520 SUPPLEMENT ON 



was to be found, who by an irresistible instinct, preferred one 

 female to all others, attached himself to her alone, followed 

 her everywhere, aided her in her searches, succoured her in 

 her dangers, received attentions from her equal to those he 

 had bestowed, facilitated her delivery by a sort of amorous 

 play, lost not his tenderness after the moment of fecundation, 

 but retained the constant feeling by which he was inspired 

 until the young came forth ; guarded along with her whom he 

 had chosen the fruits of their union, defended them with a 

 courage also exhibited by the mother, but displayed by him 

 with more success, as being the larger and the stronger of the 

 two; and who, after having preserved them from the cruel 

 tooth of their enemies until such time as when a little deve- 

 loped they could at least escape death by flight, waited, 

 always constant and always attentive, near his companion, 

 until a new spring restored them to renewed enjoyments. 

 How much pleasure might such a picture produce, at least 

 for a moment, in pure and feeling minds ! But why should 

 this satisfaction, always so rare, prove as short as the recital 

 which produced it ? Wherefore should the austerity of truth 

 command the historian of nature to dispel so pleasing an 

 illusion ? Constant love, tenderness ever wakeful, conjugal 

 fidelity, unlimited devotion to the objects of affection, where- 

 fore has the picture of your delightful consequences been 

 placed in the midst of the ocean only by the feeling heart 

 and the fertile imagination ? All the foundation for it is this : 

 two of these fishes must have frequently been observed placed 

 one near the other, and a long time motionless, on the rocks 

 or the sand of the sea ; they have been supposed to be male 

 and female. Their vicinity and their repose have been con- 

 sidered as the effect of mutual affection, and observers have 

 believed themselves not slightly authorized to attribute to 

 them the long fidelity and the durable attentions, which they 

 have been pleased to depict in such glowing colours." 



