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against it, sets down in another, that the beavers of Pontus bite off their testicles; and in the same place affirmeth the like of the hyæna: which was indeed well joined with the beaver, as having also a bag in those parts; if, thereby, we understand the hyæna odorata, or civet cat, as is delivered and graphically described by Castellus.6*

Now, the ground of this mistake might be the resemblance and situation of these tumours about those parts, wherein we observe the testicles in other animals; which, notwithstanding, is no well-founded illation; for the testicles are defined by their office, and not determined by place or situation: they having one office in all, but different seats in many. For, beside that no serpent or fishes oviparous, that neither biped nor quadruped oviparous,7 have any exteriorly or prominent in the groin, some also that are viviparous contain these parts within, as beside this animal, the elephant and the hedgehog.8

If any, therefore, shall term these testicles, intending metaphorically, and in no strict acception, his language is tolerable, and offends our ears no more than the tropical names of plants, when we read in herbals, of dogs, fox, and goatstones. But if he insisteth thereon, and maintaineth a propriety in this language, our discourse hath overthrown his assertion, nor will logic permit his illation; that is, from things alike, to conclude a thing the same, and from an accidental convenience, that is, a similitude in place or figure, to infer a specifical congruity or substantial concurrence in nature.

*Castellus de Hyæna Odorifera.

Which was indeed, &c.] First added in the 2nd edition.

7 quadruped oviparous.] As the crocodile, which is both quadruped and oviparous, and next the tortoise.— Wr.

hedgehog.] And the porcupine.-Wr.

CHAPTER V.

That a Badger hath the legs of one side shorter than of the other.

THAT a brock, or badger, hath the legs on one side shorter than of the other, though an opinion, perhaps, not very ancient, is yet very general; received not only by theorists and unexperienced believers, but assented unto by most who have the opportunity to behold and hunt them daily. Which, notwithstanding, upon enquiry, I find repugnant unto the three determinators of truth-authority, sense, and reason. For first, Albertus Magnus speaks dubiously, confessing he could not confirm the verity hereof; but Aldrovandus plainly affirmeth there can be no such inequality observed: and for my own part, upon indifferent enquiry, I cannot discover this difference, although the regardable side be defined, and the brevity by most imputed unto the left.

the

Again, it seems no easy affront unto reason, and generally repugnant unto the course of nature; for if we survey total set of animals, we may, in their legs, or organs of progression, observe an equality of length, and parity of numeration; that is, not any to have an odd leg, or the supporters and movers of one side not exactly answered by the other. Although the hinder may be unequal unto the fore and middle legs, as in frogs, locusts, and grasshoppers; or both unto the middle, as in some beetles and spiders, as is determined by Aristotle.* Perfect and viviparous quadrupeds, so standing in their position of proneness, that the opposite joints of neighbour legs consist in the same plane; and a line descending from their navel intersects at right angles the axis of the earth. It happeneth often, I confess, that a lobster hath the chely or great claw of one side longer than the other; but this is not properly their leg, but a part of

*De Incessu Animalium.

9 assented unto, &c.] The popular belief among the peasantry is, that, in running through a ploughed field, the animal always runs with his longer legs in the furrow.

1 a lobster, &c.] This never happens, but when one is by chance wrung off, when they are young, by a bigger lobster, which growing out againe, can never reach the greatnes of the other: the fishermen finde

apprehension, and whereby they hold or seize upon their prey; for the legs and proper parts of progression are inverted backward, and stand in a position opposite unto these.

Lastly, the monstrosity is ill contrived, and with some disadvantage; the shortness being affixed unto the legs of one side, which might have been more tolerably placed upon the thwart or diagonal movers. For the progression of quadrupeds being performed per diametrum, that is, the cross legs moving or resting together, so that two are always in motion, and two in station at the same time,2 the brevity had been more tolerable in the cross legs. For then the motion and station had been performed by equal legs; whereas, herein, they are both performed by unequal organs, and the imperfection becomes discoverable at every hand.

this continually to be true, and saye they seldome have a drafte of them, wherein some of them come not up thus grappled by the claw. I have often seene them brought up with half the claw newly nipt off, or else closed up againe with a cartilage, and sometimes with one only chlea, for soe itt should be written, cominge manifestly from xnλn, which signifies properly the tongs or pincher, the chlea of a lobster or of a crab.-Wr.

Upon this theory, the vulgar pronunciation, cla, is more correct than claw.

The dean assigns the true cause of that inequality often observed in the legs of crabs. But he is wrong in supposing the lost claw to have been bitten off by other crabs. There exists in this tribe (as well as in spiders and some other insects) a very curious provision, enabling the animal to throw off instantly a limb (or antenna) which has been so injured as to be useless; thus making way for the reproduction of the part. In the great majority of cases, the mutilation observed has resulted from the exercise of this power. See some curious instances detailed by Dr. Heineken, in the Zoological Journal (vol. iv. p. 285); and Dr. Mac Culloch's anatomical description of the process, in the 20th vol. of the Journal of the Royal Institution.

2 For the progression, &c.] From this rule must be excepted the camel. "The mode of the camel's walk, as described by Aristotle (Hist. Anim. lib. ii. cap. i. p. 480, Casaubon. Lugdun. 1590), is, by raising the two legs of the same side, the one immediately after the other; not moving the legs diagonally, in the manner of most other quadrupeds."-Rees's Cyclopædia, article, CAMELUS.—Br.

CHAPTER VI.

That a Bear brings forth her Cubs informous or unshaped. THAT a bear brings forth her young informous and unshapen, which she fashioneth after by licking them over, is an opinion not only vulgar, and common with us at present, but hath been of old delivered by ancient writers. Upon this foundation it was an hieroglyphic with the Egyptians ;3 Aristotle seems to countenance it; Solinus, Pliny, and Elian, directly affirm it, and Ovid smoothly delivereth it;

Nec catulus partu quem reddidit ursa recenti,

Sed malè viva caro est, lambendo mater in artus
Ducit, et in formam qualem cupit ipsa reducit.

Which, notwithstanding, is not only repugnant unto the sense of every one that shall enquire into it, but the exact and deliberate experiment of three authentic philosophers. The first, of Matthiolus in his Comment on Dioscorides, whose words are to this effect::- "In the valley of Anania, about Trent, in a bear which the hunters eventerated1 or opened, I beheld the young ones with all their parts distinct, and not without shape, as many conceive-giving more credit unto Aristotle and Pliny, than experience and their proper senses." Of the same assurance was Julius Scaliger, in his Exercitations; Ursam fœtus informes potius ejicere, quam parere, si vera dicunt, quos postea linctu effingat. Quid hujusce fabulæ authoribus fidei habendum, ex hac historia cognosces; in nostris alpibus venatores fœtam ursam cepêre, dissectâ eâ fœtus planè formatus intus inventus est. And lastly, Aldrovandus, who from the testimony of his own eyes affirmeth, that in the cabinet of the senate of Bononia, there was preserved in a glass, a cub, taken out of a bear, perfectly formed, and complete in every part.

It is, moreover, injurious unto reason, and much impugneth

3 it was an hieroglyphic.] Pierius, 131, c. and Horapollo, 117. See note 9, at page 251-53.

eventerated.] Ript up, by opening the belly. Browne is the only authority given in Johnson.

the course and providence of nature, to conceive a birth should be ordained before there is a formation. For the conformation of parts is necessarily required, not only unto the pre-requisites and previous conditions of birth, as motion and animation, but also unto the parturition or very birth itself: wherein not only the dam, but the younglings play their parts, and the cause and act of exclusion proceedeth from them both. For the exclusion of animals is not merely passive like that of eggs, nor the total action of delivery to be imputed unto the mother, but the first attempt beginneth from the infant, which, at the accomplished period, attempteth to change his mansion, and struggling to come forth, dilacerates and breaks those parts which restrained him before.

Besides (what few take notice of), men hereby do, in an high measure, vilify the works of God, imputing that unto the tongue of a beast, which is the strangest artifice in all the acts of nature; that is, the formation of the infant in the womb, not only in mankind, but all viviparous animals. Wherein the plastic or formative faculty, from matter appearing homogeneous, and of a similary substance, erecteth bones, membranes, veins, and arteries; and out of these contriveth every part in number, place, and figure, according to the law of its species: which is so far from being fashioned by any outward agent, that one omitted or perverted by a slip of the inward Phidias, it is not reducible by any other whatsoever and therefore Mirè me plasmaverunt manus tuce, though it originally respected the generation of man, yet is it appliable unto that of other animals; who, entering the womb in bare and simple materials, return with distinction of parts, and the perfect breath of life. He that shall consider these alterations without, must needs conceive there have been strange operations within: which to behold, it were a spectacle almost worth one's being a sight beyond all; except that man had been created first, and might have seen the show of five days after.

Now, as the opinion is repugnant both unto sense and

5 For the exclusion, &c.] The foetus is passive, and is expelled wholly by the efforts of the mother: a dead foetus is as readily born asa living one; although a vulgar error prevails to the contrary.

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