| → as yet they will 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
| they will as yet 1872 |
|
| → and knowledge of any 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
| of a 1869 1872 |
|
| → of the new sub-breed 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
| in a new strain 1869 |
| OMIT 1872 |
|
| ←Subtitle not present 1859 1860 1861
Circumstances
favourable
to
Man's
Power
of
Selection. 1866 1869 1872 |
|
most fleeting of characters, have lately been exhibited as distinct at our poultry-shows. |
|
|
views
explain what has sometimes been noticed —
that we know
about the origin or history of any of our domestic breeds. But, in fact, a breed, like a dialect of a language, can hardly be said to have
a
origin. A man preserves and breeds from an individual with some slight deviation of structure, or takes more care than usual in matching his best
and thus improves them, and the improved
slowly spread in the immediate neighbourhood. But
→as yet they will
hardly have a distinct name, and from being only slightly valued, their history will
disregarded. When further improved by the same slow and gradual process, they will spread more widely, and will
recognised as something distinct and valuable, and will then probably first receive a provincial name. In semi-civilised countries, with little free communication, the spreading
→and knowledge of any
new sub-breed
be a slow process. As soon as the points of value
→of the new sub-breed
are once
acknowledged, the principle, as I have called it, of unconscious selection will always tend, — perhaps more at one period than at another, as the breed rises or falls in fashion, — perhaps more in one district than in another, according to the state of
of the inhabitants, — slowly to add to the characteristic features of the breed, whatever they may be. But the chance will be infinitely small of any record having been preserved of such slow, varying, and insensible changes. →
|
| I
now say a few words on the circumstances, favourable, or the reverse, to
power of selection. A high degree of variability is obviously favourable, as freely giving the materials for selection to work on; not that mere individual differences are not amply
|
