120 ANIMALS OF THE 



can avail, nor retreat secure : but man, an enemy 

 far more powerful than all, prefers its flesh to 

 that of other animals, and destroys greater num- 

 bers than all the rest. Thus pursued and perse- 

 cuted on every side, the race would long since 

 have been totally extirpated, did it not find a re- 

 source in its amazing fertility. 



The hare multiplies exceedingly ; it is in a state 

 of engendering at a few months old ; the females 

 go with young but thirty days, and generally 

 bring forth three or four at a time.* As soon as 

 they have produced their young, they are again 

 ready for conception, and thus do not lose any 

 time in continuing the breed. But they are in 

 another respect fitted in an extraordinary manner 

 for multiplying their kind ; for the female, from 

 the conformation of her womb, is often seen to 

 bring forth, and yet to continue pregnant at the 

 same time ; or, in other words, to have young 

 ones of different ages in her womb together. 

 Other animals never receive the male when 

 pregnant, but bring forth their young at once. 

 But it is frequently different with the hare ; the 

 female often, though already impregnated, ad- 

 mitting the male, and thus receiving a second 

 impregnation. The reason of this extraordinary 

 circumstance is, that the womb in these animals 

 is divided in such a manner that it may be con- 

 sidered as a double organ, one side of which may 

 be filled while the other remains empty. Thus 

 these animals may be seen to couple at every 



* Buffbn, vol. xiii. p. 12. 



