16 CREATION OF ANIMALS. 



the kind of which interpreters differ ; l but this 

 does not affect the question, it is evident that 

 here is an instance of the creation of an animal 

 in great numbers, and what is worthy of particu- 

 lar observation, that this animal was not after- 

 wards again annihilated as the frogs, and others 

 were. What has evidently been done once under 

 circumstances that required it, though not re- 

 corded, may have been repeated, and thus all 

 the punitive species in question may have been 

 produced. 



This is given merely as an hypothesis, to ac- 

 count for the existence of these animals, without 

 doing violence to probability ; and rather in ac- 

 cordance with the word of God, than controvert- 

 ing any thing delivered therein and if it excites 

 a discussion that may throw new light upon the 

 subject, which ever way the question is deter- 

 mined, I shall be well pleased my object being 

 rather to elicit truth, than to uphold opinion. 



Another inquiry also suggests itself with respect 

 to the original animal creation. Are any of those 

 animals with which God peopled the earth, air, 

 and waters, preparatory to the creation of man, 

 now extinct? The answer to this question will 

 principally depend upon that to another. Did 

 any alteration take place in the climate and pro- 



1 See Appendix, note 6. 



