86 NATURAL HISTORY. 



have some wash or something to make their teeth 

 better and stronger ? Coral is in use as an help to 

 the teeth of children. 



Experiments in consort touching the generation and 

 bearing of living creatures in the womb. 



758. Some living creatures generate but at certain 

 seasons of the year ; as deer, sheep, wild coneys, &c., 

 and most sorts of birds and fishes : others at any time 

 of the year; as men, and all domestic creatures, as 

 horses, hogs, dogs, cats, &C. 1 The cause of generation 

 at all seasons seerneth to be fulness : for generation 

 is from redundance. This fulness ariseth from two 

 causes : either from the nature of the creature, if it 

 be hot and moist and sanguine; or from plenty of 

 food. For the first, men, horses, dogs, &c. which 

 breed at all seasons, are full of heat and moisture; 

 doves are the fullest of heat and moisture amongst 

 birds, and therefore breed often ; the tame dove al 

 most continually. But deer are a melancholy dry 

 creature, as appeareth by their fearfulness, and the 

 hardness of. their flesh. Sheep are a cold creature, 

 as appeareth by their mildness, and for that they 

 seldom drink. Most sort of birds are of a dry sub 

 stance in comparison of beasts. Fishes are cold. For 

 the second cause, fulness of food ; men, kine, swine, 

 dogs, &c. feed full ; and we see that those creatures 

 which being wild generate seldom, being tame generate 

 often ; which is from warmth, and fulness of food. 

 We find that the time of going to rut of deer is in 

 September; for that they need the whole summer s 

 feed and grass, to make them fit for generation. And 



1 Arist. Prob. x. 49. 



