Chap. XXI. 



SELECTION. 2 45 



escapes notice ; its death or destruction is comparatively sudden, 

 is often recorded, and when too late sometimes regretted. 



Several authors have drawn a wide distinction between arti- 

 ficial and natural races. The latter are more uniform in cha- 

 racter, possessing in a high degree the character of natural 

 species, and are of ancient origin. They are generally found in 

 less civilised countries, and have probably been largely modi- 

 fied by natural selection, and only to a small extent by man's 

 unconscious and methodical selection. They have, also, during 

 a long period, been directly acted on by the physical conditions 

 of the countries which they inhabit. The so-called artificial 

 races, on the other hand, are not so uniform in character ; some 

 have a semi-monstrous character, such as "the wry-legged 

 terriers so useful in rabbit-shooting," 68 turnspit dogs, ancon 

 sheep, niata oxen, Polish fowls, fantail-pigeons, &c. ; their charac- 

 teristic features have generally been acquired suddenly, though 

 subsequently increased in many cases by careful selection. Other 

 races, which certainly must be called artificial, for they have 

 been largely modified by methodical selection and by crossing, 

 as the English race-horse, terrier-dogs, the English game-cock, 

 Antwerp carrier-pigeons, &c, nevertheless cannot be said to 

 have an unnatural appearance ; and no distinct line, as it seems 

 to me, can be drawn between natural and artificial races. 



It is not surprising that domestic races should generally 

 present a different aspect from natural species. Man selects 

 and propagates modifications solely for his own use or fancy, 

 and not for the creature's own good. His attention is struck by 

 strongly marked modifications, which have appeared suddenly, 

 due to some great disturbing cause in the organisation. He 

 attends almost exclusively to external characters ; and when he 

 succeeds in modifying internal organs,— when for instance he 

 reduces the bones and offal, or loads the viscera with fat, or 

 gives early maturity, &c.,~ the chances are strong that he will at 

 the same time weaken the constitution. On the other hand, 

 when an animal has to struggle throughout its life with many com- 

 petitors and enemies, under circumstances inconceivably complex 

 and liable to change, modifications of the most varied nature— 

 in the internal organs as well as in external characters, in the 

 68 Blaine, < Encyclop. of Rural Sports,' p. 213. 



