38 CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS. 



It may be difficult to find out the original of any animal that is not 

 probably now found wild. It will be difficult to say which is the 

 original cow, whether the East India cow or the European ; but, as the 

 East Indian has the least variety of the two kinds, it is therefore more 

 probably the original cow than the European. Besides, this animal 

 came from the East, and was more likely to go through varieties in 

 new countries [i. e. under new external influences] than in its original 

 country. 



Varieties of Animals. 



Any variety in animals that is pretty constant is commonly called a 

 ' breed : ' such as of hogs, cattle, sheep, horses ; although such, in some 

 species, as in dogs, go by particular names, as bull-dog, mastiff, grey- 

 hound, &c. ; and, therefore, in such the word ' breed' would be applied 

 to each ; as a breed of bull-dogs, &c. In hogs, cattle, &c, a breed often 

 goes by a particular name, as the Chinese breed of hogs, the "Welsh breed 

 of sheep, the Holderness breed of cows, the breed of running-horses, &c. 



These different breeds of the same species, although they be pretty 

 constant in their hereditary properties, and by getting the breed we are 

 pretty sure of the produce, yet they are often varying from the true 

 breed ; and these are either better or worse than the original : but, 

 whichever it may be, it in some degree becomes an hereditary principle. 



The varieties among the original of any species of animals are much 

 less than the varieties of any of the varieties. Thus wolves have less 

 varieties among themselves than we find in any of the varieties of dogs ; 

 whether we take the bull-dog, mastiff, greyhound, &c. The same may 

 be observed of Man. 



Varieties are so regular as to be classible : thus we have dogs of par- 

 ticular kinds, cows, cats, fowls, horses, sheep, &c. 



How far varieties in animals are gradual, or in what degree they, at 

 once, produce a very distinct variety, is perhaps not to be ascertained. 

 But, if it be gradual, we should then be able to trace most varieties up 

 to their original. Did the peacock, the turkey, the guinea-fowl, &c. 

 become first spotted or pied, and the pied then produce the white ? Or 

 was the white produced at once by an original ? 



I believe that all varieties that seem to be an amendment in them- 

 selves, such as increase of size, are as little profitable respecting breed- 

 ing as what the originals are. For, where the profits depend on the 

 readiness to have young and their number, I believe they are less profit- 

 able. Thus the common pigeon breeds better than the varieties, especially 

 the runt : the common fowl better than the larger, or shaklebag. 



It woidd appear that a variety was more permanent in its principles 



