ANIMALS. 



119 



CHAPTER 



A COMPARISON OF ANIMALS WITH THE INFERIOR RANKS OF CREATION. 



HAVING given an account of the earth 

 in general, and the advantages and incon- 

 veniences with which it abounds, we now 

 come to consider it more minutely. Having 

 described the habitation, we are naturally 

 led to i '.quire alter the inhabitants. Amidst 

 the infinitely different productions which the 

 earth offers, and with which it is every where 

 covered, animals hold the first rank ; as well 

 because of the liner formation of their parts, 

 as of their superior power. The vegetable, 

 which is fixed to one spot, and obliged to wait 

 for its accidental supplies of nourishment, 

 may be considered as the prisoner of nature. 

 Unable to correct the disadvantages of its si- 

 tuation, or to shield itself from the dangers 

 that surround it, every object that has motion 

 may be its destroyer. 



But animals are endowed with powers of 

 motion and defence. The greatest part are 

 capable, by changing place, of commanding 

 nature; and of thus obliging her to furnish 

 that nourishment which is most agreeable to 

 their state. Those few that are fixed to one 

 spot, even in this seemingly helpless situation, 

 are, nevertheless, protected from external in- 

 jury by a hard shelly covering ; which they 

 often can close at pleasure, and thus defend 

 themselves from every assault. And here, 

 I think, we may draw the line between the 

 animal and vegetable kingdoms. Every ani- 

 mal, by some means or other, finds protec- 

 tion from injury; either from its force, or cou- 

 rage, its swiftness, or cunning. Some are pro- 

 tected by hiding in convenient plac-s ; and 

 others by taking refuge in a hard resisting 

 shell. But vegetables are totally unprotect- 

 ed ; they are exposed to every assailant, and 



patiently submissive in every attack. In a 

 word, an animal is an organized being, thai 

 is in some measure provided for its own secu- 

 rity ; a vegetable is destitute of every protec- 

 tion. 



But though it is very easy, without the 

 help of definitions, to distinguish a plant from 

 an animal, yet both possess many properties 

 so much alike, that the two kingdoms, as they 

 are called, seemed mixed with each other. 

 Hence, it frequently puzzles the naturalist to 

 tell exactly where animal life begins, and vege- 

 tative terminates; nor, indeed, is it easy to re- 

 solve, whether some objects offered to view be 

 of the lowest of the animal, or the highest of the 

 vegetable races. The sensitive plant, that 

 moves at the touch, seems to have as much 

 perception as the fresh-water polypus, that is 

 possessed of a still slower share of motion. 

 Besides, the sensitive plant will not repro- 

 duce upon cutting in pieces, which the poly- 

 pus is known to do; so that the vegetable 

 production seems to have the superiority. 

 But, notwithstanding this, the polypus hunts 

 for its food, as most other animals do. It 

 changes its situation ; and, therefore, pos- 

 sesses a power of choosing its food, or retreat- 

 ing from danger. Still, therefore, the animal 

 kingdom is far removed above the vegetable; 

 and its lowest denizen is possessed of very 

 great privileges, when compared with the 

 plants with which it is often surrounded. 



However, both classes have many resem- 

 blances, by which they are raised above the 

 unorganized and inert masses of nature. Mi- 

 nerals are mere inactive, insensible bodies, 

 entirely motionless of themselves, and wait- 

 ing some external force to alter their forms, 



