I will now attempt to show that animals and plants, when removed from their
natural conditions, are often rendered in some degree infertile or completely
barren; and this occurs even when the conditions have not been greatly
changed. This conclusion is not necessarily opposed to that at which we have
just arrived, namely, that lesser changes of other kinds are advantageous to
organic beings. Our present subject is of some importance, from having an
intimate connection with the causes of variability. Indirectly it perhaps
bears on the sterility of species when crossed: for as, on the one hand,
slight changes in the conditions of life are favourable to plants and animals,
and the crossing of varieties adds to the size, vigour, and fertility of their
offspring; so, on the other hand, certain other changes in the conditions of
life cause sterility; and as this likewise ensues from crossing much-modified
forms or species, we have a parallel and double series of facts, which
apparently stand in close relation to each other.
It is notorious that many animals, though perfectly tamed, refuse to breed in
captivity. Isidore Geoffroy St.-Hilaire (18/9. 'Essais de Zoologie Generale'
1841 page 256. ) consequently has drawn a broad distinction between tamed
animals which will not breed under captivity, and truly domesticated animals
which breed freely--generally more freely, as shown in the sixteenth chapter,
than in a state of nature. It is possible and generally easy to tame most
animals; but experience has shown that it is difficult to get them to breed
regularly, or even at all. I shall discuss this subject in detail; but will
give only those cases which seem most illustrative. My materials are derived
from notices scattered through various works, and especially from a Report,
kindly drawn up for me by the officers of the Zoological Society of London,
which has especial value, as it records all the cases, during nine years from
1838-46, in which the animals were seen to couple but produced no offspring,
as well as the cases in which they never, as far as known, coupled. This MS.
Report I have corrected by the annual Reports subsequently published up to the
year 1865. (18/10. Since the appearance of the first edition of this work, Mr.
Sclater has published ('Proc. Zoolog. Soc.' 1868 page 623) a list of the
species of mammals which have bred in the gardens from 1848 to 1867 inclusive.
Of the Artiodactyla 85 species have been kept, and of these 1 species in 1.9
have bred at least once during the 20 years; of 28 Marsupialia, 1 in 2.5 have
bred; of 74 Carnivora, 1 in 3.0 have bred; of 52 Rodentia, 1 in 4.7 have bred;
and of Quadrumana 75 species have been kept, and 1 in 6.2 have bred.) Many
facts are given on the breeding of the animals in that magnificent work,
'Gleanings from the Menageries of Knowsley Hall' by Dr. Gray. I made, also,
particular inquiries from the experienced keeper of the birds in the old
Surrey Zoological Gardens.
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