names generally occurred in two, three, or four of the successive lists.
Nevertheless the greatest amount of difference between the varieties was
always exhibited, as far as I could judge, by that part or organ for which the
plant was cultivated.
When we bear in mind that each plant was at first cultivated because useful to
man, and that its variation was a subsequent, often a long subsequent, event,
we cannot explain the greater amount of diversity in the valuable parts by
supposing that species endowed with an especial tendency to vary in any
particular manner were originally chosen. We must attribute the result to the
variations in these parts having been successively preserved, and thus
continually augmented; whilst other variations, excepting such as inevitably
appeared through correlation, were neglected and lost. We may therefore infer
that most plants might be made, through long-continued selection, to yield
races as different from one another in any character as they now are in those
parts for which they are valued and cultivated.
With animals we see nothing of the same kind; but a sufficient number of
species have not been domesticated for a fair comparison. Sheep are valued for
their wool, and the wool differs much more in the several races than the hair
in cattle. Neither sheep, goats, European cattle, nor pigs are valued for
their fleetness or strength; and we do not possess breeds differing in these
respects like the racehorse and dray-horse. But fleetness and strength are
valued in camels and dogs; and we have with the former the swift dromedary and
heavy camel; with the latter the greyhound and mastiff. But dogs are valued
even in a higher degree for their mental qualities and senses; and every one
knows how greatly the races differ in these respects. On the other hand, where
the dog is kept solely to serve for food, as in the Polynesian islands and
China, it is described as an extremely stupid animal. (20/89. Godron 'De
l'Espece' tome 2 page 27.) Blumenbach remarks that "many dogs, such as the
badger-dog, have a build so marked and so appropriate for particular purposes,
that I should find it very difficult to persuade myself that this astonishing
figure was an accidental consequence of degeneration." (20/90. 'The
Anthropological Treatises of Blumenbach' 1856 page 292.) Had Blumenbach
reflected on the great principle of selection, he would not have used the term
degeneration, and he would not have been astonished that dogs and other
animals should become excellently adapted for the service of man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account