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when in the forementioned ftate, but we fee, however* 
that this is not univerfal, nor confequently perfectly 
exadt, Tome fifh being much more prolific than others 
of the fame fize, and fpecies. 
To conclude, the great fecundity of fifh is not the 
only thing that affects the imagination, when we are 
examining matters of this fort : the extreme difpro- 
portion between their fize when they firft appear in 
the water after hatching, and that of their full-grown 
ftate, as well as the little proportion that is to be 
obferved between the bulk of filh of different fpecies 
and that of their eggs, are things that are very 
amazing to perfons of a curious turn. The egg of' a 
fmelt, which at its full growth weighs but two or 
three ounces, appeared, in thofe I examined, to be 
larger than thofe of a cod-fiffi, which weighed 
eighteen or twenty pounds, and might have grown to 
double that bulk j and that of a fticklcback, which is 
the fmalleft of all known fifh, was found to be 
above fix times bigger than the largeft I ever obferved 
in a fmelt. What becomes of fuch amazing numbers 
of young fifh, and why fome are made fo extremely 
prolific, the flounder and crab in particular among the 
fmaller forts, would doubtlefs be highly entertaining 
fubje&s, if duly illuftrated ; but thefe are enquiries I 
have no opportunity of making. 
The 
