OF SER PENTS. 



In this Contrivance of Male and Female, and different Me- 

 thod of Multiplication for perpetuating the Species, we may fee an 

 admirable Inftance of divine Wifdom : But for this Difference in 

 Sexes, there would be no Increafe of Serpents nor other Animals. 

 The oviparous and viviparous Manner of Propagation is as won- 

 derful ; for, 



Were they all "oiviparoiis^ that is, brought forth living Births, 

 there would be but a fmall Number, and not fufficient to fupport 

 the whole animal Body : Corn, Grafs, Fruits, Gfr. are no Pro- 

 dudions of the Sea, therefore can be no Food for Fifli : The Al- 

 mighty Creator fo ordained it, that they fliould feed one upon 

 another j and this made it neceffary that they fliould be oviparous^ 

 that they might increafe in great Plenty, which they could not do, 

 if • they were of the viviparous Kind ; that is, brought forth their 

 living Offspring, as Vipers, Sheep, Hares, Cows do. 



But Fi0i being oviparous^ propagating their Kind by Eggs, 

 which, for Number, are infinite, their Progeny is innumerable, . 

 and fufficient to fupport all the Branches of the marine Family ; 

 even the leffer Kind of Fifh fend forth an incredible Number of 

 Spawn. 



On the other hand, if four-footed Beafls were propagated by 

 Eggs, they would foon cover the Face of the Earth, without a 

 daily Deftrudion of them, which would take up no little time 

 the' an Army of Nimrods were employed. Birds increafe byEggs^ 

 and bring forth great Numbers i and perhaps, for this reafon, 

 that Birds of Prey and Serpents, Kitchens, &c. might not want 

 proper Supplies. Now, if a female Bird was great with fix or 

 twelve Young Ones at once, the Burden would be intolerable, her 

 Wings would fail, and flie would become an eaiy Prey to her 

 Enemies. 



B u T you will fay, what if they brought forth only one or two 

 at a time, till they amounted to the ufual Number of their Eggs ? 

 I anfwer, that then they would be troubled all the Year long 

 with feeding their Young, or bearing them in their Womb. 



This Production of Creatures by Eggs, is a wonderful Phae- 

 nomenon in the animal World j the Eggs are flielly and hard, to 

 preferve the included Embryo from Accidents, and to contain 

 luitable Nutriment for it. 'Tis obfervable that Chickens, while in 

 their dark.embryotick State^ are nourifhed by iXiQWhite alone, till 



grown i 



