the spawn or seed of fish. That of the male fishes is usually distinguished by the name of soft roe, or milt; and that of the female, by hard roe, or spawn.

So inconceivably numerous are these ovula, or small eggs, that M. Petit found 342144 of them in a carp of eighteen inches: but M. Leewenhoek found in a carp no more than 211629. This last gentleman observes, that there are four times this number in a cod, and that a common one contains 9344000 eggs.

in zoology. See Cervus.