But, in fact, a breed, like a dialect of a language, can hardly be said to have a distinct origin.

A man preserves and breeds from an individual with some slight deviation of structure, or takes more care than usual in matching his best animals, and thus improves them, and the improved animals slowly spread in the immediate neighbourhood.

But they will as yet hardly have a distinct name, and from being only slightly valued, their history will have been disregarded.

When further improved by the same slow and gradual process, they will spread more widely, and will be recognised as something distinct and valuable, and will then probably first receive a provincial name.