28 INTRODUCTION. 



while others, as the polar bear, arctic fox, snow bunt- 

 ing, &c. &c., the inhabitants of still more rigorous re- 

 gions, remain always white. Neither is the effect of 

 climate confined to an alteration in the colouring only 

 of the exterior coverings of its inhabitants; it extends to 

 the organization and texture of them also, admirably 

 adapting them to the circumstances of exposure under 

 which its wearers are placed. In the sterile and inhos- 

 pitable regions, where ice and snow hold a stern domi- 

 nion, the quadrupeds are furnished with a short fleecy 

 covering, which is rendered still warmer by either a long 

 and shaggy, or a short and crisp, surtout of strong hair. 

 The feathers of alpine water fowl conceal an immense 

 mass of the warmest down underneath, while the land 

 birds of these regions are feathered down to the very 

 claws. To further exemplify the effects of climate, ob- 

 serve how difi*erent are the clothings of the thick-fleeced 

 dog of Baffin's Bay and the naked dog of Barbary ; the 

 dense woolly covering of the European sheep, and the 

 thin hair of those inhabiting hot countries. Contrast the 

 glossy tunic of the Arabian stallion with the shaggy 

 coat of the Shetland poney : and further, it may be ob- 

 served, that where, for the purposes of beauty, nature 

 has bestowed on the beasts of arid climes a long coat or 

 covering, it is commonly observed to be one whose thin 

 and silky texture can neither absorb the solar rays nor 

 confine the animal heat : this may be seen in the length- 

 ened fine hair of the goats, cats, and rabbits of Angora, 

 and other eastern countries. Our domesticated animals 

 are equally under the influence of climate, and, as win- 

 ter advances, they are seen to change their thin fine 

 hair for one of longer and thicker texture. Our horses 

 in autumn prepare for the coming season, and change 

 their fine summer coat for one thicker and longer ; but, 

 under an artificial climate produced by hot stables and 



