that they were not wild; but Mr. Garnett (13/45. As stated by Mr. Orton in his
'Physiology of Breeding' page 12.) observed that his hybrids were wild, and
exhibited "migratory propensities" of which there is not a vestige in the
common or musk duck. No case is known of this latter bird having escaped and
become wild in Europe or Asia, except, according to Pallas, on the Caspian
Sea; and the common domestic duck only occasionally becomes wild in districts
where large lakes and fens abound. Nevertheless, a large number of cases have
been recorded (13/46. M. E. de Selys-Longchamps refers ('Bulletin Acad. Roy.
de Bruxelles' tome 12 No. 10) to more than seven of these hybrids shot in
Switzerland and France. M. Deby asserts ('Zoologist' volume 5 1845-46 page
1254) that several have been shot in various parts of Belgium and Northern
France. Audubon ('Ornitholog. Biography' volume 3 page 168), speaking of these
hybrids, says that, in North America, they "now and then wander off and become
quite wild.") of hybrids from these two ducks having been shot in a completely
wild state, although so few are reared in comparison with purely-bred birds of
either species. It is improbable that any of these hybrids could have acquired
their wildness from the musk-duck having paired with a truly wild duck; and
this is known not to be the case in North America; hence we must infer that
they have reacquired, through reversion, their wildness, as well as renewed
powers of flight.

These latter facts remind us of the statements, so frequently made by
travellers in all parts of the world, on the degraded state and savage
disposition of crossed races of man. That many excellent and kind-hearted
mulattos have existed no one will dispute; and a more mild and gentle set of
men could hardly be found than the inhabitants of the island of Chiloe, who
consist of Indians commingled with Spaniards in various proportions. On the
other hand, many years ago, long before I had thought of the present subject,
I was struck with the fact that, in South America, men of complicated descent
between Negroes, Indians, and Spaniards, seldom had, whatever the cause might