X79** Gil nitimai nutrition, 169 



mals must derive their snstenancc from a similac 

 source with that of vegetables. 



8M, This doctrine seems to be peculiarly appli- 

 cable to the herring. Herrings are known to come 

 in fhoals, and in so close and compact a body, aS' 

 sometimes, for miles together, to admit of being lifted 

 ' out of the water in buckets, nearly full of fifli. The 

 ■fifli, when in this situation, are usually fat, and in the 

 highest state of perfection ; but where those little 

 filhes find food in such abundance as to keep them in 

 such high health, if they do not, like the stalks 

 of corn, draw sustenance from the element in 

 which they live, it is impofsible to conceive. They 

 do not devour other filhes, as is common among 

 the inhabitants of the water ; for all fifhermen agree 

 in saying that nothing is ever found in the stomach 

 of a healthy herripg, except a small quantity of slimy 

 matter, more resembling mineral than animal sub- 

 stances. This then seems to be one clear evidence 

 of fiQi deriving their food entirely from water, as plants 

 do on Ihore. Myriads of other sorts of fifh, of smal- 

 ler size, may probably derive their food from the 

 ■same source, which^ in their turn, like vegetables, 

 iurnifti subsistence to animals of a larger size. 



From all these considerations, I think there is 

 leason to believe, that there may be some animals, 

 which, like vegetables, derive the whole of their 

 ■subsistence from the mineral kindom : that the great- 

 est part of them draw the principal pari of their sub- 

 sistence from the vegetable and animal kingdoms ; 

 ibut that there are, perhaps, none which do not derive 



VOL. xi. Y f 



