26o VARIETIES IN THE 



birds, indeed, as the oftrich, the male-duck, &c. 

 have confiderable members, and propagate by a 

 real intromiflion. Male fifhes approach the fe- 

 males in the feafon of fpawning. They feem 

 to rub their bellies againft each other ; for the 

 male often turns on his back to meet the belly 

 of the female. But no adtual copulation takes 

 place. The part neceffary for this operation 

 does not exift; and the males only approach the 

 females for the purpofe of fliedding the liquor 

 of their milts upon the eggs, which at that fea- 

 fon drop from the females. The male feems to 

 be more attached to the eggs than to the female; 

 for, when fhe ceafes to throw out the eggs, the 

 male inftantly abandons her, and follows, with 

 ardor, the eggs which are carried down by the 

 ftream, or difperfed by the wind. He pafles 

 and repafles a thoiifand times over every place 

 where he finds eggs. It is not, furely, for the 

 love of the mother that he makes all thefe move- 

 ments : He cannot even be fuppofed to know 

 her ; for he has been often feen fhedding his 

 femen promifcuoufly on all the eggs that came 

 in his way, without having ever met with the- 

 female to which they belonged. 



Thus feme animals are dillinguiihed by fexes, 

 and endowed with members proper for copula- 

 tion. There are others which likewire have 

 fexes, but want the necefTary members. Others, 

 as fnails, have both members and both fexes in 

 each individual. Others, asthevine-fretters, have 



no 



