4 WALTER HEAPE. 



Although the part which the male takes in breeding is 

 confined to the insemination of the female, while the whole 

 of the rest of the process is carried on by the female, and 

 in spite of the fact that the word " breed " carries with it, 

 in its original seuse, as I understand it, the giving of nourish- 

 ment, and might perhaps in that sense be confined to the 

 female, it is impossible to avoid including the male. The 

 extent of the breeding season of a male depends upon the 

 length of time during which he is preparing for, and is capable 

 of, inseminating a female; while the extent of the breeding 

 season of a female mammal depends upon the extent of the 

 sexual season, during which her generative organs are pre- 

 paring for conception, plus the time occupied by gestation, 

 or the gestation period. 



The term has been used to describe specially the season 

 when mammals copulate, or, again, it has been used to specially 

 designate the period of gestation in the female; but it is not 

 applicable as a definitive of either of these periods separately, 

 and must be used for the whole consecutive breeding period 

 experienced, and in this sense is applicable to both male and 

 female mammals. 



The term "breeding" is also frequently used in connection 

 with the rearing of the young after birth, and this has given 

 rise to confusion, inasmuch as while the mother is providing 

 nutriment for young already born, she may or may not be 

 bearing others. It is obviously inconvenient to include the 

 period of suckling in the " breeding season," for which reason 

 I have called it the Nursing Period. 



Sexual Season is a term I have used to designate, for 

 both male and female mammals, the particular time or times 

 of the year during which their sexual organs exhibit special 

 activity. 



Some mammals experience only one sexual season each year, 

 some experience more than one ; in some it is a brief period, 

 in others it occupies a much longer time ; in some the sexual 

 season of the female may be interfered with by gestation, in 

 others it is not. 



