OF CURIOSITY. 173 



them, and thcfe not only delight us with their 

 fine longs but afford us moll delicace food. 

 The 7:cttle is a plant which is fcarcely eat by any 

 domcflic animal (Iter. Scand. p. 15.) but the 

 Author of nature has allotted to it more feed- 

 ers than to almofl any other plant, v. gr. but* 

 tcrflies^ moths^ wevils^ chermes^ &c. which de- 

 vour it almoft entirely, and thefe infedts are a 

 prey to many birds, which could by no means 

 live on the plant immediately. Minute aquatic 

 worms ^ and thofe in no fmall number are eat 

 by the larger, and thcfe are eat by the fifhes, 

 and aquatic birds, ani thefe by us ; and befides 

 food thefe birds fbpply us with mofl delicate 

 foft down to warm ^^^a^ repofe ourfelves upon. 

 It would be tedious to enumerate all the me- 

 diate ad\^anrages, which we obtain from the 

 moft contemptible •, as they are deemed \ both 

 plants and animals. 



§ 6. 



Many look upony/jj?//i-, and corah of various 

 kinds, w^hich are collefled and ranged in mu- 

 feums by the diligent inquirers into nature, as 

 an idle curiofity •, fmce they neither ferve for 

 food or phyfic -, but if thefe are negledled, how 

 many of the v/onderfull works of the Creator 



would 



