See page in:
1859
1860
1861
1866
1869
1872

Compare with:
1859
1860
1861
1866
1872

improved and kept 1861 1866 1869 1872
kept 1859 1860

for recently in certain parts of Spain and of the United States this animal has been surprisingly modified and improved by careful selection: in 1861 1866 1869
in 1859 1860
for recently in certain parts of Spain and of the United States this animal has been surprisingly modified and improved by careful selection; in 1872

breeds; but the goose seems to have a singularly inflexible organisation. 1861 1866 1869
breeds. 1859 1860
breeds; 1872

1 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869; present in 1872
but the goose, under the conditions to which it is exposed when domesticated, seems to have a singularly inflexible organisation, though it has varied to a slight extent, as I have elsewhere described.

be mated for life, and this is a great convenience to the fancier, for thus many races may be improved and kept true, though mingled in the same aviary; and this circumstance must have largely favoured the
improvement and
....
formation of new breeds. Pigeons, I may add, can be propagated in great numbers and at a very quick rate, and inferior birds may be freely rejected, as when killed they serve for food. On the other hand, cats, from their nocturnal rambling habits, cannot be
matched,
easily matched,
and, although so much valued by women and children, we
rarely
hardly ever
see a distinct breed
long kept
kept
up; such breeds as we do sometimes see are almost always imported from some other
country,
country.
often
....
from
....
islands.
....
Although I do not doubt that some domestic animals vary less than others, yet the rarity or absence of distinct breeds of the cat, the donkey, peacock, goose, &c., may be attributed in main part to selection not having been brought into play: in cats, from the difficulty in pairing
them:
them;
in donkeys, from only a few being kept by poor people, and little attention paid to their breeding; for recently in certain parts of Spain and of the United States this animal has been surprisingly modified and improved by careful selection: in peacocks, from not being very easily reared and a large stock not
kept;
kept:
in geese, from being valuable only for two purposes, food and feathers, and more especially from no pleasure having been felt in the display of distinct breeds; but the goose seems to have a singularly inflexible organisation.
Some authors have maintained that the amount of variation in our domestic productions is soon reached, and can never afterwards be exceeded. It would be somewhat rash to assert that the limit has been attained in any one case; for almost all our animals and plants have been greatly improved in many ways within a recent period; and this implies variation. It would