90 BREEDING IN BITCHES. 



Bitches in heat are very cunning-, and elude the greatest 

 vig-ilance used to confine them from the dog*. When, there- 

 fore, it is intended to prevent them from breeding, the great- 

 est care is requisite to prevent their escape. For want of 

 due caution in this respect, numbers of them are every year 

 destroyed ; for a bitch having- eluded the attempts to restrain 

 her, v^^ill naturally unite sviih the first dog- she meets with, 

 which, should it happen to be one of a much larger kind 

 than herself, will so much influence the size of the progeny, 

 that she will be very liable to die in pupping, from the inabi- 

 lity to bring forth. When, therefore, a bitch has so escaped, 

 it will be prudent immediately to follow her; not only to 

 prevent the intercourse altogether, but to guard against the 

 brutal folly of boys and others, who, when it has taken 

 place, often throw cold water over the animals, or tear them 

 away from each other by violence. I have seen the parts of 

 the female actually suffer inversion from this ; other injurious 

 consequences have also very frequently followed. To the dog, 

 likewise, it is no less hurtful, by fatally rupturing the blood- 

 vessels of the parts *, or by other lacerations. 



Impregnation takes place sometimes at the first copulation, 

 in others not until the second, third, or fourth ; and in some 



and, consequently, a healthy process. This is alike reconcileable to fact as 

 to theory ; for attentive observation extended to all the varieties of the spe- 

 cies, and to the varied circumstances under which they are placed, will shew, 

 that the suffering of bitches to breed, not only tends to keep them in health, 

 but that those which have been allowed to bring up numerous litters, have 

 more invariably attained a great age than such as have been debarred the in- 

 tercourse. It may be added, that thef^ame is observed in the human, where 

 the average of longevity among females is decidedly in favour of the married, 

 compared with the single. 



• This retention of the male within the female parts after the act has been 

 apparently completed, arises from a peculiarity of structure in both. In the 

 male, the corpora cavernosa have two large lateral protuberances, which, when 

 distended with blood, efiFectually retain the penis within the vagina of the 

 female, till the venereal orgasm has entirely ceased. The clitoris of the fe> 

 male also partakes of a similar structure, and firmly retains the penis in coitUy 

 by a distended ring. The same structure is apparent in all the canine coH' 

 geners. 



