THE FUNCTIONS OF LIFE. 29 



the individual welfare of the animal, embracing the 

 whole sphere of its sensitive existence, and the 

 means of maintaining the vitality upon which that 

 existence is dependent. The second comprises the 

 provisions Mdiich have been made for repairing the 

 chasms resulting, in the present circumstances of 

 the globe, from the continual destruction of life, by 

 ensuring the multiplication of the species, and the 

 continuance of the race to which each animal be- 

 longs. The third includes all those arrangements 

 which have been resorted to in order to accommo- 

 date the system to the consequences that result 

 from a power of indefinite increase in the numbers 

 of each species. The fourth class relates to that 

 systematic economy in the plans of organization by 

 which all the former objects are most effectually 

 secured. I shall offer some observations on each 

 of these general heads of inquiry. 



With reference to the welfare of the individual 

 animal, it is evident that in the brute creation, the 

 great end to be answered is the attainment of sen- 

 sitive enjoyment. To this all the arrangements of 

 its system, and all the energies of its vital powers 

 ultimately tend. Of what value to its possessor 

 would be mere vegetative life, unless accompanied 

 by the faculty of sensation, and unless the sensa- 

 tions thence arising were attended with pleasure? 

 It is only by reasoning analogically from the feel- 

 ings we have ourselves experienced that we ascribe 

 similar feelings to other sentient beings, and that 

 we infer their existence from the phenomena which 

 they present. Wherever these indications of feel- 

 ing are most distinct, we find that they result from 

 a peculiar organization, denominated the nervous 



