OF SERPENTS. - 



In this Contrivance of Male and Female, and dijTerent Me- 

 thod of Multiplication for perpetuating the Species, we may fee an 

 admirable Inftance of divine Wifdom : But for this Difference in 

 Sexes, there would be no Increafe of Serpents nor other Animals. 

 The oviparous and viviparous Manner of Propagation is as won- 

 derful ; for. 



Were they all viviparous, that is, brought forth living Births, 

 there would be but a fmall Number, and not fufficient tofupport 

 the whole animal Body : Corn, Grafs, Fruits, &c. are no Pro- 

 duction of the Sea, therefore can be no Food for Fifh : The Al- 

 mighty Creator fo ordained it, that they fhould feed one upon 

 another ; and this made it neceflary that they fliould be oviparous, 

 that they might increafe in great Plenty, which they could not do, 

 if they were of the viviparous Kind ; that is, brought forth their 

 living Offspring, as Vipers, Sheep, Hares, Cows do. 



But Fifh being oviparous, propagating their Kind by Eggs, 

 which, for Number, are infinite, their Progeny is innumerable, 

 and fufhcient to fupport all the Branches of the Marine Family ; 

 even the leffer Kind of Fifh fend forth an incredible Number of 

 Spawn. 



O N the other hand, if four-footed Beafts were propagated by 

 Eggs, they would foon cover the Face of the Earth, without a 

 daily Deftrudion of them, which would take up no little time, 

 tho' an Army of Nimrods were employed. Birds increafe by Eggs, 

 and bring forth great Numbers ; and perhaps, for this reafon, 

 that Birds of Prey and Serpents, Kitchens, &c. might not want 

 proper Supplies. Now, if a Female Bird was great with fix or 

 twelve Young Ones at once, the Burden would be intolerable, her 

 Wings would fail, and flie would become an eafy Prey to her 

 Enemies, 



But you will fay, what if they brought forth only one or two 

 at a time, till they amounted to the uiiial Number of their Eggs .^ 

 I anfwer, that then they v/ould be troubled all the Year long 

 with feeding their Young, or bearing them in their Womb. 



This Produftion of Creatures by Eggs, is a wonderful Vhx~ 

 nomenon in the animal World ; the Eggs are Ihelly and hard, to 

 preferve the included Embryo from Accidents, and to contain 

 fuitable Nutriment for it. 'Tis obfervable that Chickens, while in 

 their dark embryotick State, are nouriOied by the White alone, till 



growrj 



