A COMPARISON OF ANIMALS. 231 



upon animals ; and these are themselves, in turn, food for 

 some other greater and stronger set of creatures. Were 

 all animals to live upon vegetables alone, thousands would 

 be extinct that now have existence, as the quantity of their 

 provision would shortly fail. But, as things are wisely 

 constituted, one animal now supports another ; and thus, 

 all take up less room than they would by living on the 

 same food ; as, to make use of a similar instance, a great- 

 er number of people may be crowded into the same 

 space, if each is made to bear his fellow upon his shoul- 

 ders. 



To diminish the number of animals, and increase that 

 of vegetables, has been the general scope of human in- 

 dustry ; and, if we compare the utility of the kinds, with 

 respect to man, we shall find, that of the vast variety in 

 the animal kingdom, but very few are serviceable to him; 

 and, in the vegetable, but very few are entirely noxious. 

 How small a part of the insect tribes, for instance, are 

 beneficial to mankind, and what numbers are injurious ! 

 In some countries they almost darken the air : a candle 

 cannot be lighted without their instantly flying upon it, and 

 putting out the flame. The closest recesses are no safe- 

 guard from their annoyance ; and the most beautiful land- 

 scapes of Nature only serve to invite their rapacity. As 

 these are injurious, from their multitudes, so most of the 

 larger kinds are equally dreadful to him, from their cour- 

 age and ferocity. In the most uncultivated parts of the 

 forest, these maintain an undisputed empire ; and man in- 

 vades their retreats with terror. These are dreadful ; and 

 there are still more which are utterly useless to him, that 

 serve to take up the room which more beneficial creatures 

 might possess ; and incommode him rather with their num- 

 bers than their enmities. Thus, in a catalogue of land ani- 

 mals, that amounts to more than twenty thousand, we can 

 scarcely reckon up a hundred that are any way useful to 

 him ; the rest being either all his open or his secret enemies, 



