230 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



degenerated in Barbary, and in Iceland they have loft 

 their horns. Sheep, fays count de Buffon, have dege- 

 nerated in our country from their firft exigence in it ; 

 and in all the hot countries of the old continent they 

 change their wool into hair. Goats have grown fmall 

 in Guinea and other countries. In Lapland dogs have 

 become extremely fmall and deformed, and thofe of the 

 temperate climes when tranfported into cold climes ceafe 

 to bark, and after the firft generation are born with 

 ftrait ears. From the accounts of travellers it is certain 

 that mafiiffs, grey-hounds, and other breeds of dogs of 

 Europe tranfported to Madagafcar, Calcutta, Madeira, 

 and Malabar, degenerate after the fecond or third gene- 

 ration, and that in exceflive hot countries, fuch as Gui- 

 nea and Senegal, this degeneration is more rapid ; as in 

 the fpace of three or four years they lofe their hair, and 

 their voice. Stags in mountainous countries which are 

 hot and dry, fuch as thofe of Corfica and Sardinia, have 

 loft a half of their corpulence. If to thefe and other ac- 

 counts given us by count de Buffon we were to add thofe 

 of many other authors, what examples (hould we not 

 have of the degeneracy of animals in the old continent, 

 more numerous and true than thofe of our philofophers ? 

 But that we may expofe the exaggeration and falfity 

 which belong to their examples let us examine one by 

 one the fpecies of Afiatic and European animals tranf- 

 ported into the new world which by them are faid to 

 have degenerated. 



CAMELS. 



AMONG all the quadrupeds tranfported to Ameri- 

 ca, fays Mr. de Paw, the camels are unqueftionably 

 thofe which have thriven the leaft. In the beginning of 



the 



