i6o THE BUFFALO, &c. 



ed to an inftant. Of courfe, the offspring muft 

 be chiefly tinctured with the feminine qualities; 

 more females will be produced than males ; and 

 even the males will partake more of the mother 

 than the father. ■ This is unqueftionably the 

 reafon why more girls than boys are brought 

 forth in thofe countries where the men have a 

 great number of wives. On the contrary, in all 

 countries where the men are allowed but one 

 wife, more males are produced than females. It 

 is true, that, in domeftic animals, the fineft males 

 are felected to become the fathers of an offspring 

 fo numerous. The fir ft productions from thefe 

 males will be ftrong and vigorous. But, in pro- 

 portion to the number of copies taken from the 

 fame mould, the original impreffion of Nature 

 will be deformed, or at leaft rendered lefs per- 

 fect. The race muft, therefore, degenerate, and 

 become more feeble. This, perhaps, is the rea- 

 fon why more monfters are produced among 

 domeftic than wild animals, where the number 

 of males is equal to that of the females. Belides, 

 when one male is obliged to ferve many females, 

 they have not the liberty of following their own 

 tafte. They are deprived of that gaiety, and 

 thofe foft emotions which proceed from fponta- 

 neous pleafures. The fire of their love is half 

 extinguifhed ; and they languifh, waiting for 

 the cold approaches of a male whom they have 

 not felected, who is often not accommodated to 

 them, and who always flatters lefs than one thai 



IS 



