Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1851-12-31
cnANeEs IN ANIMALs. .

The tendency Of organized life TO put
ON new characteristics when subjected to-
new influences, Is most happily set forth
in the following extract from the last
number Of the Methodist Quarterly Re-
view. The law here alluded 10 has an
important bearing upon the Unity Of the
Human Race. II the varieties among men
can be accounted for by law Of change
now in action, the arguments against the
commonly received and Scriptural doc
trine on this subject, are deprived Of near
y all their force.
"Thc Spaniards, when they discovered
this country, found none Of the domestic
animals existing here which were used Ia
Europe. They were accordingly intro.
duced, and, escaping and Etrayihg from
their owners, they have run wild n our
forests for several centuries. The fosnlt
has been the obliteration Of the charac.
teristics Of the domestic animals, and a
ro.appcarance Of some Of the typal marks
OF the wild state, and a generation Of new
and striking characteristics in aecommoI
dation TO these new circumstances.
"trhe wild hog Of our forests bears
striking likeness 10 the wild boar Of the
old world. The hog Of the high noun.
tains Of Paramos bears q striking resends
blance to the wild boar Of France. In
stead Of being covered with bfistles, how
ever, as Is the domestic breed from which
he sprang, he Is covered with a thick fur,
often crisp, and sometimes an undcrcoat
Of wool. Instead OF being white or spot
ted, they are uniformly black except ia
some warmer regions, where they are'rtds
like the young pecari The anatomical
structure has changed, adapting itself 20
the new habits Of the animal. ii an elon-
CATION of the snout, a vaulting Of the fore;
head, a lcngthening Of the hind legs, andi
in the case Of those left on thc island OF
Cubugua. monstrous elongatiqn of tho
toes 20 half span.
"The OF has undergone the faTneci5ans
ges. In some Of the provinces Of South
America, variety has been produced
called 'pelones, having very rare and
fine fur. In other provinces variety Is
produced with an entirely naked skin, like
the dog Of Mexico, or Of Guinea ln Go.
lnmbia, owing 70 the immense axe Of
farms, and other causes, the pregtice Of
milking was laid aside, and che result has
been that the secretion ofmilk IN Che cows
Is, like the same function IN other animals
of this class, only anoccasional phonofne-
non, and confined strictly 70 tlie period Of
sucking the calf As soon as che calf y
removed, the milk ceases % flow, as IN
the case OF other animals.
"These same changes have taken place
in other animals. The Wild dog of the
Pampas never barks as The domestic ani-
NAL does, but bowls like the wolf The
Wild cat has lost the musical accom-
plishmenls of her civilized sistcrhood, and
gives none Of those delectable concerts of
eaterwauling that 80 often make night
hideous. and call down from irritable lis-
teners, curses, n not something heavier,
on the whole feline race. The wiId horse
ofthe higher plains of south America Be.
comes covered with a long, shaggy fur,
and is Of Uniform chestnut color. The
sheep Of the Central Cordilleras, il not
shorn, produce thick, matted, woolly
fleece, which gradually breaks Of into
shaggy tufts and leaves underneath =
sEloFt, fne hair, shining and smooth, Ike
that ofthe goat, and the wool neFer re-
appears. The goat has lost her large
tests, and produces two o. three kids an
nualiy. The same changes have been
prodnccdin geefe and gallipaceouI fowls.
Al variety has sprung Up called rumpless
fowls, which wan from one 70 six Of the
caudal vcrfebras W ~
The same rariet'es have ~