STUDY VII. 25 



year. Nay, there are infefts whofe life is con- 

 tradled to a few hours, fuch as the ephemera. 



<v^ As the rains convey all thefe fpoils of the land 



I i to the rivers, and thence to the Seas, it is, ac- 

 J cordingly, on their fliores, that Nature has col- 

 jl leded the animals which are deflined to confume 

 ^^ them. Môft of the ferocious animals defcend by 

 ^*\ ' night from the mountains, to hunt for their prey 

 in this diredtion ; there are even feveral clafles 

 created exprefsly for fuch fituations ; as the whole 

 amphibious race ; for example, the white bear, the 

 otter, the crocodile. It is in hot countries efpe- 

 cially, where the effe<5ls of corruption are mofl ra- 

 pid and moft dangerous, that Nature has multi- 

 plied carnivorous animals. Tribes of lions, tigers, 

 leopards, panthers, civet cats, ounces, jackals, hy- 

 enas, condors, &c. refort thither, to re-inforce 

 thofe of wolves, foxes, martens, otters, vultures, 

 crows, &c. Legions of voracious crabs are nef- 

 tlcd in their fands ; the caimans and the croco- 

 diles lie in ambufh among their reeds ; fliell-fifh, 

 of innumerable fpecies, armed with utenfils fit for 

 fucking, piercing, filing, bruifing, roughen the 

 face of the rocks, and pave the borders of their 

 feas ; clouds of fea-fowls hover, with a loud noife, 

 over their fliallows, or fail round and round, at 

 the difcretion of the waves, in queft of food j the 

 Jamprey, the becune, the carang, and the v/hole 



fpecies 



