OF N A T U R E. 91 



remarkable fertility, that they may ferve for 

 food, not only to man, but to hawks and other 

 birds of prey *. Nature has made harmlefs and 

 efculent animals fruitfuU. Phn. Nature has 

 forbid the bird kind to fall Ihort of the num- 

 ber of eggs allotted to each fpecies, and there- 

 fore if the eggs which they intend to fit upon< 

 be taken away a certain number of times, 

 they prefently lay others in their room, as may 

 be feen in the fwallow, duck, and fmall birds. 



§. 14. 



Prefervation. 



Prefervation follows generation ; this ap- 

 pears chiefly in the tender age, while the 

 young are unable to provide for their own fup- 

 port. For then the parents, though otherwife 

 ever fo fierce in their difpofition, are affeded 

 with a wonderfull tendernefs or fenfe of love 

 towards their progeny, and fpare no pains to 

 provide for, guard, and preferve them, and 

 that not by an imaginary law, but one given 

 by the Lord of nature himfelf. 



^adrupeds give fuck to their tender young 

 and fupport them by a liquor, perfecfnly eafy of 

 digeftion, till their ftomachs are able to digcfl, 



• Vid. Mufchenbr. Orat. de Sap. Divin. 



and 



