Chap - xil inheritance. 3 



Some writers, 2 who have not attended to natural history, have 

 attempted to show that the force of inheritance has been much 

 exaggerated. The breeders of animals would smile at such 

 simplicity; and if they condescended to make any answer, 

 might ask what would be the chance of winning a prize if two 

 inferior animals were paired together ? They might ask whether 

 the half-wild Arabs were led by theoretical notions to keep 

 pedigrees of their horses? Why have pedigrees been scrupu- 

 lously kept and published of the Shorthorn cattle, and more 

 recently of the Hereford breed ? Is it an illusion that these 

 recently improved animals safely transmit their excellent qua- 

 lities even when crossed with other breeds ? have the Short- 

 horns, without good reason, been purchased at immense prices 

 and exported to almost every quarter of the globe, a thousand 

 guineas having been given for a bull? With greyhounds 

 pedigrees have likewise been kept, and the names of such 

 clogs, as Snowball, Major, &c, are as well known to coursers as 

 those of Eclipse and Herod on the turf. Even with the Game- 

 cock pedigrees of famous strains were formerly kept, and ex- 

 tended back for a century. With pigs, the Yorkshire and Cum- 

 berland breeders "preserve and print pedigrees ;" and to show 

 how such highly-bred animals are valued, I may mention 

 that Mr. Brown, who won all the first prizes for small breeds at 

 Birmingham in 1850, sold a young sow and boar of his breed 

 to Lord Ducie for 43 guineas ; the sow alone was afterwards 

 sold to the Eev. F. Thursby for 65 guineas; who writes, 

 " she paid me very well, having sold her produce for 300^' 

 and having now four breeding sows from her." 3 Hard cash 

 paid down, over and over again, is an excellent test of in- 

 herited superiority. In fact, the whole art of breeding, from 

 which such great results have been attained during the pre- 

 sent century, depends on the inheritance of each small 



« Mr. Buckle, in his grand work on Animals of the British Islands' 1845 



{W 'C^satxon/ expresses doubts on the p. 721. For game-fow fZ ^The 



subject owing to the want of statistics. Poultry Book/ by Mr Te-tmeier 



See, Iso Mr. Bowen, Professor of Moral 1866,7 123. For p^gs lee m£ 5 



^ Philosophy m « Proc. American Acad. edit, of < Youatt on the Pig/ I860, pp 



ot Sciences, vol. v. p. 102. U 2 2 



3 For greyhounds, see Low's ' Domest. 



B 2 



