FECUNDITY. 131 



" An instance is mentioned in the Bulletin des Sci- 

 ences of a cow belonging to a French agriculturist, 

 which produced nine calves at three successive births, 

 namely, four at the first, three at the second, and two 

 at the third ; all of which, except two of the first birth, 

 grew up and were nursed by the mother ; but the heif- 

 ers afterward produced each only a single calf." 1 



According to Culley, the Teeswater ewes " gener- 

 ally bring two lambs each, and sometimes three ; there 

 are instances of even four or five, as was the case with 

 Mr. Edward Eddison's ewe, which, wiien two years 

 old, in 1772, brought him four lambs ; in 1773, five ; 

 in 1774, two ; in 1775, five ; in 1776, two ; and in 

 1777, two. The first nine lambs were lambed within 

 eleven months." a 



A ewe belonging to James "Wilkie, Esq., of the 

 county of Berwigk, Scotland, " produced eleven lambs 

 in the course of three immediately succeeding seasons. 

 In the spring of 1803, she had four lambs; in 1804, 

 three ; and again four in 1806. She was of the or- 

 dinary breed of the lower part of the country." * 



Mr. Kerr remarks in regard to these sheep that 

 " ill-fed ewes hardly ever have twins, while those that 

 are in good condition, when put to the ram, very often 

 have twins, and sometimes triplets." 



" In 1806, in a flock of Norfolk ewes belonging to 

 Mr. "Wythe, of Eye, one on the 18th of February yeaned 

 three lambs ; on the 20th another dropped three, and 

 a third, five, on the 21st ; a fourth, four, on the 23d ; 



1 " British Husbandry," vol. ii., p. 438, note. 



2 Culley on " Live-Stock," p. 123. 



3 Kerr's " Agricultural Survey of Berwickshire," p. 403. 



