18 VARIATION Chap. I. 



of our domestic animals is, that we find in the most 

 ancient records, more especially on the monuments of 

 Egypt, much diversity in the breeds ; and that some of 

 the breeds closely resemble, perhaps are identical with, 

 those still existing. Even if this latter fact were 

 found more strictly and generally true than seems 

 to me to be the case, what does it show, but that some 

 of our breeds originated there, four or five thousand 

 years ago? But Mr. Horner's researches have ren- 

 dered it in some degree probable that man sufficiently 

 civilized to have manufactured pottery existed in the 

 valley of the Nile thirteen or fourteen thousand years ago ; 

 and who will pretend to say how long before these ancient 

 periods, savages, like those of Tierra del Fuego or Aus- 

 tralia, who possess a semi-domestic dog, may not have 

 existed in Egypt ? 



The whole subject must, I think, remain vague ; 

 neverthelsss, I may, without here entering on any 

 details, state that, from geographical and other con- 

 siderations, I think it highly probable that our domestic 

 dogs have descended from several wild species. In 

 regard to sheep and goats I can form no opinion. I 

 should think, from facts communicated to me by Mr. 

 Blyth, on the habits, voice, and constitution, &c, of the 

 humped Indian cattle, that these had descended from 

 a different aboriginal stock from our European cattle ; 

 and several competent judges believe that these latter 

 have had more than one wild parent. With respect to 

 horses, from reasons which I cannot give here, I am 

 doubtfully inclined to believe, in opposition to several 

 authors, that all the races have descended from one 

 wild stock. Mr. Blyth, whose opinion, from his large 

 and varied stores of knowledge, I should value more 

 than that of almost any one, thinks that all the breeds 

 of poultry have proceeded from the common wild 



