10 HYBRIDISM. [Chap. IX 



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 pure 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 abo- 

 riginal parent-species at first produced perfectly fertile 

 hybrids, or that the hybrids subsequently reared under 

 domestication became quite fertile. This latter alter- 

 native, 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 sev- 

 eral 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 ob- 

 servations by Eiitimeyer on their important osteologieal 

 differences, as well as from those by Mr. Blyth on their 

 differences in habits, voice, constitution, &c., these two 



