190 
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75 ? 
7 6 o 
U\(atura!l History: 
raine Seajons^ generate in the Spring • As Birds , andFi/bes . For that the 
End of the winter > and the Heat, and Comfort of the Spring prepareih 
them. There is alfo another Reafon^ why fome Creatures generate at cer- 
taine Seafonst And that is the Relation of their Time of Bearing, to the 
time of Generation : For no Creature goeth to generate, whllel! the 
Female is full • Nor whileftfheis bufiein Sitting or Rearing her Young. 
And therefore it is found by Experience, that if you take the Egges, or 
Young Ones , out of the Neffs of Birds y they will fall to generate againe, 
three or foure times, one after another. 
Of Lining Creatures^ fome are Longer time in the wombe , and fome 
Shorter, women goe commonly nine Moneths • The (Tow and the Ewc^> 
about fix Moneths • Do's goe about nine Moneths • Mares eleuen 
Moneths ; Bitches nine Weekes • Elephants are faid to goe two Yeares ; 
For the Receiued Tradition of ten Yearers is Fabulous. For Birds there is 
double Enquiry • The Difiance betweene the Treading or Couplings and 
the Laying of the Egge ± And againe betweene the Egge Layed, and the 
Difclofwg or Hatching. And among!! Birds, there is leffe Diuerfity of Time , 
than among!! other Creatures • yet fome there is: for the Hen fitteth 
but three Weekes ; The Turkey-Hen , Goofe 3 and Ducke , a Moneth. Quare 
of others. The Caufe of the great Difference of Times^ among!! Lining 
Creatures , is. Either from the Nature of the Kinde • Or from the Con fit 
tut ion of the Wombe. For the former, thofe that are longer in Camming to 
their Maturity or Growth , are longer in the wombe ; As is chiefly feene in 
Men i And fo Elephants which are long in the wombe, are long time in 
Camming to their full Growth. Butinmof! other Kindes, the Confutation 
of the Wombe ^ (that is, the Hardneffe or Drineffe thereof,) is concurrent 
with the former Caufe. For the Colt hath about foure yeares of Growth \ 
Andfo the Fawne- And fo the Calfe. Blit Whelps, which come to their 
Growth (commonly) within three Quarters of a yeare, are but nine 
Weekes in the wombe. As for Birds, as there is leffe Diuerfity among!! 
them, inthetim&of their Bringing forth So there is le!fe Diuerfity in 
the time of their Growth • Moft of them comming to their Growth with¬ 
in a Twelue-Moneth. 
Some Creatures bring forth many Young Ones at a Burthen • As Bit¬ 
ches, Ham , Conneyes , &c. Some (ordinarily) but One 5 As women , Lio- 
neffes, &c. This may be caufed either by the Quantity of Spertne required 
to the Producing One of that Kinde ; which if leffe bee required, mav 
admit greater Number, If more, fewer: Or by the Partitions and Cells I 
of the wombe , which may feuer the Sperme. , 
Experiments 
in Confort 
touching Spe- 
(iesVifible. 
T Here is no doubt, but Light by Ref ration will fhewgrearer, as well 
as Things Coloured. For like as a Shilling in the Bottome of the Water } 
will fhew greater; So will a Candle in a Lanthowe, in the Bottome of the 
water. Ihaueheardof aPra&ife, that Glo-wormesm Glaffes were put in 
the Water ^ to make the Fifhc ome. But I am not yet informed, whether 
when a Diner Diueth, hailing his Eyes open, and fwimmeth vponhisl 
_ Backe} 
