BOOK VI. XXXVI. 2-4 



limbs and well able to endure toil, that she may- 

 receive and bear in her womb an alien offspring of 

 another race planted within her and confer on her 

 progeny not only her good physical qualities but 

 also her natural disposition. For not only are the 

 seeds, which are injected into the genital parts, with 

 difficulty quickened into life but also after concep- 

 tion they take longer to mature into the creature 

 which is to be born, and it is only after the com- 

 pletion of a year that in the thirteenth month the 

 offspring is brought forth with difficulty, and more 

 of the sluggishness of the father is inherent in the 

 offspring than the vigour of the mother. Neverthe- 3 

 less, while mares for breeding mules are less trouble 

 to find, the task of selecting the male parent is 

 greater, for often experience disappoints the judg- 

 ment of the man who has to choose it. Many 

 stallions which are admirable as far as appearance 

 goes procreate offspring which are very inferior either 

 in physique or sexual qualities — for if they produce 

 she-mules of small size or more males than females 

 of fine physique, they diminish the income of the 

 proprietor of the estate — while some stallions which 

 have been despised on account of their appearance 

 are productive of the most valuable progeny. It 

 sometimes happens that a stallion displays his high 

 quality in his offspring but is sluggish in taking his 

 pleasure and can be only very seldom induced to 

 have intercourse. Owners of studs stimulate the 4 

 senses of such a stallion by bringing up to him a 

 female of the same race as himself,* since nature has 

 made like more at home with like ; then, when by 



" I.e. an ass and not a mare. 



215 



