JLCT. XXXIX. 6. GENERATION. 591 



peds, and poultry. It is abfurd to fuppofe, that 

 luch forms could exift in primordial germs, as ex- 

 plained in No. IV. 4. of this Section. Nor is it 

 poflible, thut fuch deformities could be produced by 

 the growth of two embryons, or living filaments 5 

 which fhould afterwards adhere together; as the 

 head and tail part of different polypi are faid to do 

 (Blumenbach on Generation, Cadel, London) ; fince 

 in that cafe one embryon, or living filament, muft 

 have begun to form one part fir It, and the other 

 another part fir ft. But fuch monlhous conforma- 

 tions become lefs difficult to comprehend, when 

 they are conlldered as an effect of the imagination, 

 as before explained, on the living filament at the 

 time of its fecretion ; and that fuch duplicature of 

 limbs were produced by accretion of new parts, in 

 confequence of propenlities, or animal appetencies 

 thus acquired from the female parent. 



For inilance, I can conceive, if a turkey-cock 

 fhould behold a rabbit, or a frog, at the time of pro- 

 creation,-' that it might happen, that a forcible or 

 even a pieafurable idea of the form of a quadruped 

 might fo occupy his imagination, as to caufe a ten- 

 dency in the nafcent filament to refemble fuch a 

 form, by the apportion of a duplicature of limbs. 

 Experiments on the production of mules and mon- 

 fters would be worthy the attention of a Spallan- 

 zani, and might throw much light upon this fubjecl, 

 which at pieient mud be explained by conjectural 

 analogies. 



The wonderful effect of imagination, both in the 

 male and female paicnt, is fhewn in the production 

 of a kind of -milk in the crops both of the male and 

 female pigeons after the birth of their young, as 

 obferved by Mr. Hunter, and mentioned before. To 

 this mould be added, that there are fome inftances 

 ot men having had milk fecreted in their breads, 

 and who have given fuck to children, as recorded 



