266 
ON BREEDING. 
lav to those of excessive heat, Nature is constrained in her in¬ 
clinations ; becomes shrunk in her dimensions, and produces 
beings whose natural imperfections are alone requisite to explain 
the cause of their degeneracy. 
The effect of climate and soil on the growth of animals is 
observed by Pallas. “ Kamtschatka,” he says, “ like America, 
was in want of every domestic animal except the wolf-dog, till 
the Russians, of late years, introduced cows and horses: their 
progeny have grown to such an immense size, owing to the rich 
pasturage, that no one would suspect them to be descended from 
the ponies and runts of the Lina.” The effect of climate and 
soil is also distinctly seen on the numerous breeds of sheep : they 
have all their distinguishing characteristics peculiar to their situ¬ 
ation, and which peculiarity is, in great measure, lost by re¬ 
moving from their native soil. The following account, from He¬ 
rodotus, confirms the positions already brought forward: “In 
Arabia,” he says, “there are a species of sheep that are re¬ 
markable for an enormous length of tail, extending to three 
cubits, if not more, weighing from thirty to forty pounds. The 
shepherds of the country are skilful enough to make little car¬ 
riages, upon which they secure their tails, in order to prevent 
their ulcerating, by rubbing on the ground.” Pennant also takes 
notice of them, and says, that they are also to be found in Syria; 
and that this peculiarity is lost by crossing the breed, and also 
becomes diminished when they quit their native pastures. 
Domestication has, perhaps, occasioned greater changes in 
the figure of animals than any other cause. When man directs 
and manages their sexual intercourse, by selecting individuals to 
breed from, he has produced numerous varieties. Let us consi¬ 
der, for a moment, the varieties of form and size which he may 
be said to have created by crossing the Arabian and other east¬ 
ern horses with the indigenous breed of Great Britain; and the 
further crossing of them with each other. 
u We marry 
A gentle scion to the wildest stock; 
And make conceive a bark of baser kind 
By bud of nobler race. This is an art 
Which does mend nature,—change it rather; but 
The art itself is nature.” 
“The first is the race horse, proceeding directly from either 
an Arabian or Barb, with an English mare that has been bred 
by a similar cross. The second is the hunter, arising from a 
blood horse, and a half bred mare. The third is the result of a 
cross of the hunter with mares of a more common description; 
