. It will be, doubtless, fully understood, 

 that this extreme development, referred to, is not an 

 absolute evil ; but an evil, only relatively to the lesser 

 development of the other characters. Then, the im- 

 mense coats of wool, which many small sheep are 

 forced to produce, mar the proportion. 



Darwin says (page 239, Vol. ii, Animals and 

 Plants, &c) : 



" Sheep are bred and valued, almost exclusively for 

 the fineness of the wool." 



It remains a question, to be settled by future experi- 

 ments in close-interbreeding, whether coarseness is not 

 the normal condition of the wool. If so (which is 

 probable), the quality of wool, produced for Man's 

 benefit contributes its quota to the evil. 



Of course, it would never do, for Man to forego the 

 production of fine wool, in order to perfect the physi- 

 ological integrity of the Sheep. Nor, would there be 

 any adequate occasion ; for, the effect of reduction, in 

 size, of the threads of wool, would not manifest itself, — 

 if all other characters of the sheep were fully and pro- 

 portionately developed, — until after fifty generations, 

 perhaps, of the closest possible interbreeding. 



The fault to be found with Man's processes of breed- 



