are not afraid of quadrupeds; not even of a cat, till they are taught by experience that a cat is their enemy. They appear to be as little afraid of a man naturally; and upon that account are far from being fhy when left unmolefted. In the uninhabited island of Vifia Grandé, one of the Philippines, Kempfer fays, that birds may be taken with the hand. Hawks, in fome of the South Sea iflands, are equally tame. At Port Egmont in the Falkland Islands, geefe, far from being shy, may be knocked down with a ftick. The birds that inhabit certain rocks hanging over the fea, in the island of Annabon, take food readily out of a man's hand. In Arabia Felix, foxes and apes fhow no fear of man; the inhabitants of hot countries having no notion of hunting. In the uninhabited ifland Bering, adjacent to Kamíkátka, foxes are so little shy that they fearce go out of a man's way. Doth not this obfervation fuggeft a final caufe? A partridge, a plover, a pheafant, would be loft to man for food, were they naturally as much afraid of him as of a hawk or a kite.

The divifion of animals into different kinds, ferves another purpofe, no lefs important than those mentioned; which is, to fit them for different climates. We learn, from experience, that no animal nor vegetable is equally fitted for every cli

mate;

chickens, the male in amazement calls his neighbouring ftorks together; who, to revenge the affront put upon them, destroy the poor innocent female; while he bewails his misfortune in heavy lamentation.

mate; and from experience we alfo learn, that there is no animal nor vegetable but what is fitted for fome climate, where it grows to perfection. Even in the torrid zone, plants of a cold climate are found upon mountains where plants of a hot climate will not grow; and the height of a mountain may be determined with tolerable precision from the plants it produces. Wheat is not an indigenous plant in Britain: no farmer is ignorant that foreign feed is requifite to preferve the plant in vigour. To prevent flax from degenerating in Scotland and Ireland, great quantities of foreign feed are annually imported. A camel is peculiarly fitted for the burning fands of Arabia; and Lapland would be uninhabitable but for rein-deer, an animal fo entirely fitted for piercing cold, that it cannot fubfist even in a temperate climate. Arabian and Barbary horfes degenerate in Britain; and, to preferve the breed in fome degree of perfection, frequent fupplies from their original climate are requifite. Spanish horfes degenerate in Mexico; but improve in Chili, having more vigour and fwiftnefs there, than even the Andalufian race, whofe offspring they are. Our dunghil-fowls, imported originally from a warm country in Afia, are not hardened, even after many centuries, to bear the cold of this country, like birds originally native: the hen lays few or no eggs in winter, unless in a houfe warmed with fire. The deferts of Zaara and Biledulgerid in Africa, may be properly termed

A 4

termed the native country of lions: there they are nine feet long and five feet high. Lions in the fouth of Africa toward the Cape of Good Hope, are but five feet and a half long, and three and a half high. A breed of lions tranfplanted from the latter to the former, would rife to the full fize; and fink to the fmaller fize, if transplanted from the former to the latter*.

To preserve the different kinds or species of animals entire, as far as neceffary, Providence is careful to prevent a mixed breed. Few animals of different fpecies copulate together. Some may be brought to copulate, but without effect; and fome produce a mongrel, a mule for example, which fel

dom

* That every species of plants has a proper climate where it grows to perfection, is a fact uncontroverted. The fame holds in brute animals. Biledulgerid, the kindly climate for lions, would be mortal to the bear, the wolf, the deer, and other inhabitants of a cold region. Providence has not only fitted the productions of nature for different climates, but has guarded these productions against the extremities of the weather in the fame climate. Many plants clofe their leaves during night; and fome close them at mid-day against the burning rays of the fun. In cold climates, plants during winter are protected against cold by fnow. In these climates, the hair of fome animals grows long in winter: several animals are covered with much fat, which protects them against cold; and many birds are fatter in winter than in fummer, though probably their nourishment is lefs plentiful. Several animals fleep during winter in sheltered places; and birds of paffage are taught by nature to change the climate, when too hot or too cold.

dom procreates, if at all. In fome few inftances, where a mixture of fpecies is harmless, procreation goes on without limitation. All the different fpecies of the dog-kind copulate together; and the mongrels produced generate others without end.

M. Buffon, in his Natural Hiftory, borrows from Ray a very artificial rule for afcertaining the different fpecies of animals: "Any two animals "that can procreate together, and whofe iffue can "also procreate, are of the same species +." A horfe and an afs can procreate together; but they are not, says he, of the fame fpecies, because their iffue, a mule, cannot procreate. He applies that rule to man; holding all men to be of the fame fpecies, because a man and a woman, however different in fize, in shape, in complexion, can procreate together without end. And by the fame rule he holds all dogs to be of the fame fpecies. With respect to other animals, the author fhould peaceably be indulged in his fancy; but as it comprehends alfo man, I cannot pafs it without examination. Providence, to prevent confufion, hath in many inftances withheld from animals of different fpecies a power of procreating together: but as our author has not attempted to prove that such restraint is univerfal without a fingle exception, his rule is evidently a petitio principii. Why may not two animals dif

*Wifdom of God in the Works of Creation.

ferent

+ Octavo edit. vol. viii. p. 104. and in many other parts.

ferent in fpecies produce a mixed breed? M. Buf fon must say, that it is contrary to a law of nature. But has he given any evidence of this fuppofed law of nature:? On the contrary, he proves it by various inftances, not to be a law of nature. He admits the fheep and the goat to be of different species; and yet we have his authority for affirming, that a he-goat and a ewe produce a mixed breed which generate for ever *. The camel and the dromedary, though nearly related, are however no lefs diftinct than the horse and the afs. The dromedary is lefs than the camel, more flender, and remarkably more fwift of foot it has but one bunch on its back, the camel has two: the race is more numerous than that of the camel, and more widely fpread. One would not defire diftinguishing marks more fatisfying; and yet these two fpecies propagate together, no lefs freely than the different races of men and of dogs. M. Buffon indeed, with refpect to the camel and dromedary, endeavours to fave his credit by a distinction without a difference. "They "are," fays he, "one fpecies; but their races are

66

different, and have been fo past all memory +.' Is not this the fame with faying, that the camel and the dromedary are different fpecies of the fame genus? which also holds true of the different fpecies of men and of dogs. If our author will permit me to carry back to the creation the camel and the dromedary as two diftinct races, I defire

no

*Vol. x. p. 138.

+ Vol. x. p. I.