116 FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 
dered incestuous connexion per se an element of dete- 
rioration and final destruction? Among wild brutes, 
brothers and sisters must constantly pair together. 
Some kinds of birds are hatched in pairs as if for the 
express purpose of remaining together and interbreed- 
ing. And the connexion of brothers and sisters is 
the closest possible interbreeding. Has any one dis- 
covered or even conjectured a decay of the wild deni- 
zens of earth or air on this account? Does any one 
imagine that the elephant is smaller or weaker than 
he was when he trampled down armed squadrons on 
old barbaric battle-fields ages on ages ago, or that the 
African lion is a less formidable animal than when 
his angry roar shook the Roman Coliseum ? 
It may be said that inasmuch as the strong males 
destroy or banish from the herd the weak males, and 
that in times of scarcity and hardship the weaker 
animals of both sexes perish, a natural provision has 
been made to guard against deterioration, whether 
arising from in-and-in breeding or any other cause. 
In respect to animals which herd together in large 
numbers, and which are periodically exposed to se- 
vere vicissitudes of climate and periods of scarcity of 
food, this would be in a great measure true; but there 
are portions of the earth where some classes of animals, 
particularly those of the lower organizations and soli- 
tary habits, cannot be supposed to be subject to such 
casualties, or to any which would have the effect of 
regularly weeding out those possessed of less than the 
average of strength and hardiness. And I apprehend 
we shall find no natural laws necessary for the protec- 
tion of animal life and vigor, enforced in respect to 
the higher and not the lower organizations, or which 
