tion of hunting. In the uninhabited ifland Bering, adjacent to Kamfkatka, foxes are fo little shy that they fearce go out of a man's way. Doth not this obfervation fuggeft a final caufe? A partridge, a plos ver, 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, serves another purpofe, no lefs important than thofe mentioned; which is, to fit them for different climates. We learn from experience, that no animal nor yegetable is fitted for every climate; and from experience we also 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 precifion 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 frim degenerating in Scotland and Ireland, great quan

A

tities of foreign feed are annually imported. A camel is peculiarly fitted for the burning fands of Arabia; and Lapland would be uninhabitable but for rain-deer, an animal fo entirely fitted for piercing cold, that it cannot fubfift 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 horses degenerate in Mexico; but improve in Chili, having more vigour and fwiftness there, than even the Andalufian race, whofe offfpring they are. Our dunghill-fowl, imported originally from a warm country 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 house warmed with fire. The deferts of Zaara and Biledulgerid in Africa, may be properly 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 breed of lions tranf

a half high.

VOL, I.

B

in

planted

planted from the latter to the former, would rife to the full fize; and fink to the smaller fize, if transplanted from the former to the latter *.et wo

₹

To preferve the different kinds or fpecies 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

dc.

* That every fpecies 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 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 thefe climates, the hair of fome animals grows long in winter: feveral animals are covered with much fat, which protects them againft cold; and many birds are fatter in winter than in fummer, though probably their nourishment is lefs plentiful. Several animals fleep during winter in fheltered places; and birds of paffage are taught by nature to change the climate, when too, hot or too cold,

to

to copulate, but without effect; and fome produce a mongrel, a mule for example, which feldom procreates, if at all. In fome few instances, 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. smo?

0

f.

M. Buffon, in his natural history, borrows from Ray (a) a very artificial rule for ascertaining the different fpecies of animals: "Any two Any two animals that can procreate together, and whofe iffue can alfo procreate, are of the fame fpecies (b).” A horfe and an afs can procreate together; but they are not, fays he, of the fame fpecies, because their iffue, a mule, cannot procreate, He applies that rule tocman; holding all men to be of the fame species, because a man and a woman, however different in fize, in fhape, in complexion, can procreate together without end. And by the fame rule he holds all dogs to be

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(a) Wisdom of God in the works of creation.

(b) Octavo edit. vol. 8. p. 104. and in many other

parts.

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of the fame species. With respect to other animals, the rule fhould pass without oppofition from me; but as it also respects man, the fubject of the present enquify, I will examine it with attention. Providence, to prevent confusion, hath in many inftances with-held from a→ nimals of different fpecies a power of procreating together but as our author has not attempted to prove that fuch restraint is univerfal without a fingle exception, his rule is evidently a petitio principu. Why may not two animals different in fpecies produce a mixed breed? M. Buffon must fay, 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 sheep and the goat to be of different fpecies; and yet we have his authority for affirming, that a he-goat and a ewe produce a mixed breed which generate for ever (a). ✅ The camel and the dromedary, though nearly related, are however no lefs diftinét than the horse and the afs. The dromedary is lefs than the camel, more flender, and re

(a) Vol. 10. p. 138.

markably