STUDY VI. 325 



It is obvious that the coaft of Feru is nearly the 

 boundary of the emigration of the pilchers which 

 fet out from the South Pole, as the coafts of the 

 Black Sea are the boundary of that of the herrings 

 which iffue from the North Pole. The continua- 

 tion and diredion of thefe two bands, the pilchers 

 of the South, and the herrings of the North, are 

 nearly of the fame length, and their deftinies are, 

 at laft, fimilar. It would appear as if certain Ne- 

 reids were annually commiflioned to conduâ:, from 

 the Poles, thofe innumerable fwarms of fillies, to 

 furnifh fubfiftence to the inhabitants of the tempe- 

 rate Zones ; and that, having arrived at the ter- 

 mination of their courfe, in the hot Latitudes, 

 where fruits are produced abundantly, they empty 

 the gleanings of their nets upon the (hore. 



It will not be fo eafy a tafk, I confefs, to refer 

 to the beneficence of Nature the wars which ani- 

 mals wage with each other. Why fliould beafls 

 of prey exift ? Suppofing me incapable of refolving 

 this difficulty. Nature muft not be accufed of 

 cruelty becaufe I am deficient in mental ability. 

 She has arranged what we do know, with fuch 

 confummate wifdom, that we are bound to give 

 her credit for the fame chara6ler of wifdom, in 

 cafes where we cannot find her out unto perfec- 

 tion. I will have the courage, however, to declare 

 my opinion, and to offer a reply to this queftion ; 



Y 3 and 



