CHARACTERS OF THE SUB-TYPICAL FORM. 24-7 



animals,, in their moral character, can be more opposite : 

 the one is the most useful, docile, and tameable of the 

 brute creation ; the other wild, revengeful, and showing 

 an innate detestation of man. The ox is the typical 

 example of the genus ; the bison is the sub-typical. In 

 the genus Equus, as already intimated (p. 240.), the same 

 beautiful and wonderful prevalence of this universal law 

 of nature is manifested ; the horse being the typical, 

 while the zebra is the sub-typical form of the genus. 



(307.) In regard to the numerical contents of these 

 groups, they are almost universally less than those which 

 are typical, and the reason is manifest : were it otherwise, 

 we should have the carnivorous tribes extirpating those 

 which had not their ferocious dispositions : the wild 

 beasts of the forests, were they equal in number to the 

 peaceful inhabitants of the plains, would in process of 

 time effect their entire destruction ; while the same result 

 would be accomplished by the rapacious birds upon the 

 rest of the feathered creation : nor would the insect world 

 preserve its nicely adjusted balance : the carnivorous spi- 

 ders and scorpions, were they as numerous as the flies, 

 and others upon which they feed, would soon destroy all 

 the tribes of herbivorous insects. It is therefore wisely 

 ordained, that the animals belonging to sub-typical 

 groups (especially such as are pre-eminently so) should 

 be comparatively few, and that their increase should be 

 slow. Eagles and hawks rarely lay more than two eggs, 

 and fecundity is well known to be much greater among 

 the smaller quadrupeds than with the Ferae. The 

 singular threatening aspect which the caterpillars of the 

 sphinx moths assume, on being disturbed, is a remark- 

 able modification of the terrific or evil nature which is 

 impressed, under one form or other, palpable or re- 

 mote, upon all sub-typical groups ; for this division of 

 the Lepidopterous order is precisely of this denomination. 

 How then, it may be asked, is this repulsive property 

 shown among the true butterflies (Papilionides Sw.), 

 which are the pre-eminent types of the order ? The 

 Papilionides are a circular group ; consequently they 



