ON THE FOOD OF PLANTS. 99 



enough to support one plant of a peculiar kind, 



will at the same time furnish sufficient to sustain 



many others of different species. 



Bradley, in the work I have before noticed, 



says, " Land animals may be likened in general 



** to those plants which are called terrene, for 



** that they live only upon the earth, such as 



" oak, elm, beech, &c. ; amphibious animals, 



'* such as otters, beavers, tortoises, frogs, &c., 



" which live as well on the land as in the 



" waters, may be compared to the willows, 



** alders, minths, &c. The fish kind, or aquatic 



*' race, whether of the rivers, or the sea, are 



** analogous to the water plants, such as water 



" lilies, water plantains, &c. which live only in the 



" fresh waters, or the fuci, &c., which are sea 



" or salt water plants, and not any of these will 



" live out of its own element ; from whence 



" we may conclude, how improper it would be 



*' to plant a water lily on a dry sandy desert, 



" or an oak at the bottom of the sea, which 



" would be just as reasonable as if we propose 



** to feed a dog with hay, or a horse with fish : 



" however, this rule of nature has been so little 



" observed, even by some of our greatest plant- 



" ers, that we can hardly boast of good suc- 



** cess, in one out of five plantations that have 



** been made." 



H 2 



