But it is veryfar from true that the principle is a modern discovery

The same principles are followed by horticulturists; but the variationsare here often more abrupt. No one supposes that our choicestproductions have been produced by a single variation from theaboriginal stock. We have proofs that this is not so in some cases, inwhich exact records have been kept; thus, to give a very triflinginstance, the steadily-increasing size of the common gooseberry maybe quoted.

We see an astonishing improvement in many floristsflowers, when the flowers of the present day are compared withdrawings made only twenty or thirty years ago. When a race of plantsis once pretty well established, the seed- raisers do not pick out the bestplants, but merely go over their seed-beds, and pull up the rogues, asthey call the plants that deviate from the proper standard. With animalsthis kind of selection is, in fact, also followed, for hardly any one is socareless as to allow his worst animals to breedIn regard to plants, there is another means of observing theaccumulated effects of selection -namely, by comparing the diversityof flowers in the different varieties of the same species in theflower-garden; the diversity of leaves, pods, or tubers, or whatever partis valued, in the kitchen-garden, in comparison with the flowers of thesame varieties; and the diversity of fruit of the same species in theorchard, in comparison with the leaves and flowers of the same set ofvarieties. See how different the leaves of the cabbage are, and howextremely alike the flowers: how unlike the flowers of the heartseaseare and how alike the leaves: how much the fruit of the different kindsof gooseberries differ in size, colour, shape, and hairiness, and yet theflowers present very slight differences. It is not that the varieties whichdiffer largely in some one point do not differ at all in other points; thisis hardly ever, perhaps never, the case. The laws of correlation ofgrowth, the importance of which should never be overlooked, willensure some differences; but, as a general rule, I cannot doubt that thecontinued selection of slight variations, either in the leaves, the flowers,or the fruit, will produce races differing from each other chiefly in thesecharacters

It may be objected that the principle of selection has been reducedto methodical practice for scarcely more than three-quarters of acentury, it has certainly been more attended to of late years, and manytreatises have been published on the subject, and the result, I may add,has been, in a corresponding degree, rapid and important. But it is veryfar from true that the principle is a modern discovery. I could giveseveral references to the full acknowledgement of the importance ofthe principle in works of high antiquity. In rude and barbarous periodsof English history choice animals were often imported, and laws werepassed to prevent their exportation the destruction of horses under acertain size was ordered, and this may be compared to the roguing ofplants by nurserymen. The principle of selection I find distinctly givenin an ancient Chinese encyclopaedia. Explicit rules are laid down bysome of the Roman classical writers From passages in Genesis, it isclear that the colour of domestic animals was at that early periodattended to. Savages now sometimes cross their dogs with wild canineanimals, to improve the breed, and they formerly did so, as is attestedby passages in Pliny. The savages in South Africa match their draughtcattle by colour, as do some of the Esquimaux their teams of dogsivingstone shows how much good domestic breeds are valued by thenegroes of the interior of Africa who have not associated withEuropeans. Some of these facts do not show actual selection, but theyshow that the breeding of domestic animals was carefully attended toin ancient times, and is now attended to by the lowest savages. It wouldndeed, have been a strange fact, had attention not been paid tobreeding, for the inheritance of good and bad qualities is so obvious.

At the present time, eminent breeders try by method cal selectionwith a distinct object in view, to make a new strain or sub-breedsuperior to anything existing in the country. But, for our purpose, a kindSelection, which may be called Unconscious, and which results fromevery one trying toes and breedthe best indvidual animalsis more important. Thus, a man who intends keeping pointers naturallytries to get as good dogs as he can, and afterwards breeds from hiswn best dogs, but he has no wish or expectation of permanentaltering the breed. Nevertheless I cannot doubt that this processcontinued during centuries, would improve and modify any breed,the same way as Bakewell, Collins, &c, by this very same processonly carried on more methodically, did greatly modify, even ouringown lifetimes, the forms and qualities of theircattie Slow and insensiblechanges of this kind could never be recognised unless actualmeasurements or careful drawings of the breeds in question had beenmade long ago, which might serve for comparison. In some caseshowever, unchanged or but little changed individuals of the same breedmay be found in less civilised dstricts, where the breed has been lessimproved. There is reason to believe that King Charles s spaniel hasbeen unconsciously modified to a large extent since the time of thatmonarch. Some highly competent authorities are convinced that thesetter is directly derived from the spaniel, and has probably been slowlyaltered from itknown that the English pointer has been greatlychanged within the last century, and in this case the change has, it isbelieved, been chiefly effected by crosses with the fox-hound, but whatconcems us s, that the change has been effected unconsciously andgradually, and yet so effectually, that, though the old Spanish pointercertainly came from Spain, Mr Barrow has not seen, as I am informedby him, any native dog in Spain like our pointerBy a similar process of selection, and by careful training, the wholedy of English racehorses have come to surpass in fleetness andsizethe parent Arab stock, so that the latter, by the regulations for theGoodwood Races, are favoured in the weights they carenceand others have shown how the cattle of England have increasedweight and in early maturity, compared with the stock formerly kept inthis country. By comparing the accounts given in old pigeon treatisesof carriers and tumblers with these breeds as now existing in BritainIndia, and Persia, we can, I think, clearly trace the stages through whichthey have insensibly passed, and come to differ so greatly from therocK-pigeon