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All the animals near Hudson's. bay, are clothed with 

 a close, soft, warm fur. But what is still more sur- 

 prising, and what draws all attentive minds to admire 

 the wisdom and goodness of Providence, is, that the 

 very dogs and cats which are brought thither from 

 England, on the approach of winter change their ap- 

 pearance, and acquire a much longer, softer, and 

 thickercoat of hairthan they originally had. 



And as hair is a commodious dress for beasts, so 

 are feathers for birds. They are not only a good 

 guard against wet and cold, but nicely placed every 

 where on the body, to give them an easy passage 

 through the air, and to waft them through that thin 

 medium. How curious is their texture for lightness, 

 and withal close and firm for strength ! And where 

 it is necessary they should be filled, what a li^htj 

 medullary substance are they filled with ? So that 

 even the strongest parts, far from being a load to the 

 body, rather help to make it light and buoyant. 

 And how curiously are the vanes of the feathers 

 wrought, with capillary filaments, nearly intervoven 

 together, whereby they are sufficiently close and 

 strong, both to guard the body against the injuries 

 of the weather, and to im power the wings, like so 

 many sails, to make strong impulses on the air in their 

 flight. 



No less curious is the clothing of reptiles. How 

 well adapted are the rings of some and the contor- 

 tions of the skin of others, not only to f<nce the body 

 sufficiently, but to enable them to c-eep, to perforate 

 the arth, and to perform all the offices of their state, 

 better than any other covering ? 



Observe, lor instance, the tegument of the earth- 

 worms, made in the compleatest manner, for making 

 their passage through the earth, wherever their occa- 

 sions lead them. Their body is made throughout of 

 small rings, which have a curious apparatus of mus- 

 cles, that enable them with treat strength to dilate, 

 extender contract their whole body. Each ring is 

 likewise armed with stiff, sharp prickles, which they 



