| → shows how much 1859 1860 1861 |
| shown how much 1866 |
| states that 1869 1872 |
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| ←Subtitle not present 1859 1860 1861
Unconscious
Selection. 1866 1869 1872 |
| → existing 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
| of the kind 1872 |
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| → I cannot doubt 1859 1860 |
| we may infer 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
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of English history choice animals were often imported, and laws were passed to prevent their exportation: the destruction of horses under a certain size was ordered, and this may be compared to the "roguing" of plants by nurserymen. The principle of selection I find distinctly given in an ancient Chinese
rules are laid down by some of the Roman classical writers. From passages in Genesis, it is clear that the colour of domestic animals was at that early period attended to. Savages now sometimes cross their dogs with wild canine animals, to improve the breed, and they formerly did so, as is attested by passages in Pliny. The savages in South Africa match their draught cattle by colour, as do some of the Esquimaux their teams of dogs. Livingstone
→shows how much
good domestic
are
by the negroes
the interior of Africa who have not associated with Europeans. Some of these facts do not show actual selection, but they show that the breeding of domestic animals was carefully attended to in ancient times, and is now attended to by the lowest savages. It would, indeed, have been a strange fact, had attention not been paid to breeding, for the inheritance of good and bad qualities is so obvious. →
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| At the present time, eminent breeders try by methodical selection, with a distinct object in view, to make a new strain or sub-breed, superior to anything
→existing
in the country. But, for our purpose, a
of Selection, which may be called Unconscious, and which results from every one trying to possess and breed from the best individual animals, is more important. Thus, a man who intends keeping pointers naturally tries to get as good dogs as he can, and afterwards breeds from his own best dogs, but he has no wish or expectation of permanently altering the breed. Nevertheless
→I cannot doubt
that this process, continued during centuries,
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