450 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 



bly, will evince a slight degree of evil, after long- 

 continued and very close interbreeding; thereby evi- 

 dencing that it has departed not at all, or but slightly, 

 from the perfect type of its species. 



1 6. As, then, the loss or reduction of characters, in 

 any individual, is observed to entail physiological in- 

 jury; and as, previous to their variation under domesti- 

 cation, organisms are observed to be defective in pro- 

 portion to the number of characters which it is subse- 

 quently observed to be possible for them to develop 

 under domestication, it follows that those positive 

 variations which appear under domestication, are but 

 the regain of characters which the given species lost 

 under nature. 



17. Further proof is furnished by the fact that the 

 physiological defects, which are occasioned by the loss 

 or reduction of characters, are ever observed to abate 

 in proportion as the individuals develop the variations 

 which appear under domestication; thus proving that 

 such variations are but the regain of the characters 

 whose loss or reduction caused the physiological in- 

 jury. 



18. Warrant for this is found in Darwin's remark 

 that " Domestication, as a general rule increases the 

 prolificness of animals and plants." 



19. If, however, further proof be required, it is found 

 in abundance in the phenomena of Crossing, which as 

 it is the converse of the law of Close-Interbreeding, is 

 fraught with more significance than if it were evidence 

 of an independent character. Besides, by means of 

 the several modes of Man's Selection, which have been 



