To this instance I must add, that I have known two families, in which, on account of an intailed estate in expectation, a male heir was most eagerly desired by the father; and on the contrary, girls were produced to the seventh in one, and to the ninth in another; and then they had each of them a son.  I conclude, that the great desire of a male heir by the father produced rather a disagreeable than an agreeable sensation; and that his ideas dwelt more on the fear of generating a female, than on the pleasurable sensations or ideas of his own male form or organs at the time of copulation, or of the secretion of the semen; and that hence the idea of the female character was more present to his mind than that of the male one; till at length in despair of generating a male these ideas ceased, and those of the male character presided at the genial hour.

7.  Hence I conclude, that the act of generation cannot exist without being accompanied with ideas, and that a man must have at that time either a general idea of his own male form, or of the form of his male organs; or an idea of the female form, or of her organs; and that this marks the sex, and the peculiar resemblances of the child to either parent.  From whence it would appear, that the phalli, which were hung round the necks of the Roman ladies, or worn in their hair, might have effect in producing a greater proportion of male children; and that the calipaedia, or art of begetting beautiful children, and of procreating either males or females, may be taught by affecting the imagination of the male-parent; that is, by the fine extremities of the seminal glands, imitating the actions of the organs of sense either of sight or touch.  But the manner of accomplishing this cannot be unfolded with sufficient delicacy for the public eye; but may be worth the attention of those, who are seriously interested in the procreation of a male or female child.

Recapitulation.

VII. 1.  A certain quantity of nutritive particles are produced by the female parent before impregnation, which require no further digestion, secretion, or oxygenation.  Such are seen in the unimpregnated eggs of birds, and in the unimpregnated seed-vessels of vegetables.

2.  A living filament is produced by the male, which being inserted amidst these first nutritive particles, is stimulated into action by them; and in consequence of this action, some of the nutritive particles are embraced, and added to the original living filament; in the same manner as common nutrition is performed in the adult animal.

3.  Then this new organization, or additional part, becomes stimulated by the nutritive particles in its vicinity, and sensation is now superadded to irritation; and other particles are in consequence embraced, and added to the living filament; as is seen in the new granulations of flesh in ulcers.

By the power of association, or by irritation, the parts already produced continue their motions, and new ones are added by sensation, as above mentioned; and lastly by volition, which last sensorial power is proved to exist in the fetus in its maturer age, because it has evidently periods of activity and of sleeping; which last is another word for a temporary suspension of volition.