The ancient physicians and philosophers undoubtedly believed in the possibility of super-fœtation; and the Mythology contains a well characterised example in the instance of Iphicles and Hercules, who were begat upon Alcmæna, the former by Jupiter, and the latter by Amphitryon. _Hippocrates_,[411] _Aristotle_,[412] and _Pliny_,[413] entertained no doubt respecting the fact, and in later times we find that the most eminent physiologists have sanctioned the same belief, and have been engaged in recording facts in its support. _Gasper Bauhuin_[414] relates a case in which a woman at the end of nine months brought forth a dead child, with a deformed head, and that six weeks afterwards she was delivered of a well formed child which lived. _Buffon_[415] presents us with a still more striking example; a woman of Charles-town, in South Carolina, was delivered in 1714 of twins, which came into the world one directly after the other, but to the great surprise of the midwife, one was black and the other white; the woman herself, considering this proof of her infidelity too obvious to be denied, admitted the truth without hesitation,—that shortly after having enjoyed the embraces of her husband, a black servant entered her room, and by threats accomplished his purpose. _Aristotle_[416] speaks of an adultress who produced at the same birth two sons, the one of which resembled the husband, and the other the lover; _Pliny_[417] also relates several cases of super-fœtation, some of which are certainly no other than twin cases, and the others are merely copied from Aristotle. _Musa Brassavolus_[418] has the following remarkable observation upon the subject. “_Nos vidimus super-fœtationem quandoque fuisse epidemicam affectionem._” _Zacchias_[419] also believes in the phenomenon; and in the case of one _Laurette Polymnie_, his testimony secured for her child the rights of inheritance; _Harvey_[420] likewise relates a case of super-fœtation, to which we beg to refer the reader; _Haller_[421] expresses his opinion in the following words: “_Os uteri nunquam clausum est; ideoque potest super-fœtari non solum a die sexto ad trigessimum, aut primis duobus mensibus, sed omni omnino tempore._” _Zacchias_[422] however, thinks that it can only take place in the first two months of pregnancy, for that after this period, the developement of the fœtus renders it impossible. _Plouquet_ observes, that immediately after a first conception, a second may easily take place, but that after a few months it can only occur under the most extraordinary circumstances. If time and space would allow we might adduce a considerable mass of similar testimony, but we shall conclude this part of the subject with the opinion of _Kannegeiser_, “_De super-fœtationis existentia rationis quippe principiis, atque infinitis hominum et brutorum exemplis abunde comprobatu, Medicis atque jurisconsultis mens vix amplius hæret in ambiguo._”[423] The best authenticated case of super-fœtation that has