A NEW WONDER IN NATURAL HISTORY. 45 



arrives in the uterus ; and here, without undergoing 

 any change ivhatever, it lies dormant 4^ months. 



In this undeveloped state it had always been over- 

 looked by naturalists ; moreover, as the uterus remains 

 also quite unchanged, the belief that the doe was not 

 pregnant seemed to be confirmed. 



As will be remarked, all the circumstances were such 

 as to mislead the investigator, and to incline to false 

 conclusions. 



But in the middle of December, the germ which had 

 been lying so long inactive, suddenly quickens ; and, 

 with the same fast progress as is observable in other 

 mammalia, develops so considerably, that in from 21 to 

 25 days all the parts of the egg and all the organs of 

 the embryo are so formed as to undergo no further 

 change before birth, except an increase in size. 



The different gradations in the development of the 

 embryo, the various appearances which present them- 

 selves in the more or less advanced stages of growth, 

 have been omitted as quite unnecessary, and to many a 

 reader wholly unintelligible. These, however, have all 

 been circumstantially noted down, and drawn with the 

 strictest accuracy ; and, moreover, the delicate germ, and 

 its infinitesimal tendril-like offshoots, have been pre- 

 served, so that their progress towards maturity may be 

 followed day by day, and week by week, and the eye of 



