4 

 NATURAL THEOLOGY. 143 



hardness. They consists of a proper mixture of 

 cutters and grinders suited to our food, and the due 

 preparation of it for the stomach. The jaws are so 

 constructed, and the teeth so situated in them, that 

 when either cutters or grinders are engaged, and both 

 are not usually wanted at once, the others are not 

 permitted to touch, or to wear upon one another. 

 Again, the teeth do not commonly make their ap- 

 pearance in the mouth during the period of infancy, 

 when they would be worse than useless. Lastly, as 

 the teeth are needed before the jaws have attained 

 their full size, there is provision for a second, or sup- 

 pletory set when the bones of the jaws have grown 

 so large, that it would be impossible the first should 

 sit compact and occupy the whole extent of the 

 gums. 



Another thing observable in the teeth is, they are 

 shed in succession, so as not to leave an interval in 

 which we are without a sufficient number. The 

 elephant sheds his teeth, but not, it is said, in our 

 manner. An account given of this matter is very 

 curious, that having never more than eight grinders, 

 often no more than four, an upper and under on each 

 side, the shedding of one of which would of course 

 leave a side of his mouth very much disabled for 

 masticating his food, his second teeth, or rather the 

 succeeding parts of the same tooth, always come up 

 behind the first, and the one continues to serve till 

 the others are ready to take their places. 



The wisdom of Providence appears in adapting 

 the teeth of different animals to the nature of their 

 stomachs. It is one of the most striking instances of 



