Origin of Species Variorum

flows in the veins of our many domestic breeds. In regard to sheep and goats I can form no opinion. ... From facts communicated to me by Mr. Blyth, on the habits, voice, and constitution, &c., of the humped Indian cattle, it is probable that these descended from a different aboriginal stock from our European cattle; and several competent judges believe that these latter have had more than one wild parent. ↑ With respect to horses, from reasons which I cannot here give, I am with much doubt inclined to believe, in opposition to several authors, that all the races have descended from one wild stock. Mr. Blyth, whose opinion, from his large and varied stores of knowledge, I should value more than that of almost any one, thinks that all the breeds of poultry have proceeded from the common wild Indian fowl (Gallus bankiva). In regard to ducks and rabbits, the breeds of which differ considerably from each other in structure, the evidence preponderates in favour of their having all descended from the common wild duck and rabbit.

The doctrine of the origin of our several domestic races from several aboriginal stocks, has been carried to an absurd extreme by some authors. They believe that every race which breeds true, let the distinctive characters be ever so slight, has had its wild prototype. At this rate there must have existed at least a score of species of wild cattle, as many sheep, and several goats in Europe alone, and several even within Great Britain. One author believes that there formerly existed in Great Britain eleven wild species of sheep peculiar to it! When we bear in mind that Britain has now hardly one peculiar mammal, and France but few distinct from those of Germany and conversely, and so with Hungary, Spain, &c., but that each of these kingdoms possesses several peculiar breeds of cattle, sheep, &c., we must