146 PROSPECTIVE CONTRIVANCES. 



safety. It continiws the whole night suspended by its 

 tooth, both easy in its posture, and secure ; being out of 

 the reach of aimnals which hunt it for prey.* t 



CHAP. XIV. 



PROSPECTIVE CONTRIVANCES. 



1 CAN hardly imagine to myself a more distinguishing 

 ^iiiark, and consequeijtly a more certain proof of design, 

 •than preparution, i. e. the providing of things beforehand, 

 -^vhich are not to be used until a considerable time after- 

 'wards ; for thi-s implies a contemplation of the future, 

 'Which belongs only to intelligence. 



Of these prospective contrivances, the bodies of animals 

 furnish various examples. 



I. The humaK teeth afford an instance, not only of pros- 

 pective contrivance, but of the completion of the contrivance 

 being designedly suspended. (Pl.XXVTTT.fig. 1&2.) They 



' ■* Goldsmith's Natural History, vol. iii. p. 195. 



I There does not seem to be any sufficient authority for ascribing 

 (his use to tiie tusks of this animal. Indeed one does not readily see 

 how it could in the way described swing itself clear of its enemies, ex- 

 cept by first climbing the tree ; which is not pretended. The fact is 

 doubted, it is believed, by many naturalists, and the opinion probably 

 was in the first place founded upon mere conjecture. A modern and 

 'distinguished traveller has these remarks upon the subject. " Phi- 

 losophers had long puzzled themselves in conjectures what the design 

 of nature could be, as she does nothing without design, in giving to 

 this animal a pair of large, curved tusks, pointing inwards to the face 

 an such a manner as made it sufficiently clear they could not be used 

 either for attack or defence, for procuring food, or for assisting the mas- 

 tication of it when procured. At length it occurred, or was discovered, 

 by whom I do not recollect, that the animal is fond of sleeping in a 

 standing posture, and, that having a large, ponderous head, it finds a 

 conveniency in hanging it upon the branch of a tree or shrub within 

 the reach of its tusks, which serve on such occasions for hooks. This 

 is at least an ingenious discovery, and may be true ; but if so the hab- 

 its of the animal must vary according to local circumstances. The 

 same species, or one so like it that the difference is not distinguishable 

 by any description or drawing that I have seen, is common among the 

 rocks on the deserts of Southern Africa, where, within the distance of 

 a hundred miles, there is neither tree nor shrub, except a few stunted 

 lieaths or shrivelled everlastings, thinly scattered over the barren sur- 

 face. In such situations, where I have hunted and taken them, it 

 «vould certainly be no easy matter for the babyrouessa to find a peg 

 to hang its head upon." — Barrow's Voyage to Cochin- China. Eds 



