. XXXIX. 6. GENERATION. 589 



form, feature, or fex, correfponding to the imagin- 

 ation of the father. 



Our ideas are movements of the nerves of fenfe, 

 as of the optic nerve in recollecting vifible ideas, 

 fuppofe of a triangular piece of ivory* The fine 

 moving fibres of the retina ad in a manner to which 

 I give the name of white \ and this action is con- 

 fined to a defined part of it ; to which figure I give 

 the name of triangle. And it is a preceding plea- 

 furable ienfatton exifting in my mind, which occa- 

 lions me to produce this particular motion of the- 

 retina, when no triangle is preient. Now it is pro- 

 bable, that the acting fibres of the ultimate termin- 

 ations of the fecreting apertures of the veffels of tho 

 teftes, are as fine as thoTe of the retina; and that they are 

 liable to be thrown into that peculiar action, which 

 marks the fex of the fecreted embryon, by fympa- 

 thy with the pleafurable motions of the nerves of 

 vifion or of touch ; that is, with certain ideas of 

 imagination. From hence it would appear, that the 

 world has been long miilaken in afcribing great pow- 

 er to the imagination of the female, whereas from 

 this account of it, the real power of imagination, 

 in the act of generation, belongs folely to the male. 

 See Sea. XII. 3. 3. 



It may be objected to this theory, that a man 

 may be fuppofed to have in his mind, the idea of 

 the form and features of the female, rather than his 

 own, and therefore there ihould be a greater num- 

 ber of female births. On the contrary, the general 

 idea of our own form occurs to every one almoft 

 perpetually, and is termed confcioufnefs of our ex- 

 iftence, and thus may effect, that the number of 

 males furpaffes that of females. See Sect. XV. 3. 4* 

 and XVIII. 13. And what farther confirms this 

 idea is, that the male children molt frequently re^ 

 femble the father in form, or feature, as well as in 

 fex ; and the female mod frequently refemble the 



mother, 



