STUDY VII. ZJ 



from all quarters into the Ocean, would re-pro-f 

 duce in it's waters a new chaos of putrefadion, -^"^^ 

 did not the currents convey their diffblution to 

 volcanos, whofe fires finilh the procefs of decom- 

 pofition, and give them back to the elements. ^^ 

 For this reafon it is, as has been already indicated, 

 that volcanos are frequent only in hot countries ; 

 that they are all fituated in the vicinity of the Sea, 

 or of great Lakes ; that they are difpofed at the '' 

 extremity of their currents ; and that they owe en- 

 tirely to the purification of the waters, the fulphurs / 

 and the bitumens which adminifter a conftant fup- 

 ply to their furnaces. 



Animals of prey are by no means an objed of 

 terror to Man. Firft, becaufe mod of them roam 

 abroad only in the night. They have prominent 

 charaflers, which announce their approach even 

 before it is poffible to perceive them. Some fa- 

 vour flrongly of mufk, as the marten, the civet- 

 cat, the crocodile ; others have fhrill and piercing 

 voices, which may be heard by night, at a great 

 diftance, as wolves and jackals j others are diftin- 

 guilhed by parti-coloured fpots, or ftreaks, which 

 are perceptible a great way off, on the yellow 

 ground of their fkin ; fuch are the dufky ftripes 

 of the tiger, and the dark fpots of the leopard. 

 All of them have eyes which fparkle in the dark. 

 Nature has bellowed fome of thefe common figna- 



tures 



