we had seen no example, but much the reverse, had spontaneously separated, and in time become two distinct fluids, both of which we are sure, inevitably to lose, if ever they shall be suffered to mix together again? The production of distinct breeds of animals, is equally contradictory to the whole of the experience we have had in the breeding of domestic animals. It is easy for us when we please to adulterate any breed; but it totally exceeds onr power after such adulteration to recover the pure breed again.

If, with a view to enlarge our ideas on this head, we go to vegetables, in regard to the varieties of which, philosophers entertain nearly the same opini ons, we shall find among those that are called varieties very great diversities, so as to constitute several distinct clafses.

In one clafs, for example, among which may be ranked the common potatoe, we find that plants obtained from seeds are disposed to sport infinitely; and none of the progeny can ever be expected to be found exactly of the same kind with the parent stock; so that if that stock be not propagated otherwise than by seeds, it will be lost never to be recovered.* Many plants belong to this clafs, as pinks, carnations, &c.

Another clafs of plants, which are equally stiled varieties are not liable to sport, or indeed to intermingle at all in breeding, but continue to propagate their own kind by seeds without variation. No

*See Bath society papers, vol. vi.

man I believe ever had a white pea from a gray, or a gray from a white. If white pease perfectly unmixed with gray are sown, it is well known the whole of the produce will be white, and so of gray: many plants also belong to this clafs.

A third clafs, like that of animals, may be raised by seeds either pure and unadulterated, or mixed and of a mongrel breed, at pleasure. Cabbages afford a noted instance of this sort: white or red cabbages may be reared from seeds without degenerating, for any length of time, if the two kinds be kept at a great distance from each other; but should a white cabbage be allowed to perfect its seeds in the neighbourhood of red cabbages producing seeds at the same time, a mongrel kind would rise from these seeds, which would not be pure white, nor distinct `red, but a pale red compounded of the two. Early and late cabbages; which are very distinguishable from each other in several respects, besiles earlinefs, are adulterated in the same manner. Savoys in like manner may be blended thus also with cabbages or other greens. In short, the peculiarities affecting this class of plants, are precisely similar to those affecting different breeds of dogs, and other animals; so that when once a mongrel breed has been obtained, there is no recovering the true sort, but by a fresh importation of uncontaminated seeds, though the mongrel sort may be preserved as long as you please by propagating it by itself.

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The inference I would draw from these facts, (and other clafses of plants might be named) is, that since we find naturalists have overlooked some very

obvious peculiarities of plants, which affect those diversities that have been called varieties, they may have in like manner overlooked other peculiarities that may occasion striking diversities among animals, which have been called varieties and as this subject has never yet been thoroughly investigated, it behooves us to be cautious in admitting general conclusions.

With regard to dogs, which as being well known to every one, are a fit object for illustration, we see, that let a small lap dog, and a large mastiff be fed with the same food and tended with the same care, the one discovers no symptoms of increasing in size or diminishing it more than the other. Let them be carried from one country to another, they equally preserve their original distinctive qualities, without any farther change than the climate may perhaps produce; which equally seems to affect all the varieties of this animal. Never was there adopted an hypothesis more truly absurd than that of Buffon in this respect. Nor was there ever made such a barefaced attempt to try how far the credu lity of mankind could lead them astray in deference to a great name, in direct contradiction to facts which fall immediately under the cognisance of every man who pleases but to open his eyes, and look right before him, as in those bold and unfounded assertions which he has ben pleased to make, with regard to the transformation of dogs, from one variety into another. Yet these opinions have been inadvertantly transcrib ed many times by learned naturalists, without one symptom of doubt or hesitation.

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The fhepherd's dog Mr Buffon considers as the parent-stock from which all the different varieties have been produced, by a change of climate, education, food, and other circumstances. "This animal (he observes) still continues pretty nearly in its original state among the poor in temperate climates. Being transported into colder regions, he becomes "smaller, as among the Laplanders; but becomes more perfect in Iceland, Rufsia, and Siberia, "where the climate is lefs rigorous, and the people 66 more civilized.”. But if there is a difference in the dogs of these countries, it can scarcely be owing to the cause afsigned, as the climate of Lapland is as mild as that of a great part of Siberia, and the inhabitants perhaps more civilized.

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"The shepherd's dog, (he farther observes), if "transported to temperate climates, and among peo "ple entirely civilized, such as England, France, or Germany, becomes divested of his savage air, "his pricked ears, his long thick hair, and from the "influence of climate and education will become a "bull-dog, a mastiff, a beagle, or a hound."-But if this were the case, whence fhould it happen that we in Britain have the race of shepherd's dogs in as great perfection as any where else, and the mastiff, bull-dog, hound, &c. in equal perfec-. tion; and can preserve the breeds of each of these kinds as distinct from one another, as if they had been bred in the most distant corners of the earth?

"The hound, the terrie, an small-spotted set_ "ting-dog, he considers as of the same family; and "afserts, that they are often all produced at the VOL. XVii.

same litter, although the bitch thould have been covered with only one kind of dog."

ask the reader, if ever he knew a single instance where this happened?

"The hound, (he farther observes), if transport"ed into Spain or Barbary, where the hair of all "animals becomes soft and long, will be converted "into the land and water spaniel;— and when these are again brought, back to Britain," instead of returning to their former state of a hound, “

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they become the small fhagged dog.". -But who does not know, that spaniels continue to be bred in Britain for ages without degenerating in the smallest degree?

We have seen above, that the mastiff, bull-dog, beagle, and hound, to which may be added the terrier and small setting-dog, are all produced in Britain from the fhepherd's dog transported from cold climates. "But this mastiff dog, (he observes), "when carried to the north," deserts his original family, and becomes the large Danish dog;-and when transported to the south, becomes a greyhound. The same transported into Ireland, the Ukrain, Tartary, Epirus, and Albania, becomes "the great wolf-dog, known by the name of the Irifh dog, which is the largest of all dogs." Thus he makes the fhepherd's dog, when transported from the north to Britain, become a mastiff; and that again, when remanded back to the north, instead of returning to its original state of a fhepherd's dog, becomes a large Danish dog ;-which again brought back to Britain, its original country, instead of a

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