28 ANIMALS OF THE 



fectly distinct, and their joint produce most pro- 

 bably unfruitful. 



The dog, when first whelped, is not a com- 

 pletely finished animal. In this kind, as in all 

 the rest which bring forth many at a time, the 

 young are not so perfect as in those which bring 

 forth only one or two. They are always produc- 

 ed with the eyes closed, the lids being held to- 

 gether, not by sticking, but by a kind of thin 

 membrane, which is torn as soon as the upper 

 eye-lid becomes strong enough to raise it from 

 the under. In general, their eyes are not open- 

 ed till ten or twelve days old. During that time, 

 the bones of the scull are not completed, the body 

 is puffed up, the nose is short, and the whole form 

 but ill sketched out. In less than a month, the 

 puppy begins to use all its senses; and, from 

 thence, makes hasty advances to its perfection. 

 At the fourth month the dog loses some of his 

 teeth, as in other animals, and these are renew- 

 ed by such as never fall. The number of these 

 amount to forty-two, which is twelve more than 

 is found in any of the cat kind, which are known 

 never to have above thirty. The teeth of the 

 dog, being his great and only weapon, are form- 

 ed in a manner much more serviceable than those 

 of the former ; and there is scarce any quadru- 

 ped that has a greater facility in rending, cut- 

 ting, or chewing its food. He cuts with his in- 

 cisors or fore-teeth, he holds with his four great 

 canine teeth, and he chews his meat with his 

 grinders ; these are fourteen in number, and so 

 placed, that, when the jaws are shut, there re- 



