constitution and structure of the humped Indian cattle, it is almost
certain that they are descended from a different aboriginal stock from our
European cattle; and some competent judges believe that these latter have
had two or three wild progenitors, whether or not these deserve to be
called species. This conclusion, as well as that of the specific
distinction between the humped and common cattle, may, indeed, be looked
upon as established by the admirable researches of Professor Rutimeyer.
With respect to horses, from reasons which I cannot here give, I am
doubtfully inclined to believe, in opposition to several authors, that all
the races belong to the same species. Having kept nearly all the English
breeds of the fowl alive, having bred and crossed them, and examined their
skeletons, it appears to me almost certain that all are the descendants of
the wild Indian fowl, Gallus bankiva; and this is the conclusion of Mr.
Blyth, and of others who have studied this bird in India. In regard to
ducks and rabbits, some breeds of which differ much from each other, the
evidence is clear that they are all descended from the common duck and wild
rabbit.

The doctrine of the origin of our several domestic races from several
aboriginal stocks, has been carried to an absurd extreme by some authors.
They believe that every race which breeds true, let the distinctive
characters be ever so slight, has had its wild prototype. At this rate
there must have existed at least a score of species of wild cattle, as many
sheep, and several goats, in Europe alone, and several even within Great
Britain. One author believes that there formerly existed eleven wild
species of sheep peculiar to Great Britain! When we bear in mind that
Britain has now not one peculiar mammal, and France but few distinct from
those of Germany, and so with Hungary, Spain, etc., but that each of these
kingdoms possesses several peculiar breeds of cattle, sheep, etc., we must
admit that many domestic breeds must have originated in Europe; for whence