46 FISHES A^^D FISHING. 



stupendous arrangements of the great Architect of the 

 Universe, and are capable of investigating the subject 

 more closely ; they must be impressed with greater 

 and more profound veneration for, and admiration of, 

 the great beneficent Supreme Being, as each arrange- 

 ment of his bounty and goodness becomes developed 

 to their view. 



The first male and female of every living creature, 

 contained in themselves the germ from which all 

 of that species were in future to be produced. Ee- 

 ferring to fish, if it be possible, take a male fish as 

 early as his sex can be discovered ; let him be placed 

 where he cannot see, or have contact with any other 

 fish, yet has proper food ; do the same with a fe- 

 male : as soon as she attain, even a comparatively 

 trifling age, the female will have within her the roe 

 or eggs, and the male the milt ; shewing the inhe- 

 rent principle of reproduction in each, yet such repro- 

 duction cannot take place, unless the ova be vivified 

 by the male. To keep the male and female apart, we 

 know there would be no yonng fish in this case ; but 

 it would be an illustrative experiment, to ascertain 

 the effect produced on the health of both these fish. 



It is affirmed by the fishermen of the Yolga, that 

 they sometimes take fish of the sturgeon species, 

 which are hermaphrodites, having a milt on one side, 

 and a roe on the other ; the same thing has been ob- 



