STUDY I. 9^ 



I am confident to affirm, that, by the method 

 which I fliall propofe, the Science may be carried 

 ftill much farther, and that we fhall be enabled, 

 by it, to determine, at fight of an unknown plant, 

 the nature of the foil in which it grew ; whether it 

 is a native of a hot or a cold country ; whether it 

 is an inhabitant of the mountain, or of the ftream; 

 and, perhaps, even the animal fpecies to which it 

 is particularly allied. 



In fhudjdng thefe laws, mofl of which are un- 

 known, or neglefted, we fhall rejed others, which 

 are founded only on particular obfervations, and 

 which have been too much generalized. Such 

 are, for example, the following ; that the number 

 and fecundity of created beings are in the inverfe 

 ratio of their magnitude ; and that the time of their 

 decay is in proportion to that of their increafe. 

 We fhall fnew, that there are molTes lefs prolific 

 than the fir, and fliell iifh lefs numerous than 

 whales : fuch is, to name only one, the hammer- 

 fifli. There are animals which grow very faft, 

 and decay very flowly : this is the cafe of moffc 

 fifhes. I fhould never have done, if I went about 

 to prove, that the longevity, the ftrength, the fize, 

 the fecundity, the form, of every being, is adapted, 

 in a moft wonderful manner, not only to it's indi- 

 vidual happinefs, but to the general happinefs of 

 all, from which refults that of Mankind. 



We 



