474 NATURAL HISTORY. 



reason why they should ; for they have male and 

 female as other fish have : neither are they bred of 

 putrefaction ; especially such as do move. Never 

 theless it is certain, that oisters, and cockles, and 

 mussels, which move not, have no discriminate sex. 

 Query, in what time, and how they are bred ? It 

 seemeth, that shells of oisters are bred where none 

 were before ; and it is tried, that the great horse- 

 mussel, with the fine shell, that breedeth in ponds, 

 hath bred within thirty years : but then, which is 

 strange, it hath been tried, that they do not only 

 gape and shut as the oisters do, but remove from 

 one place to another. 



Experiment solitary touching the right side and the 



left. 



876. The senses are alike strong, both on the 

 right side and on the left ; but the limbs on the right 

 side are stronger. The cause may be, for that the 

 brain, which is the instrument of sense, is alike on 

 both sides ; but motion, and abilities of moving, are 

 somewhat holpen from the liver, which lieth on the 

 right side. It may be also, for that the senses are 

 put in exercise indifferently on both sides from the 

 time of our birth ; but the limbs are used most on 

 the right side, whereby custom helpeth ; for we see 

 that some are left-handed ; which are such as have 

 used the left hand most. 



Experiment solitary touching frictions. 



877. Frictions make the parts more fleshy and 



