114 THE HISTORY OF ANIMALS, [.B. V. 



ductive when they are lean. The rams copulate with the 

 old sheep first, but they do not follow after the younger; 

 and the younger, as I before observed, produce a smaller 

 offspring than the older. 



10. A wild boar will beget till he is three years old, 

 but the progeny of older animals is inferior ; for he has 

 not the same power or strength. He generally goes to the 

 female when full of food, and without having been to 

 another female, or, if not, the act of coition is of shorter 

 duration, and the progeny smaller. The sow produces the 

 smallest number of pigs at her first litter, but at the second 

 they are more flourishing. She also produces young when 

 old, but the act of coition is longer. At fifteen years old, 

 she no longer produces young, but becomes fierce . 



11. If well-fed, she will be more ready for sexual in- 

 tercourse, whether young or old ; and, if rapidly fattened 

 when pregnant, she has less milk after parturition. As 

 regards the age of the parent, the young of those in the 

 prime of their age are the best, and those that are born at 

 the beginning of winter. The worst are those born in the 

 summer, for they are small, and thin, and weak. If the 

 male is well fed, he is ready for sexual intercourse at all 

 seasons, by day as well as by night ; but if not well fed, he 

 is most ready in the morning, and as he grows old, he be- 

 comes less disposed for it, as was said before. And it fre- 

 quently happens that those which are impotent, through 

 age or weakness, and cannot copulate readily, will approach 

 the female as she lies down tired with long standing. The 

 sow generally becomes pregnant when she hangs down 

 her ears in her heats ; if she is not pregnant, she becomes 

 heated again. 



12. Bitches do not copulate during the whole of their 

 life, but only to a certain period. Their coition and preg- 

 nancy generally takes place till they are twelve years old, 

 but both males and females have been known to perform 

 the act of coition at eighteen and even twenty years of 

 age ; but old age takes away from both sexes the power of 

 reproduction, as in other animals. 



13. The camel is retroningent, and performs the act of 

 intercourse in the manner already described ; the period of 

 its coition in Arabia is in the month of September; tl 



