334 PARTRIDGE witn two HEARTS. 
which was the moft probable, that one partridge had two 
hearts, or that forty-eight had none at all. It may indeed 
be objected, that the firft might have a true and a falle 
one. Mr. Voltaire, who believes that nature amufes her- 
felf in making concha veneris, might alfo believe that fhe 
diverted herfelf in imitating two hearts. I fhould there- 
fore be as circumfpe&t as Mr. Vergé, and not affirm foon- 
er than him that his partridge had two hearts, for | may 
be miftaken. Iam, however, infinitely more certain of it 
than that it had but one. 
D’ABOVILLE. 
Williamfburgh, Feb. 15, 1782. 
I the fubfcriber, fenior furgeon of the regimert of Aux- 
onne, and of the artillerymen of the king’s army in Ame- 
rica, do declare, that the roth of this month, having taken 
out the entrails of the body of a partridge, there appeared to 
me two hearts. However, during the fhort time that I had 
to infpec&t them, I was fo aftonifhed with fo furprizing a 
phenomenon, that I fear my eyes may have deceived me, 
and I dare not to affirm whatI believe I faw. I went im- 
mediately to a merchant, who lodged next door to me, to 
fhow him this miracle, and alfo to Mr. Aboville. The lat- 
ter has juft read to me the account he has written of this 
phenomenon as it appeared to him. [hereby certify that 
I faw 
quarente huit perdrix. I reftera a dire que Ja premiére pouvoit en avoir un vrai et un faux. 
M. de Voltaire, qui croyoit que la nature s’amufe a imiter des conqua véneris, auroit pu croire 
qu elle s’amufe auffi a contrefaire des coeurs; je ferai donc aufli circonfpect que M. Vergé, et 
n ‘affirmerai pas plus que lui que fa perdrix avoit deux cceurs, car je pourrois me tromiper ¢ 
jen fuis cependant infiniment plus certain que je ne le fuis de n’en avoir qu'un. a 
A Williamfburg en Virginie, le 15 Fev. 1782. 
(Signé) d’Aboville. 
E fouffigné, chirurgien major du régiment d’Auxonne, et de Pequipage d’artillerie de ]’ar- 
mee du roi en ‘Amerique ; - déclare, que le dix de ce mois ayant rétiré les entrailles du corps 
dune perdrix, il me parut qu *il s’y trouvoit deux coeurs. Mais pendant le peu de temps que 
jai pu les confidérer, j’ctois tellement ebloui d'un phénomene auffi furprenant, que je crains 
que mes yeux ne m’ayent trompé, et n’ofe affirmer ce que je crois avoir vi. _Je fus fur le 
champ montrer cette merveille a un marchand qui loge a cote de chez moi, et a M. d’Abo- 
xille; ce dernier vient de me lire lexpof€ qu’il a écrit de ce phénomene, tel qu’il s’eft pre-- 
fenté 
