Van Mons, in his
treatise on pears and apples, shows how utterly he disbelieves that the
several sorts, for instance a Ribston-pippin or Codlin-apple, could ever
have proceeded from the seeds of the same tree. Innumerable other examples
could be given. The explanation, I think, is simple: from long-continued
study they are strongly impressed with the differences between the several
races; and though they well know that each race varies slightly, for they
win their prizes by selecting such slight differences, yet they ignore all
general arguments, and refuse to sum up in their minds slight differences
accumulated during many successive generations. May not those naturalists
who, knowing far less of the laws of inheritance than does the breeder, and
knowing no more than he does of the intermediate links in the long lines of
descent, yet admit that many of our domestic races are descended from the
same parents--may they not learn a lesson of caution, when they deride the
idea of species in a state of nature being lineal descendants of other
species?
PRINCIPLES OF SELECTION ANCIENTLY FOLLOWED, AND THEIR EFFECTS.
Let us now briefly consider the steps by which domestic races have been
produced, either from one or from several allied species. Some effect may
be attributed to the direct and definite action of the external conditions
of life, and some to habit; but he would be a bold man who would account by
such agencies for the differences between a dray and race-horse, a
greyhound and bloodhound, a carrier and tumbler pigeon.
Pages:
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77