INTERCOURSE OF THE SEXES. 189 



cates that Mr. S. "had made up his mind to meet with 

 but one fixed result to the experiment, although upon 

 what grounds he had done so, apart from mere pre- 

 judice, he has not thought fit to enlighten the reader. 

 It is far, however, from my intention to abstract one 

 iota from the praise justly due to Mr. S. for that 

 unwearied assiduity and patient observation which cha- 

 racterise his various experiments. He has succeeded, 

 beyond all dispute, in throwing the wished-for light 

 upon a much-agitated question ; and although not the 

 actual originator of the theory respecting parr being 

 the young of the salmon, he is entitled to the higher 

 merit of giving it, by means of practically testing its 

 value, a place in science. I cannot, however, reconcile 

 myself to the belief that he has proceeded either upon 

 just or reasonable premises, in conducting the latter 

 course of his experiments that whicn aims to prove 

 the generative influence of the milt of the male parr, 

 when brought into contact with the ova or roe of a full- 

 grown spawner or baggit salmon. In the first place, 

 I hold it to be, as regards the laws of nature, a pal- 

 pable anomaly, that no direct act of coition should 

 be considered to take place betwixt the milter and 

 spawner and that, long previous to the effusion of the 

 ova. It is scarcely an argument to assert that fish are 

 deficient in the organs which alone can render them 

 capable of performing this act. Why, worms and ser- 

 pents are, to all appearance more scantily provided 

 with such organs than they are, and yet, as is well 

 known, these, and in fact every insect and reptile, as 

 well as every beast and bird on our terrestrial globe, 

 have necessary recourse, in order to promote the exten- 

 sion of their species, to acts of coition. It is no matter 

 whether viviparous or oviparous, the communication of 



