164 THE CHRISTIAN NATURALIST. 



Fertility is another striking circumstance by which 

 the tribes of the ocean are distinguished.* "What can 

 equal the prodigious numbers in which these multiply ? 

 Very suitable, indeed, is the reflection which Bishop 

 Hall makes on this point. * Here is an instance of thy 

 liberality, O thou God of Providence! When thou 

 didst pronounce thy benediction on the works of thine 

 hand, thou didst distinguish the fish from the rest, and 

 put an emphasis upon it ; and while thou didst give a 

 commission to other creatures to be fruitful and mul- 

 tiply, thou didst direct the waters to bring forth abun- 

 dantly the moving creature that hath life.* (Gen. i. 20.) 



On this subject the observations of an eminent Phi- 

 losopher of the present day are well deserving our 

 attention. * Of fishes alone the varieties, as to con- 

 formation and endowments, are endless. Still more 

 curious and anomalous, both in their external form and 

 their internal economy, are the numerous orders of 



* ' When I went to view the Port of Dieppe,' says the author 

 of a celebrated work, * they brought us a very fine cod. I was 

 curious to count the eggs she contained ; in order to which 1 

 took as many as weighed a drachm, and having three of us 

 engaged to number them, and then weighed the whole, the 

 aggregate sums produced were nine millions three hundred and 

 forty-four eggs.* 



