It has been observed, in a district stocked with heavy Lincolnshire and light
Norfolk sheep, that both kinds; though bred together, when turned out, "in a
short time separate to a sheep;" the Lincolnshires drawing off to the rich
soil, and the Norfolks to their own dry light soil; and as long as there is
plenty of grass, "the two breeds keep themselves as distinct as rooks and
pigeons." In this case different habits of life tend to keep the races
distinct. On one of the Faroe islands, not more than half a mile in diameter,
the half-wild native black sheep are said not to have readily mixed with the
imported white sheep. It is a more curious fact that the semi-monstrous ancon
sheep of modern origin "have been observed to keep together, separating
themselves from the rest of the flock, when put into enclosures with other
sheep." (16/6. For the Norfolk sheep see Marshall 'Rural Economy of Norfolk'
volume 2 page 136. See Rev. L. Landt 'Description of Faroe' page 66. For the
ancon sheep see 'Phil. Transact.' 1813 page 90.) With respect to fallow-deer,
which live in a semi-domesticated condition, Mr. Bennett (16/7. White 'Nat.
Hist. of Selbourne' edited by Bennett page 39. With respect to the origin of
the dark-coloured deer see 'Some Account of English Deer Parks' by E.P.
Shirley, Esq.) states that the dark and pale coloured herds, which have long
been kept together in the Forest of Dean, in High Meadow Woods, and in the New
Forest, have never been known to mingle: the dark-coloured deer, it may be
added, are believed to have been first brought by James I. from Norway, on
account of their greater hardiness. I imported from the island of Porto Santo
two of the feral rabbits, which differ, as described in the fourth chapter,
from common rabbits; both proved to be males, and, though they lived during
some years in the Zoological Gardens, the superintendent, Mr. Bartlett, in
vain endeavoured to make them breed with various tame kinds; but whether this
refusal to breed was due to any change in the instinct, or simply to their
extreme wildness, or whether confinement had rendered them sterile, as often
occurs, cannot be determined.
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