CASTRATION. 235 



There was little room to suppose that this brood 

 had ever been in the open air before ; and that 

 they were taken in for refuge, at the mouth of 

 the dam, when she perceived that danger was 

 approaching ; because then probably we should 

 have found them somewhere in the neck, and not 

 in the abdomen. 



XXXII. 



CASTRATION has a strange effect : it emascu- 

 lates 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 



