land and water spaniel; and when thefe are again brought back to Britain," inftead of returning to their former state of a hound, 66 they become the thagged dog."-But who does not know, that fpaniels continue to be bred in Britain for ages, without degenerating in the fmalleft degree? We have feen above, that the mastiff, bull-dog, beagle, and hound, to which may be added the terrier and small fetting-dog, are all produced in Britain from the fhepherd's dog tranfported from cold climates.-" But this maftiff dog," he obfervcs," when carried to the north," deferts his original family, and becomes the large Danish dog; and when transported to the fouth, beconies a greyhound. The fame tranfported into Ireland, the Ukraine, Tartary, Epirus, and Albania, becomes the great wolfdog, known by the name of the Irifh dog, which is the largeft of all dogs." Thus he makes the fhepherd's dog, when tranfported from the north to Britain, become a mastiff; and that again, when ramanded back to the north, instead of returning to its original state of a fhepherd's dog, becomes a large Darifh dog; which again brought back to Britain, its original country, instead of a maftiff, becomes a greyhound; which by an other change of climate, fcarce preceptible, is metamorphofed into the large Irish dog.-Thefe furprising transformations might figure very well in Ovid, but do not tally quite fo well with the character of a philofophic natural hif torian. "The bull-dog," he further goes on, "when tranfported into Denmark, becomes the little Danish dog; and this little Danifh dog, fent into warm climates, becomes the Turkifh dog without hair."-In the last paragraph; we faw the mastiff in a northern climate increafe in fize, and become the large Danish dog: here his brother, the bulldog, by a like change of place, dwindles into the fmall Danish dog. How it fhould happen, that the fame change of climate fhould produce changes fo dia metrically oppofite, remains to be explained. When this little Danish dog, however, is sent back to milder climates, he does not recover his former fize, or grow larger, like the maftiff, but, by another metamorphofis, altogether as extraordinary, becomes the naked Turkish dog. The hound, the full brother of this maftiff, we saw, on a former occafion, when carried to the warm coast of Barbary, got a coat of longer hair, and become a fpaniel: this one lofes his hair entirely. Can any thing be more contrary to reafon, experience, and facts that every man has before his eyes every day in his life, than the above hypothefis ? It is humiliating for the pride of man,' who plumes himself on the fuperiority of reafon to remark this.-And it is mortifying for modern philofophy, which affects to be founded on experience and accurate obfervation of facts alone, to point out fuch things: but truth ought in all cafes to be adhered to. On the other hand. Is there any thing inconfiftent with that wisdom and beneficence, fo univerfally confpicuous in the fyftem of this univerfe, or any thing that contradicts the general experience of man, and the facts that fall under his obfervation, in adopting the hypothefis, that a diverfity of animals may have been originally formed, with difcriminative faculties and propensities fitted for the various purpofes required of them in the general fyftem, and feparated from each other, though not by unfurmountable barriers, yet by fuch peculiar propenfities as might ferve to preferve the kinds fufficiently difstinct to anfwer all the purposes required of them? The different breeds of dogs, for example, though not prevented by any phyfical barrier from intermingling, are yet fo diftinctly feparated from each other by certain peculiarities, as naturally to induce one clafs to affociate together, in a fstate of freedom, in preference to others. The hound, for example, would naturally affociate with other hounds who purfued the game, at a flow flow pace, by the fenfe of smelling, in ties of the fame fpecies of animals might preference to any other clafs of dogs. be preferved diftinct perhaps for ever. Should a greyhound encroach upon this In fhort we do actually know of two inpack, he would fo often deftroy the ftances where the breeds of two pure game, and eat it before their approach, varieties of animals have been preservthat they would find it neceffary for ed in a wild ftate, fince the creation of their own prefervation to drive him a the world till the prefent hour, distinc way, or tear him in pieces. Grey- from all others of the fame kind, and hounds would as naturally affociate with uncontaminated, merely by the peculiar other greyhounds for the fame reafon of inftincts with which they are naturally mutual convenience; and fo of other endowed. These are the wolf and the varieties. Thus would a distinction be fox, which though ranked by Buffon, formed, which in a state of nature would and most other naturalifts, as diftinct tend to preserve the feveral breeds an- fpecies, are now proved, by the most contaminated. This purpose would be decifive experiments, conducted under ftill ftrengthened by the acquaintance the eye of the ingenious Mr John Hunter formed by the young of each tribe, with of London, to be only varieties of the the mother and others of the fame kind, dog kind, which may be brought to inwith whom they were accuftomed to tercopulate with others of the fame fpeaffociate from their infancy, and with cies, and by that means produce a monwhom we know they preferve habits of grel breed, participating as ufual of the intimacy and kindness through life. qualities of both parents, and equally Thefe few particulars, without taking prolific as others of the fame kind*. notice of many others, (as the fize, which alone would effectually prevent many of the breeds from every enter mingling) are fufficient to fhow, that, in a state of nature, the different varie * Vide Philofophical Tranfactions, Anno Hunter, 4to. 1793, London. The fame able 1792, and Miscellaneous Fffays by Mr Johh naturalift has obtained a prolific breed between the common cow and buffalo. MINUTES OF AGRICULTURE. FROM SURVEY OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS," BY MR MARSHALL. THIS district, by fituation, occupies the central and northern parts of Perthshire, and may be faid to be fituated in the centre of the kingdom at large. Its elevation above the fea is great. The vallies that wind among the mountains form the habitable parts of the district, which bear a fmall proportion to the furface of the whole. These vallies are narrow, feldom more than the fides and the roots of the hills, with perhaps a narrow chain of haughs, or river-formed lands in the bottoms. The foil of a country, whose surface is greatly diverfified, is generally found to be various. In this cafe, however, the limits of variety are narrower than they are in most other hilly countries. There is no clay (ftrictly speaking) and very little light fandy foil found in the Highlands. The foil of the vallies is pretty uniformly a brown loam, of great natural fertility, as appears most evidently in the flax it produces, a fpecies of foit which is frequently found on the fides of the hills to a great height; even on the tops of the lower ftages of the hills we frequently find fome depth of fimiJar foil, under the black moory earth of the heath. But on fo varied a furface, uniformity either of quality or depth muft not be expected. In the Highland vallies, unlefs on the riverformed haughs, the foil may be faid to be lodged in the pits and hollows formed by the irregular furface of the fubjacent rock, or among large loofe ftones, thrown confusedly upon the furface. On what may be termed the natural furface of the Highland vallies, there are no large areas of free cultur able able foil, like thofe found in the more of froft and thaw, than those of the fouthern parts of the ifland. It is, in contrary afpect, which frequently regeneral, rugged in the extreme; and main locked faft and fecure from waste, even the fcanty plots of free furface, while the other is loofened by the fun, which now are obfervable, have many and carried off by showers falling in the of them been evidently cleared by the intervals of thaw. At all times, foils industry of man; for even fome of the which face the fouth are more liable to haughs are ftill found ftrewed with be carried away by heavy rains, which large fragments of rock, and other large are generally impelled from the fouth or ftones, torn from the mountain fides fouth-weft: the exhauftion, too, of fouth by torrents, or thrown from them in the afpect foils, ftimulated by a more gegeneral formation. nial climature, may have been greater during ages past than those which have lain with a northern afpect. But thefe, by the way; others might be adduced, were this a proper place for phyfical refearches. The foil of the hills of the Highlands of Scotland, compared with that of the moorlands of Yorkshire, has a decided preference: unlefs upon the fummits of the higher mountains, and where the rock breaks out at the furface; or where this is encumbered with loofe ftones, or fragments of rocks, the hills of the Highlands generally enjoy. ing fome portion of foil, or earthy ftratum, beneath a thin coat of moor, while on the Yorkshire hills, the moory earth, generally of greater thickness, lies on a dead fand, or an infertile rubble, with out any intervening foil. From that fort of general knowledge which I must neceffarily have of both diftricts, I am opinion, that the Highland hills, (apart from the fummits of the higher mountains), are of three or fourfold the value of the eastern moorlands of Yorkshire; more efpecially of the central and fouthern fwells; the narrow tract which hangs to the north between Guisborough and Whitby of a better quality; very fimilar, in foil, to the lower hills of the Highlands. From this and various other inftances which I have obferved, in different parts of the island, and most particularly in the district I am now defcribing, it appears to be a fact, that the flopes of hills whofe inclination or afpect is toward the north, are, at this time, more fertile than those which lie with a fouthern afpect. Subfoil. Where the depth of foil is altogether uncertain, and where there is no regularity of ftrata near the furface, the fubfoil cannot be fpoken of with precifion. The river-formed lands, in the bottoms of the vallies, are the only parts of the Highlands, in which a regularity of foil and fubfoil is obferyable. Here the top foil is gravelly Loam of various qualities, and the fubfoil gravel, or fand and gravel, fometimes of great depth, and of a fertile nature, if we may judge from the rapid growth and the unufual fize of trees rooted in thefe river-formed lands. All that requires to be faid of the fubftrata of the native foils is, that, in general, they are of a found, dry, abforbent nature, with a confiderable proportion of cold bottomed land, fcattered in patches on the flopes, and here and there bloated plots of boggy tendency, bearing little more than aquatic plants; yet it is obfervable, that quickfands and rotten grounds, excepting the peat-molles of the hills, are lefs prevalent here, than in mo hilly districts. There are no hidden beds of clay to check the defcent of internal waters; the furfaces of folid rock alone, it is probable, return them to the furface, Several conjectures might be formed Quarries.-The ufeful foffils of the to account for this phænomenon. Soils Highlands are: 1, Limestone, which lying with a fouthern afpect are more is found in fufficient quantity, and of a liable to be acted upon by an alternacy tolerable quality, in many parts of them. 2d, Slates, raised on the fouthern skirts of this district. 3d, A blue building ftone, of a nature fufficiently free to be eafily dreffed, is dug out of the fouthern heights; the furface, in moft cafes, affording a fufficiency of rough ftones for ordinary buildings. But, in the extent and magnitude of these mountains, no productive mines have yet been discovered, at leaft within the limits of the district under notice, excepting one of lead, on its weftern' verges. Coals have recently been fought for, by men of the first experience, without a probability of fuccefs. Roads.-There are no toll roads in the Highlands. The great public roads across the district are chiefly military; formed and fupported by Government, for the purpose of conveying artillery, ftores, &c. with greater readiness between the different forts and garrifons. Thefe roads have been conducted ori ginally, in a moft injudicious manner, in ftraight lines across hills and vallies. They are now, however, under judicious management, and have already received great improvement with respect to line, and are mostly well kept. The road -between Blair of Athol and Dunkeld is equal to the best roads about the fouthern metropolis." Even the Highland roads which are repaired by the country, are tolerable carriage roads. Indeed the fubftratum being almost uniformly gravel or stone, it would be difficult to render them impaffable. The most effectual way to do it, however, is practifed. The material of repair is earth grubbed out of the banks, or taken from the adjoining grounds; while ftones lie an incumbrance on every fide, and gravel perhaps at no great diftance. But, in the Highland practice, neither hammer nor cart is used in the repair of roads. It need not be added, that the first fall of rain washes away the loose earth, leaving the stones it contains as ftumblingblocks to travellers. The peat roads, the bye roads of the glens, and the private roads of the teVOL. LVIII. nants, are execrable. The peat roads are mere guilies, which, however, previous to the season of use, are filled up, fo as to be rendered paffable to Highland horfes, with foil taken from the adjacent braes, which is thus ingenioufly divested of the fcanty portion with which nature has furnished it. It is obfervable, that the public roads of the Highlands, confidering the nature of the country, are remarkably level, beyond comparison more fo than than thofe of Devonshire, and other diftricts, whofe hills are comparably lower. The Highland roads feldom crofs the hills. Nature, as it were, with intention, has in most cases rent the general ridge of hill between the glens or vallies, fo as to give an eafy paffage to the road. Another obfervation equally applicable to the roads of the Highlands, and thofe of the kingdom at large, is, that they are much more eafily kept in repair than the roads of England, where long teams are in ufe; for, in Scotland, feldom more than one horfe is feen in a carriage of burden; the load, of course, is proportionably light. Inclofures. Speaking generally of the Highlands, they may be faid to lie in an open state. The lands of different proprietors are frequently, but not always, divided by " march dykes," namely, ftone walls. And farms upon the fame property are fometimes feparated, that the groups of tenants may interfere the lefs with each other. AIfo about refidences now or recently occupied, inclosures are fometimes feen; but we rarely meet with farms, of regularly inclosed fields, as in the southern provinces; nor are the feparations which occur, (thofe of plantations and other kept grounds excepted,) confidered or intended as fences against fheep, which still over-run the country during the fix months of winter, when the entire district may be faid to lie in the most perfect state of common. Produce. The natural produce of the Highlands, wild as they how apZ z pear, pear, would be difficult to afcertain. fince the fuppreffion of the feudal authoriTradition speaks of the woodlands of the ties. Moft happy circumftances to the hill, in former times, and probably with Highlands ! and fortunate for the united fome foundation. Timber is fometimes kingdom at large. found in the peat-bogs; but the pieces which I have feen have been of the fmaller woods; as the birch, the alder, and the hawthorn. In a general view the prefent produce of the central Highlands, may be faid to be a small proportion of arable crops; a greater proportion of green pasturage and meadow; a vaft extent of heath, intermixed with her bage, and scattered with rocks and ftones; with fome extenfive tracts of natural and planted woods; whilft, however, much of the country is in a manner deftitute of woodlands; feveral of the fmaller glens may be faid to be without timber, and without a hedge, or a tree to break the uniform and defert like nakedness of the country. Inhabitants.-The Highland character is ftrongly marked; unufual circumftances having concurred in form ing it. It might be wrong however to attempt its history here. It may be fufficier to fay, that out of the ag gregate of thofe circumftances, grew a ftrongly-featured character, inquifitive to gain information, cautious to retain it, and artful and active in applying it to advantage; features, which though fomewhat altered by a change of circumstances, ftill mark to this day the Highland character. The established language of the Highlands is Erfe, a dialect of the Gaelic, which is probably among the most an cient of the living languages of Europe. From the names of moft places in the Highlands, being accurately defined by the circumftances of fituation, the Erfe may feem to have been the language of its first settlers; but rather, perhaps of a colony from an enlightened country, fuppreffing the language of former poffeffors, and establishing their own; there being fome few names of places which cannot, I understand, be derived from the Gaelic. The English language, however, is now working its way into the most inward receffes of the Highlands, and will, in a few years, probably fuperfede the use of the Erfe; a circumstance, which, whenever it may take place, will be fortunate for the country, as it will affimilate it more intimately with the neighbouring districts. It is now taught in the schools of the central Highlands, and fpoken in greater pu rity here than in the Lowland districts. From the intercourse, however, which the Highlanders have with those diftricts, and from the teachers having the Lowland accent, the tone and many of the provincialisms of the Lowlands are in ufe. I must not, however, omit in this Habitations. Formerly fod huts were place, to do juftice to the moral cha- the common habitations of the tenantry racter of the modern Highlander. Mur- of the central Highlands, and they are der, cruelty, or even theft is rarely ftill in ufe in the more northern districts. heard of, nor are riotings, drunkennefs, Those huts were built with fods, or or any kind of debaucheries at present thick turf, taken from the pafture lands, prevalent among them, comparatively, and having remained a few years in the at least with other diftricts of the island. capacity of walls, were pulled down, This, in my mind, is a proof, that and spread over the arable fields as mawhatever irregularities they may have nure, another fquare of rock being laid been led to, by the nature of their bare, and another fet of fods piled up former government and purfuits, they for the fame purpose. The materials did not proceed from a natural depravity of the roof were used and still are used, o moral character, which could not in the fame intention, and perhaps the have been completely corrected in fo roof itself, in places where wood was hort a time, as that which has elapfed plentiful and peats difficult to procure, was |