Much stress has been laid by some authors on the supposed fact, that
mongrel animals alone are born closely like one of their parents; but
it can be shown that this does sometimes occur with hybrids; yet I
grant much less frequently with hybrids than with mongrels. Looking to
the cases which I have collected of cross-bred animals closely
resembling one parent, the resemblances seem chiefly confined to
characters almost monstrous in their nature, and which have suddenly
appeared--such as albinism, melanism, deficiency of tail or horns, or
additional fingers and toes; and do not relate to characters which
have been slowly acquired by selection. Consequently, sudden
reversions to the perfect character of either parent would be more
likely to occur with mongrels, which are descended from varieties
often suddenly produced and semi-monstrous in character, than with
hybrids, which are descended from species slowly and naturally
produced. On the whole I entirely agree with Dr. Prosper Lucas, who,
after arranging an enormous body of facts with respect to animals,
comes to the conclusion, that the laws of resemblance of the child to
its parents are the same, whether the two parents differ much or
little from each other, namely in the union of individuals of the same
variety, or of different varieties, or of distinct species.
Laying aside the question of fertility and sterility, in all other
respects there seems to be a general and close similarity in the
offspring of crossed species, and of crossed varieties.
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