Origin of Species Variorum

→ existing 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

of the kind 1872

→ we may infer 1861 1866 1869 1872

I cannot doubt 1859 1860

→ may be found 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

exist 1872

paid to breeding, for the inheritance of good and bad qualities is so obvious.

Unconscious Selection.

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

form

kind

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 →we may infer that this process, continued during centuries, 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