30 OF MULES. 



This is the order in which Nature has prefent- 

 ed to us the different degrees of fecundity in 

 quadrupeds ; and from it we perceive, that this 

 fecundity diminifhes in proportion to the mag- 

 nit-tttie-of -the-antma-]. ■ In general, this fcale of 

 fecundity extends to all the other tribes of ani- 

 mated Nature. Small birds are more prolific 

 than the larger ki^ds. The fame thing holds 

 in-iifhes, and perhaps in. infedSj^ JBjULt^ confining _ 

 our remarks to quadrupeds alone, it appears 

 from the above table, that the hog is the only 

 exception "to the general rule ; for, from the 

 fize of his body, he fhould be ranked with thole 

 animals which produce only tVvo"or three, ofice " 

 in twelve months, while, in fadt, he is equally 

 prolific with fmall quadrupeds. 



This table contains all that is known with re- 

 gn'-d to the fertility of pure fpecies. But the 

 fecundity of mixed fpecies, which is always lefs 

 than that of the pure, merits particular atten- 

 tion. The reafon will be apparent, by luppo- 

 fing, for example, that all the males in the horfe 

 fpecies, and all the flie-afles, or, rather, all the 

 jack-affes and all the mares, were deftroyed : In 

 this cafe, thofe mixed animals alone, which wc 

 call niul0 and bardeaux^ would be produced ; 

 and the number brought forth would be much 

 fewer than that of horfes or afles ; becaufe the 

 natural conformities or relations between the horfe 

 and fhe-afs, or between thejack-afsand niarc, are 

 lefs than between the horfe and mare, or the male 



and 



