Origin of Species Variorum

→ may be found 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

exist 1872

→ the whole body of 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

OMIT 1872

→ carriers 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

the former and present state of carrier 1872

→ with these breeds as now existing 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

pigeons 1872

would improve and modify

and

any

breed, in the same way as Bakewell, Collins, &c., by this very same process, only carried on more methodically, did greatly modify, even during their

~~own~~

own

lifetimes, the forms and qualities of their cattle. Slow and insensible changes of this kind

can

could

never be recognised unless actual

measure- ments

measurements

or careful drawings of the breeds in question

have

had

been made long ago, which

may

might

serve for comparison. In some cases, however,

unchanged

unchanged,

or but little changed individuals of the same breed →may be found in less civilised districts, where the breed has been less improved. There is reason to believe that King Charles's spaniel has been unconsciously modified to a large extent since the time of that monarch. Some highly competent authorities are convinced that the setter is directly derived from the spaniel, and has probably been slowly altered from it. It is known that the English pointer has been greatly changed within the last century, and in this case the change has, it is believed, been chiefly effected by crosses with the

foxhound;

fox-hound;

but what concerns us is, that the change has been effected unconsciously and gradually, and yet so effectually, that, though the old Spanish pointer certainly came from Spain, Mr. Borrow has not seen, as I am informed by him, any native dog in Spain like our pointer.

By a similar process of selection, and by careful training, →the whole body of English racehorses have come to surpass in fleetness and size the parent

Arabs,

Arab stock,

so that the latter, by the regulations for the

Good wood

Goodwood

Races, are favoured in the weights

which they

they

carry. Lord Spencer and others have shown how the cattle of England have increased in weight and in early maturity, compared with the stock formerly kept in this country. By comparing the accounts given in

various old

old pigeon

treatises of →carriers and

tumbler

tumblers

→with these breeds as now existing in Britain,