2 36 Mr. Hunter’s Experiment 
fhould produce, with one ovarium, the fame number of young 
as would have been produced if both had remained. 
With an intention to afcertain thofe points, as far as I could, 
I was led to make the following experiment ; and for that 
purpofe chofe pigs in preference to any other animal, becaufe 
they are ealily managed, and breed perfectly well under the 
confinement neceflary for experiments. Having feledled two 
female ones of the fame colour and fize, and likewile a boar 
pig, all of the fame farrow ; after having removed one ova- 
rium only from one of the females, and cut a flit in one of 
its ears, that there might be no miftake between it and the 
other, I had them well fed and kept warm, that there might 
be no impediment to their breeding ; and whenever they fai- 
rowed, their pigs were taken away exactly at the fame age. 
About the beginning of the year 1779, they both took the 
boar ; but the one which had been fpayed earlier than the per- 
fect female. The diftance of time, however, was not great, 
and they continued breeding at nearly the fame times. The 
fpayed animal continued to breed till September 1782, when 
fhe was fix years old, which was a fpace of more than four 
years. In that time file had eight farrows ; but did not take 
the boar afterwards, ana had in all feventy-fix pigs. The 
perfect one continued breeding till December 1785, when fhe 
was about eight years old, a period of almoft fix years, in 
which time fhe had thirteen farrows, and had in all one hun- 
dred and fixty-two pigs; after this time fhe did not breed : I 
kept her till November 1786. 
I have here annexed a table of the different times of each 
farrow, with the number of pigs produced. 
Spayed 
