No. 3. 



Cursory observations on the Animal Races. 



83 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Cursory Observations on the Animal 



Races. 



It is curious and interesting' to observe, in 

 what manner the various races of animated 

 nature are adapted to the situations in which 

 they are placed ; and how their powers and 

 propensities are adjusted to the spheres in 

 which they are designed to move. When 

 Noah was preparing to take possession of the 

 ark, and was collecting the animals which 

 were to occupy the post-diluvian world, he 

 was directed to take at least one pair of every 

 kind. With the antipathy which many o.' 

 our race entertain towards some particular 

 animals, we may suppose that if they had 

 been employed to make the collection, they 

 would have inclined to leave the objects 

 of their aversion, to perish in the flood. But 

 what Infinite Wisdom created, the same Wis- 

 dom saw proper to preserve. Yet it appears 

 that by the time the third generation after 

 the flood, entered upon the stage, the wild 

 beasts had increased to such a degree as to 

 interfere with the conveniences of man ; for 

 we find Nimrod became a mighty hunter 

 before the Lord. 



It may be asked, why did Infinite Wisdom 

 create beasts of prey, to destroy the weak 

 and defenceless animals, and even to glut 

 their hunger with the mangled carcases of 

 men ! Why, we may ask in return, did he 

 form a bird with an appetite to feed on an 

 insect or a worm ? A little reflection will 

 satisfy us that the order of creation, by which 

 the larger and stronger animals feed on those 

 of inferior strength, ensures a much greater 

 amount of life, than if they had all derived 

 their support immediately from the vegeta- 

 ble world. 



We may also observe, that if the earth had 

 been stocked with graminivorous animals 

 only, they would have been liable to increase 

 to such a degree, as to suffer much more from 

 famine, than they ever do from the teeth or 

 claws of beasts or birds of prey. By the in- 

 stincts and appetites which cause such nu- 

 merous tribes to feed on each other, the 

 numbers of each are kept within their appro- 

 priate limits, and prevented from interfering 

 very much with each other. It is a remark- 

 able circumstance, that the larger animals, 

 particularly the carnivorous ones, increase 

 much more slowly than the smaller kinds. 

 If the lion multiplied his race with the ra- 

 pidity of the rabbit or the mouse, the forests 

 would abound with lions, which must devour 

 each other or starve. A few lions are suffi 

 cient to prevent an extensive forest from 

 being overrun with animals on which he 

 feeds. The carnivorous animals which feed 



on smaller prey, multiply more rapidly than 

 lions, yet their powers of multiplication ap- 

 pear adjusted to the natural increase of those 

 that support them. 



My agricultural reader may perhaps in- 

 quire, what connection there is between these 

 speculations and the object of the Fanners' 

 Cabinet? Come with me a little further, 

 and we shall see. 



When the forests are cleared, and the 

 ground brought under culture, the larger 

 beasts of prey are expelled or destroyed. 

 The gun or the bow performs the service 

 which nature assigns to their teeth and 

 nails. Yet we find it advisable to retain 

 some of the smaller beasts of prey, to keep 

 down the races which interfere with us. 

 The dog and cat are properly beasts of prey, 

 and probably no person of sober understand- 

 ing, would be willing to see either of these 

 races expunged from creation. The judi- 

 cious farmer would not agree to clear the 

 creation of cats or dogs ; yet he would de- 

 sire to limit their number within reasonable 

 bounds. 



But are there not other creatures, not so 

 completely domesticated as cats and dogs, 

 which we ought to be careful to preserve 

 from extinction 1 We know that the various 

 tribes of the feathered race, generally feed 

 either on worms and insects, or on other races 

 of living creatures. The little hawk and 

 screech owl, are known to feed on mice ; and 

 most of those which inhabit our fields and 

 woods, devour insects or worms. It is true, 

 that some of them eat a little of our fruit and 

 grain; but if they keep down the races of 

 insects and worms that injure or destroy our 

 crops in their nascent state, they probably 

 more than pay for what they consume. 



Now we know how to prevent the larger 

 animals from increasing very much on our 

 hands, and therefore do not require assistance 

 of lions and tigers to thin our fields; yet we 

 do not know how to prevent our crops from 

 being injured by creatures, which are too 

 small, and too numerous to be kept down by 

 the gun or bow. Of course we ought to use 

 the means, or rather we ought to be careful 

 not to destroy the instruments, which a be- 

 neficent Creator has furnished, for effecting 

 what our own arts or industry cannot ac- 

 complish. 



It is a well-known practice with idle men 

 and boys to go about the fields, often against 

 the will of the owners, shooting whatever 

 bird they can see. And this is done, not so 

 much for the purpose of feeding on the game, 

 as for the diversion which it affords. Upon 

 this we may exclaim with the poet — 



"Detested sport, that owes its pleasures to another's 

 pains.'' 



