10 HYBRIDISM [Chap. IX. 



bred inter se. This was effected by Mr. Eyton, who 

 raised two hybrids from the same parents, but from 

 different hatches ; and from these two birds he raised 

 no less than eight hybrids (grandchildren of the pnre 

 geese) from one nest. In India, however, these cross- 

 bred geese must be far more fertile ; for I am assured 

 by two eminently capable judges, namely Mr. Blyth and 

 Capt. Hutton, that whole flocks of these crossed geese 

 are kept in various parts of the country ; and as they 

 are kept for profit, where neither pure parent-species 

 exists, they must certainly be highly or perfectly fertile. 

 With our domesticated animals, the various races 

 when crossed together are quite fertile; yet in many 

 cases they are descended from two or more wild species. 

 From this fact we must conclude either that the 

 aboriginal parent-species at first produced perfectly 

 fertile hybrids, or that the hybrids subsequently reared 

 under domestication became quite fertile. This latter 

 alternative, which was first propounded by Pallas, seems 

 by far the most probable, and can, indeed, hardly be 

 doubted. It is, for instance, almost certain that our 

 dogs are descended from several wild stocks ; yet. with 

 perhaps the exception of certain indigenous domestic 

 dogs of South America, all are quite fertile together; 

 but analogy makes me greatly doubt, whether the 

 several aboriginal species would at first have freely bred 

 together and have produced quite fertile hybrids. So 

 again I have lately acquired decisive evidence that the 

 crossed offspring from the Indian humped and common 

 cattle are inter se perfectly fertile ; and from the 

 observations by Eutimeyer on their important osteo- 

 logical differences, as well as from those by Mr. Blyth 

 on their differences in habits, voice, constitution, &c, 



