216 HOSTIIJTIES OF ANIMALS. 



larger, devour every animal, their own species not excepted 

 that can pass through their gullet. To avoid destruction 

 the smaller fry retire to the shallows, where the larger kinds 

 are unable to pursue them. But, in the watery element, no 

 situation is absolutely safe ; for, even in the shallows, the 

 oyster, the scallop, and the muscle, lie in ambush at the bot- 

 tom, with their shells open, and when a small fish comes into 

 contact with them, they instantly close their shells upon him, 

 and devour at leisure their imprisoned prey. Neither is the 

 hunting or pursuit of fishes confined to particular regions. 

 Shoals of one species follow, with unwearied ardor, those of 

 another, through vast tracts of the ocean. The cod pursues 

 the whiting from the banks of Newfoundland to the southern 

 coasts of Spain. 



It is a remarkable circumstance in the history of animated 

 nature, that carnivorous birds and quadrupeds are less pro- 

 lific than the inoffensive and associating kinds ; but, on the 

 contrary, that the inhabitants of the waters, who are all car- 

 nivorous, are endowed with a most astonishing fecundity. All 

 kinds of fishes, a few only excepted, are oviparous. Notwith- 

 standing the amazing destruction of their eggs by the smaller 

 fry that frequent the shores, by aquatic birds, and by the larger 

 fishes, the numbers which escape are sufficient to supply the 

 ocean with inhabitants, and to afford nourishment to a very 

 great portion of the human race. A cod, for instance, accord- 

 ing to the accurate computation of Lewenhoeck, produces, 

 from one roe, above nine millions of eggs in a single season. 

 The flounder lays annually above one million, and the mack- 

 erel more than- five hundred thousand ; an increase so great, 

 if permitted to arrive at maturity, that th ocean itself, in a 

 few centuries, would not be spacious enough to contain its 

 animated productions. This wonderful fertility answers two 

 valuable purposes. In the midst of numberless enemies, it 

 continues the respective species, and furnishes to all a proper 

 quantity of nourishment. 



We have thus seen that man, some quadrupeds, some bird?, 

 and all fishes, are carnivorous animals. But this system of 

 carnage descends still lower. Many of the insect tribes de- 

 rive their nourishment from putrid carcasses, from the bodies 

 of living animals, or from killing and devouring weaker spe- 

 cies. How many flies are daily sacrificed by spiders, a most 

 voracious and a most numerous tribe ! In return, spiders aje 

 greedily devoured by flies, which are distinguished by the 

 name of ichneumons. The number of these ichneumon-flies 



