196 



Jish, the dancing-bird and eagle, the grasshopper and 

 flying-squirrel, the ar/ and .r/Qg, the cricket and rhino- 

 ceros, the wood louse and crocodile, the scorpion and the 



Another picture presents him with a view of the pro- 

 digious number of lu tier/lies and JZfes 5 in considering 

 which, he is astonished at NATURE'S complaisance in 

 thus diversifying these little animals, so different from 

 the great ones by their forms, and which have been 

 treated as defective or imperfect beings. 



Transferring next his survey to those species of aui- 

 inals immediately higher, he contemplates shell- 

 Jish, from that whose precious liquor dyes the garments 

 of kings, to the sailor that rous with so much grace and 

 skill on the inconstant wave. He observes the different 

 species of fish, from tiie dangerous cramp-Jish to the 

 powerful nerval, and from the pretty golden-jish of 

 China to the dolphin, that cleaves the billow with the 

 swiftness of a dart 



He likewise takes a review of those lirds that live on 

 herls or seeds, from the linnet, that delights us with his 

 melody, to the peacock that pompously displays in our 

 court-yards the gold and azure with which he is en- 

 riched". He also observes the birds of prey, from the 

 fierce merlin to the eagle, whose strength and courage 

 have raised him to the sovereignty over the birds. He 

 next reviews the quadrupeds, from the iiglit and timo- 

 rous hare to the elephant, whoje enormous corpulency 

 attracts every eve ; and from the wily fox to that noble 

 and generous quadruped which seems formed to have 

 dominion over the animal creation. 



Plants, though prodigiously various in their forms, 

 yet are less so than animals. There are fewer grada- 

 tions from the truffle to the sensitive plant, or from the 

 nightshade to the oak, than there are from the oyster to 



