2 o6 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



LETTER XXXII. 



TO THE SAME. 



CASTRATION has a strange effect : it emasculates both man, 

 beast, and bird, and brings them to a near resemblance of the 

 other sex. Thus eunuchs have smooth unmuscular arms, thighs, 

 and legs ; and broad hips, and beardless chins, and squeaking 

 voices. Gelt stags and bucks have hornless heads, like hinds and 

 does. Thus wethers have small horns, like ewes ; and oxen large 

 bent horns, and hoarse voices when they low, like cows : for bulls 

 have short straight horns ; and though they mutter and grumble in 

 a deep tremendous tone, yet they low in a shrill high key. Capons 

 have small combs and gills, and look pallid about the head like 

 pullets ; they also walk without any parade, and hover chickens 

 like hens. Barrow-hogs have also small tusks like sows. 



Thus far it is plain that the deprivation of masculine vigour puts 

 a stop to the growth of those parts or appendages that are looked 

 upon as its insignia. But the ingenious Mr. Lisle, in his book on 

 husbandry, carries it much farther ; for he says that the loss of 

 those insignia alone has sometimes a strange effect on the ability 

 itself : he had a boar so fierce and venereous, that, to prevent 

 mischief, orders were given for his tusks to be broken off. No 

 sooner had the beast suffered this injury than his powers forsook 

 him, and he neglected those females to whom before he was 

 passionately attached, and from whom no fences would restrain 

 him. 



