172 HISTORY OF 



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 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 acquired 

 their full growth. On the contrary, those which 

 bring many, reproduce before they have arrived 

 at half their natural size. Thus the horse and 

 the bull are nearly at their best before they begin 

 to breed ; the hog and the rabbit scarce leave the 

 teat before they become parents in turn. Almost 

 all animals likewise continue the time of their 

 pregnancy in proportion to their size. The mare 

 continues eleven months with foal, the cow nine, 

 the wolf five, and the bitch nine weeks. In all, 

 the intermediate litters are the most fruitful ; the 

 first and the last generally producing the fewest 

 in number, and the worst of the kind. 



Whatever be the natural disposition of animals 

 at other times, they all acquire new courage when 

 they consider themselves as defending their young. 

 No terrors can then drive them from the post of 



