Animate. 205 



vegetable ; -but, in a state of improve- 

 ment, tbe interest of man so directs it, 

 that the vegetable kingdom should gain 

 the ascendancy ; for on a review of the 

 animal and vegetable world, we find but 

 few animals, which are intrinsically ser- 

 viceable to man ; while on the other hand, 

 numbers of them are noxious to his food, 

 and inveterate enemies to his interest. 

 But among the vegetable world, very few 

 are noxious ; and the greater part of 

 them yield either food, medicine, or some 

 other valuable article. Therefore, it al- 

 ways has, and will remain to be, the in- 

 terest of man, to diminish the number of 

 animals, and increase that of vegetables ; 

 and in assistance to his endeavours, pro- 

 vidence has wisely ordered it, that one 

 animal shall subsist on another ; for were 

 they to live entirely on vegetables, myri- 

 ads would soon become extinct, for want 

 of support. 



The number of animals, which are im- 

 mediately serviceable to man, (exclusive 

 of the smaller, among the birds and fish- 

 es, which serve for food) does not extend 

 to one hundred ; while, we are acquaint- 

 ed with no less than twenty thousand ; 



