[ 8 73 ] • 
Bering always, that great care is taken in not wound- 
ing, or otherwife injuring, the inteftines. 
After one of the ovaries has been divided, proceed 
in the like manner to divide the other ; and then 
•few up the divided integuments of the belly with 
filk, inferring the flitches at a very fmall diftance one 
from the other. 
Mr. Tull firfl put this method into practice, in 
order to prevent the exceflive increafe of fifh in fome 
of his ponds, where the numbers did not permit 
any of them to grow to an advantageous fize. But 
from caflration the increafe was not only prevented, 
but the caflrate fifh, as Mr. Tull afferts, grew 
much larger than their ufual fize, were more fat, 
and, which is no trifling confideration, were al- 
ways in feafon. 
He obferves further, that the fpawning-time is very 
various : that trouts, for inflance, are full about 
Chriflmas ; perch in February ; pikes in March 3 and 
carp and tench in May. You mull always, how- 
ever, make fome allowance for climate and fituation, 
with regard to the fpawning of fifh. And, from a 
very diligent attention, he aflures me, that he has 
been able to fettle a point much controverted by na- 
turalifls, in relation to the copulation of fifhes. The 
mofl generally received opinion has been, that they 
did not copulate ; but that the female did call her 
fpawn in the water, and that then it was fecundated 
by the fpermatic matter of the male. Mr. Tull, in 
contradiction to this hypothefis, aflferts, that he has 
frequently feen fifhes in adtual copulation ; and that 
this is generally done before the ova arrive at matu- 
rity. 
f S 
After 
