the perpetuation of living beings-第3部分

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animals　with　others　of　the　same　kind。　　It　is　strictly　true　that　there
are　never　any　two　specimens　which　are　exactly　alike；　however　similar；
they　will　always　differ　in　some　certain　particular。

Now　let　us　go　back　to　Atavism；to　the　hereditary　tendency　I　spoke　of。
What　will　come　of　a　variation　when　you　breed　from　it；　when　Atavism
comes；　if　I　may　say　so；　to　intersect　variation？　The　two　cases　of　which
I　have　mentioned　the　history；　give　a　most　excellent　illustration　of
what　occurs。　　Gratio　Kelleia；　the　Maltese；　married　when　he　was
twenty…two　years　of　age；　and；　as　I　suppose　there　were　no　six…fingered
ladies　in　Malta；　he　married　an　ordinary　five…fingered　person。　　The
result　of　that　marriage　was　four　children；　the　first；　who　was　christened
Salvator；　had　six　fingers　and　six　toes；　like　his　father；　the　second　was
George；　who　had　five　fingers　and　toes；　but　one　of　them　was　deformed；
showing　a　tendency　to　variation；　the　third　was　Andre；　he　had　five
fingers　and　five　toes；　quite　perfect；　the　fourth　was　a　girl；　Marie；　she
had　five　fingers　and　five　toes；　but　her　thumbs　were　deformed；　showing　a
tendency　toward　the　sixth。

These　children　grew　up；　and　when　they　came　to　adult　years；　they　all
married；　and　of　course　it　happened　that　they　all　married　five…fingered
and　five…toed　persons。　　Now　let　us　see　what　were　the　results。　　Salvator
had　four　children；　they　were　two　boys；　a　girl；　and　another　boy；　the
first　two　boys　and　the　girl　were　six…fingered　and　six…toed　like　their
grandfather；　the　fourth　boy　had　only　five　fingers　and　five　toes。　George
had　only　four　children；　there　were　two　girls　with　six　fingers　and　six
toes；　there　was　one　girl　with　six　fingers　and　five　toes　on　the　right
side；　and　five　fingers　and　five　toes　on　the　left　side；　so　that　she　was
half　and　half。　　The　last；　a　boy；　had　five　fingers　and　five　toes。　　The
third；　Andre；　you　will　recollect；　was　perfectly　well…formed；　and　he　had
many　children　whose　hands　and　feet　were　all　regularly　developed。　　Marie；
the　last；　who；　of　course；　married　a　man　who　had　only　five　fingers；　had
four　children；　the　first；　a　boy；　was　born　with　six　toes；　but　the　other
three　were　normal。

Now　observe　what　very　extraordinary　phenomena　are　presented　here。　　You
have　an　accidental　variation　arising　from　what　you　may　call　a
monstrosity；　you　have　that　monstrosity　tendency　or　variation　diluted　in
the　first　instance　by　an　admixture　with　a　female　of　normal　construction；
and　you　would　naturally　expect　that；　in　the　results　of　such　an　union；
the　monstrosity；　if　repeated；　would　be　in　equal　proportion　with　the
normal　type；　that　is　to　say；　that　the　children　would　be　half　and　half；
some　taking　the　peculiarity　of　the　father；　and　the　others　being　of　the
purely　normal　type　of　the　mother；　but　you　see　we　have　a　great
preponderance　of　the　abnormal　type。　Well；　this　comes　to　be　mixed　once
more　with　the　pure；　the　normal　type；　and　the　abnormal　is　again　produced
in　large　proportion；　notwithstanding　the　second　dilution。　　Now　what
would　have　happened　if　these　abnormal　types　had　intermarried　with　each
other；　that　is　to　say；　suppose　the　two　boys　of　Salvator　had　taken　it
into　their　heads　to　marry　their　first　cousins；　the　two　first　girls　of
George；　their　uncle？　　You　will　remember　that　these　are　all　of　the
abnormal　type　of　their　grandfather。　　The　result　would　probably　have
been；　that　their　offspring　would　have　been　in　every　case　a　further
development　of　that　abnormal　type。　　You　see　it　is　only　in　the　fourth；
in　the　person　of　Marie；　that　the　tendency；　when　it　appears　but　slightly
in　the　second　generation；　is　washed　out　in　the　third；　while　the　progeny
of　Andre；　who　escaped　in　the　first　instance；　escape　altogether。

We　have　in　this　case　a　good　example　of　nature's　tendency　to　the
perpetuation　of　a　variation。　Here　it　is　certainly　a　variation　which
carried　with　it　no　use　or　benefit；　and　yet　you　see　the　tendency　to
perpetuation　may　be　so　strong；　that；　notwithstanding　a　great　admixture
of　pure　blood；　the　variety　continues　itself　up　to　the　third　generation；
which　is　largely　marked　with　it。　In　this　case；　as　I　have　said；　there
was　no　means　of　the　second　generation　intermarrying　with　any　but
five…fingered　persons；　and　the　question　naturally　suggests　itself；　What
would　have　been　the　result　of　such　marriage？　　Reaumur　narrates　this
case　only　as　far　as　the　third　generation。　　Certainly　it　would　have　been
an　exceedingly　curious　thing　if　we　could　have　traced　this　matter　any
further；　had　the　cousins　intermarried；　a　six…fingered　variety　of　the
human　race　might　have　been　set　up。

To　show　you　that　this　supposition　is　by　no　means　an　unreasonable　one；
let　me　now　point　out　what　took　place　in　the　case　of　Seth　Wright's
sheep；　where　it　happened　to　be　a　matter　of　moment　to　him　to　obtain　a
breed　or　raise　a　flock　of　sheep　like　that　accidental　variety　that　I
have　describedand　I　will　tell　you　why。　　In　that　part　of　Massachusetts
where　Seth　Wright　was　living；　the　fields　were　separated　by　fences；　and
the　sheep；　which　were　very　active　and　robust；　would　roam　abroad；　and
without　much　difficulty　jump　over　these　fences　into　other　people's
farms。　　As　a　matter　of　course；　this　exuberant　activity　on　the　part　of
the　sheep　constantly　gave　rise　to　all　sorts　of　quarrels；　bickerings；
and　contentions　among　the　farmers　of　the　neighbourhood；　so　it　occurred
to　Seth　Wright；　who　was；　like　his　successors；　more　or　less　'cute；　that
if　he　could　get　a　stock　of　sheep　like　those　with　the　bandy　legs；　they
would　not　be　able　to　jump　over　the　fences　so　readily；　and　he　acted　upon
that　idea。　　He　killed　his　old　ram；　and　as　soon　as　the　young　one　arrived
at　maturity；　he　bred　altogether　from　it。　　The　result　was　even　more
striking　than　in　the　human　experiment　which　I　mentioned　just　now。
Colonel　Humphreys　testifies　that　it　always　happened　that　the　offspring
were　either　pure　Ancons　or　pure　ordinary　sheep；　that　in　no　case　was
there　any　mixing　of　the　Ancons　with　the　others。　　In　consequence　of
this；　in　the　course　of　a　very　few　years；　the　farmer　was　able　to　get　a
very　considerable　flock　of　this　variety；　and　a　large　number　of　them
were　spread　throughout　Massachusetts。　　Most　unfortunately；　howeverI
suppose　it　was　because　they　were　so　commonnobody　took　enough　notice
of　them　to　preserve　their　skeletons；　and　although　Colonel　Humphreys
states　that　he　sent　a　skeleton　to　the　President　of　the　Royal　Society　at
the　same　time　that　he　forwarded　his　paper；　I　am　afraid　that　the　variety
has　entirely　disappeared；　for　a　short　time　after　these　sheep　had　become
prevalent　in　that　district；　the　Merino　sheep　were　introduced；　and　as
their　wool　was　much　more　valuable；　and　as　they　were　a　quiet　race　of
sheep；　and　showed　no　tendency　to　trespass　or　jump　over　fences；　the
Otter　breed　of　sheep；　the　wool　of　which　was　inferior　to　that　of　the
Merino；　was　gradually　allowed　to　die　out。

You　see　that　these　facts　illustrate　perfectly　well　what　may　be　done　if
you　take　care　to　breed　from　stocks　that　are　similar　to　each　other。
After　having　got　a　variation；　if；　by　crossing　a　variation　with　the
original　stock；　you　multiply　that　variation；　and　then　take　care　to　keep
that　variation　distinct　from　the　original　stock；　and　make　them　breed
together；then　you　may　almost　certainly　produce　a　race　whose　tendency
to　continue　the　variation　is　exceedingly　strong。

This　is　what　is　called　〃selection〃；　and　it　is　by　exactly　the　same
process　as　that　by　which　Seth　Wright　bred　his　Ancon　sheep；　that　our
breeds　of　cattle；　dogs；　and　fowls；　are　obtained。　　There　are　some
possibilities　of　exception；　but　still；　speaking　broadly；　I　may　say　that
this　is　the　way　in　which　all　our　varied　races　of　domestic　animals　have
arisen；　and　you　must　understand　that　it　is　not　one　peculiarity　or　one
characteristic　alone　in　which　animals　may　vary。　　There　is　not　a　single
peculiarity　or　characteristic　of　any　kind；　bodily　or　mental；　in　which
offspring　may　not　vary　to　a　certain　extent　from　the　parent　and　other
animals。

Among　ourselves　this　is　well　known。　　The　simplest　physical　peculiarity
is　mostly　reproduced。　I　know　a　case　of　a　man　whose　wife　has　the　lobe　of
one　of　her　ears　a　little　flattened。　　An　ordinary　observer　might
scarcely　notice　it；　and　yet　every　one　of　her　children　has　an
approximation　to　the　same　peculiarity　to　some　extent。　　If　you　look　at
the　other　extreme；　too；　the　gravest　diseases；　such　as　gout；　scrofula；
and　consumption；　may　be　handed　down　with　just　the　same　certainty　and
persistence　as　we　noticed　in　the　perpetuation　of　the　bandy　legs　of　the
Ancon　sheep。

However；　these　facts　are　best　illustrated　in　animals；　and　the　extent　of
the　variation；　as　is　well　known；　is　very　remarkable　in　dogs。　　For
example；　there　are　some　dogs　very　much　smaller　than　others；　indeed；　the
variation　is　so　enormous　that　probably　the　smallest　dog　would　be　about
the　size　of　the　head　of　the　largest；　there　are　very　great　variations　in
the　structural　forms　not　only　of　the　skeleton　but　also　in　the　shape　of
the　skull；　and　in　the　proportions　of　the　face　and　the　disposition　of
the　teeth。

The　Pointer；　the　Retriever；　Bulldog；　and　the　Terrier；　differ　very
greatly；　and　yet　there　is　every　reason　to　believe　that　every　one　of
these　races　has　arisen　from　the　same　source；that　all　the　most
important　races　have　arisen　by　this　selective　breeding　from　accidental
variation。

A　still　more　striking　case　of　what　may　be　done　by　selective　breeding；
and　it　is　a　better　case；　because　there　is　no　chance　of　that　partial
infusion　of　error　to　which　I　alluded；　has　been　studied　very　carefully
by　Mr。　Darwin；the　case　of　the　domestic　pigeons。　　I　dare　say　there　may
be　some　among　you　who　may　be　pigeon　'fanciers'；　and　I　wish　you　to
understand　that　in　approaching　the　subject；　I　would　speak　with　all
humility　and　hesitation；　as　I　regret　to　say　that　I　am　not　a　pigeon
fancier。　　I　know　it　is　a　great　art　and　mystery；　and　a　thing　upon　which　a
man　must　not　speak　lightly；　but　I　shall　endeavour；　as　far　as　my
understanding　goes；　to　give　you　a　summary　of　the　published　and
unpublished　information　which　I　have　gained　from　Mr。　Darwin。

Among　the　enormous　variety；I　believe　there　are　somewhere　about　a
hundred　and　fifty　kinds　of　pigeons；there　are　four　kinds　which　may　be
selected　as　representing　the　extremest　divergences　of　one　kind　from
another。　　Their　names　a