THE 



VARIATION OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS 



UNDER DOMESTICATION. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The object of this work is not to describe all the many races 

 of animals which have been domesticated by man, and of 

 the plants which have been cultivated by him; even if I 

 possessed the requisite knowledge, so gigantic an undertaking 

 would be here superfluous. It is my intention to give under the 

 head of each species only such facts as I have been able to col- 

 lect or observe, showing the amount and nature of the changes 

 which animals and plants have undergone whilst under man's 

 dominion, or which bear on the general principles of varia- 

 tion. In one case alone, namely in that of the domestic 

 pigeon, I will describe fully all the chief races, their history 

 the amount and nature of their differences, and the probable 

 steps by which they have been formed. I have selected this 

 case, because, as we shall hereafter see, the materials are better 

 than m any other; and one case fully described will in fact 

 illustrate all others. But I shall also describe domesticated 

 rabbits, fowls, and ducks, with considerable fullness. 



The subjects discussed in this volume are so connected that 

 it is not a little difficult to decide how they can be best arranged. 



JriZ ^FT* ? thG &St Part t0 ^ ™ der the h <^ of the 



m7 at Z and l 1 ^' a large b0d ^ of facts > s °me of which 



ZtethBt^^^ ^ rekted t0 0Ur s ^> «nd to 

 devote the latter part to general discussions. Whenever I have 



nrolr neCeSSar V .^ *»us details, in support of any 

 propos.tion or conclusion, small type has been used. The reader 



VOL. I, 



B 



