O F A N I M A L S. ^7 



not the prolific fluid, bccaufe it cannot co-ope- 

 rate in the formation of the foetus, which is 

 performed within the uterus. The reiervoir for the 

 prohfic fluid of the female, therefore, muft be fitu- 

 ated in a diflerent part : It even flows abundant- 

 ly ; though, hke that of the male, a fmall quan- 

 tity is fufiicient to produce a foetus. If a little 

 of the male fluid enters the uterus, either by. its 

 orifice or by abforption, and meets with the 

 fmalleft drop of the female fluid, it is fufiacient 

 for the purpofe of propagation. Thus, nei- \ 

 ther the obfervations of fome anatomifl:s, who 

 maintain that the feminal fluid of the male can 

 have no admiflion into the uterus, nor the oppo- 

 fite opinion maintained by their antagonifl:s, 

 have any influence upon the theory we are en- 

 deavouring to ellablifli. But the difcuflTion of 

 thefe points we leave to a future opportunity. 



Having obviated fuch objedions as might be 

 made, let us attend to the evidences which concur 

 in fupporting our hypothefis. The firfi: arifes 

 from the analogy between growth and repro^ 

 dudion. It is im.pofiible to give a latisfad:ory 

 account of growth or expanfion, without having 

 recourfe to thofe penetrating forces, thofe affini- 

 ties or attraclions which we employed in explain- 

 ing the formation of the fmall organic bodies, 

 that are fimilar to the large bodies which con- 

 tain them. A fccond analogy is deiived from 

 this circumftance, that both nutrition and repro- 

 dudion proceed, not only from the fame eflfir- 



cient, 



