ANIMALS. 285 



tbe stag, the fox, and the beaver, are known to the inhabitants as well 

 of North America as of Russia ; while most of the various kinds to the 

 southward, in both continents, bear no resemblance to each other. 

 Upon the whole, such as peculiarly belong to the new continent, are 

 without any marks of the quadruped perfection. They are almost 

 wholly destitute of the power of defence ; they have neither formid- 

 able teeth, horns, or tail ;- their figure is awkward, and their limbs ill 

 proportioned. Some among them, such as the ant-bear, and the sloth, 

 appear so miserably formed, as scarce to have the power of moving 

 and eating. They seemingly drag out a miserable and languid exist- 

 ence in the most desert solitude, and would quickly have been de- 

 stroyed in a country where there were inhabitants, or powerful beasts 

 to oppose them. 



But, if the quadrupeds of the r?w continent be less, they are found 

 in much greater abundance ; for it is a rule that obtains through na- 

 ture, that the smallest animals multiply the fastest. The goat, im- 

 ported from Europe to South America, soon begins to degenerate ; 

 but as it grows less it becomes more prolific ; and, instead of one kid 

 at a time, or two at the most, it generally produces five, and sometimes 

 more. What there is in the food, or the climate, that produces this 

 change, we have not been able to learn ; we might be apt to ascribe 

 it to the heat, but that on the African coast, where it is still hotter, 

 this rule does not obtain ; for the goat, instead of degenerating there, 

 seems rather to improve. 



However, the rule is general among all quadrupeds, that those which 

 are large and formidable produce but few at a time ; while such as 

 are mean and contemptible are extremely prolific. The lion, or tiger, 

 have seldom above two cubs at a litter ; while the cat, that is of a 

 similar nature, is usually seen to have five or six. In this manner the 

 lower tribes become extremely numerous ; and, but for this surprising 

 fecundity, from their natural weakness they would quickly be extirpa- 

 ted. The breed of mice, for instance, would have long since been 

 blotted from the earth, were the mouse as slow in the production as 

 the elephant. But it has been wisely provided that such animals as 

 can make but little resistance, should at least have a means of repair- 

 ing the destruction which they must often suffer by their quick repro- 

 duction ; that they should increase even among enemies, and multiply 

 under the hand of the destroyer. On the other hand, it has as wisely 

 been ordered by Providence, that the larger kinds should produce but 

 slowly ; otherwise, as they require proportional supplies from nature, 

 they would quickly consume their own store ; and, of consequence, 

 many of them would soon perish through want ; so that life would 

 thus be given without the necessary means of subsistence. In a word, 

 Providence has most wisely balanced the strength of the great against 

 the weakness of the little. Since it was necessary that some should 

 be great and others mean, since it was expedient that some should live 

 upon others, it has assisted the weakness of the one by granting it 

 fruitfulness ; and diminished the number of the other by infecundity 



In consequence of this provision, the larger creatures, which bring 

 forth few at a time, seldom begin to generate till they have nearly ac 

 onirod their full growth. On the contrary, those which bring many. 



