$52 STUDIES OF NATURE» 



kingdoms in consonances, but in contrails ; that 

 is, (he does not attach the great animals to the 

 great vegetables ; but unites them contrariwife, by 

 affociating the clafs of trees with that of the fmali 

 animals, and that of herbs with the great quadru- 

 peds : and by means of thefe oppofitions, fhe be- 

 llows adaptations of protection to the feeble, and 

 of accommodation to the powerful. 



This Law is fo general, that* J have remarked^ 

 in every country, where there is no great variety 

 in the fpecies of graffes, thofe of the quadrupeds 

 which live upon them are but few in number -, and 

 that wherever the fpecies of trees are multiplied, 

 thofe of volatiles are likewife fo. The truth of 

 this may be afcertained by confulting the herbals 

 of many parts of America, and, among others, 

 thofe of Guyana and of Brafil, which prefent but 

 few varieties in the graffes, but a great number in 

 the trees. It is well-known that thofe countries 

 have, in fact, few quadrupeds natural to them, and 

 that they are peopled, on the contrary, with an in- 

 finite variety of birds and infects. 



If we caft a glance on the relations of graffes to 

 quadrupeds, we fhall find that, notwithstanding 

 their apparent contrafts, there is actually between 

 themamultitudeofreal correfpondencies. Thefmall 

 elevation of the gramineous plants places them 



within 



