348 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



yields, in the rich paftures of Normandy, up to 

 twenty-four quarts of milk a day, would give no 

 more than a bare fufficiency to fuckle her calf. 



To this it is replied, that this profufion of eggs, 

 of fat, and of cream, from our domeftic animals, 

 is the effed of their copious feeding. But neither 

 does the mare give as much milk as the cow, nor 

 does the duck lay as many eggs as the hen, nor 

 does the afs clothe himfelf with fat like the hog, 

 though thefe animals all feed as plentifully the one 

 as the other. Befides, the mare, the (lie -goat, the 

 ewe, the fhe-afs, have only two teats, whereas the 

 cow has four. 



The cow, in this refpeifl, deviates, in a very re- 

 markable manner, from the general laws of Na- 

 ture ; who has adjufted, in every animal fpecies, 

 the number of teats in the mother to that of the 

 young ; fhe, however, is furnilhed with four paps, 

 though fhe produces but one calf, and very rarely 

 two ; becaufe the two fupernumeraries were def- 

 tined to be nurfes to the Human Race. The fow, 

 it is granted, has only twelve teats, though fhe is 

 intended to bring up, fometimes, a litter of fifteen 

 or more. Here the proportion feems defeftive. 

 But if the firfl has more teats than are requifite to 

 the number of her family, and the fécond too few 

 for lier'sj it is becaufe the one is ordained to pre- 



fent 



