32 OF MULES. 



alfo under the influence of the fame caufes which 

 often prevent the fhe-afs from conceiving with 

 her own male. I am more uncertain with re- 

 gard to the fterility oi mutes properly fo called ; 

 becaufe they are not liable to the laft caufe of 

 barrennefs ; for, as the mare conceives more ea- 

 fily than the fhe afs, and the jack-afs is more 

 ardent than the horfe, their refpedive prolific 

 powers are greater, and their produce not fo rare 

 as that of the flie-a's and horfe. The mules, of 

 courfe, will be lefs barren than the bardeaux. I 

 fufped, however, that two mules never engen- 

 der ; and I prefume, even from the examples of 

 fertile mules, that they owe their impregnation 

 to the afs, rather than to the mule ; for we 

 ought not to regard the he-mule as the natural 

 male of the fhe-mule, though they both have 

 the fime name, or, rather, differ only in fex. 



To explain this mntter, let us fuppofe an or- 

 der of kindred in fpecies, like that which takes 

 place in families. 1 he horfe and mare will be 

 brother and fifter in fpecies, and parents. in the 

 firil degree. It is the fame with the male and 

 female afs. But, if the male afs is given to the 

 mare, they are only coufms in fpecies, or kin- 

 dred in the fecond degree. The mule produced 

 by them, participating one half of both fpecies, 

 will be removed to the third degree of kindred. 

 Hence the male and female mule, though pro- 

 ceeding from the fame father and mother, in- 

 ftead of being brother and fifler in fpecies, are 



onlv 



