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true share of the weight. Aud the wings are so ex- 

 actly placed, that even in the fluid medium, the air, 

 the body is as truly balanced, as we could have ba- 

 lanced it with the nicest scales. 



Yet again. What an admirable provision is made 

 for the motion of some creatures, by temporary 

 parts ! Frogs, for instance, have tails in their tad. 

 pole state, which fall off when their legs are grown 

 out. The water-ne\vt also, when young, has four 

 fins, two on a side, to poise and keep the body up- 

 right. But as soon as the legs are fully grown, these 

 presently drop off. 



Secondly, the bore of the gullet in all creatures, is 

 answerable to their occasions. In a fox, which feeds 

 on .bones, (as in all ossivorous beasts) it is very large. 

 But in a squirrel it is exceeding small, lest he should 

 disgorge his meat in his descending leaps : and so in 

 rats and mice, which often run along a wall with their 

 heads downward. 



Thirdly, In all animals the strength and size of 

 their stomach are proportioned to their food. Those 

 whose food is more tender and nutritive, have 

 it smaller 5 thinner, and weaker. Whereas it is 

 large and strong in those whose food is less nutritive, 

 and whose bodies require large supplies. 



All carnivorous beasts have the smallest stomachs, 

 as flesh goes 'he farthest. Those that feed on fruits 

 and roots have them of a middle size. Sheep and 

 oxen, which feed on grass, have the greatest. Yet 

 the horse, hare, and rabbit, though granivorous, have 

 comparatively small ones. For a horse is made fur la- 

 botir, and both this and the hare for quick and con- 

 tinued motion : for which the most easy respiration 

 and so the freest motion of the diaphragm is requisite. 

 But this could not be, did the stomach lie big and 

 cumbersome upon it, as it does in sfoeep and oxen. 



Another very remarkable circumstance is, that 

 those animals which have teeth on both jaws, have 

 but one stomach ; whereas most of those winch have 



