OF FISHES IN GENERAL. a? 



\ipon the drying of thefe ponds, die, and are corrupted *. 

 But, however difficult thefe appearances may be to ex- 

 plain, or in whatever manner the fifhes were introduced 

 into thefe ponds, we muft conclude, that they were ori- 

 ginally produced from the eggs of animals of their own 

 kind ; becaufe the idea of fpontaneous generation is re- 

 pugnant to every maxim of found philofophy f . 



FiQies, in general, are male and female ; the former 

 poffefTing the milt, and the latter the roi. Some indi- 

 viduals of the cod and flurgeon, are faidj indeed, to con- 

 tain both. The fpawn of the greater number of filiies 

 is depolited in the fand or gravel ; and, in that ftate, it 

 is probable, that the roe and milt are mixed together. 

 Summer is the moft common time for the fpawning of 

 fifhes ; becaufe, at that feafon, the water is tepified by 

 the beams of the fun, and therefore better fitted for 

 quickening the eggs into life. It is probably for this 

 leafon, that the herrings frequent the fhores of Britain, 

 at the fpawning feafon ; there not being, in the unfathom- 

 able depths of the ocean, a fufficient quantity of heat to 

 hatch their eggs. When they have depofited their bur- 

 dens, they return to their former flaticns, and leave 

 their infant progeny to fliift for themfelves. 



The fpawn of different fifhes continues in the flate of 

 eggs, fometimes for a longer, and fomctimes a fhorter 

 period. In general, however, this period is propor- 

 tioned to the fize of the animal. In the fa] men kind, 

 the young animal continues in the form of an egg, from 

 the month of December till April j the young carp con- 

 D 2 tinues 



* Vide Lind en hot climates, Part II p «a . 

 f Lincsus, onuie animal ex ovo. 



