268 NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



called the eye-teeth ; and they tend to sustain and 

 give strength to the range of the incisors. In the 

 carnivorous animal, they are called " laniarii ;" 

 they are for tearing and holding ; for which pur- 

 pose, there is a correspondence between them and 

 the hooked claws. 



The tusks of the elephant are of this class ; and 

 between these, the tender trunk is protected. In 

 the boar, the canine teeth project, and become 

 powerful instruments, not for biting, or holding, 

 or tearing, but for rending or rather cutting : that 

 is, the whole force of the animal in its rush is di- 

 rected to give effect to the tusk. So little are 

 the tusks calculated for biting, that the tusk of 

 the lower jaw closes in upon that of the upper 

 jaw, so as to support its base, and to give it 

 strength commensurate to the power and impetus 

 of the animal. But we must not suppose that the 

 tusks are solely for the purpose of offence. The 

 strength and the power of the neck of the boar is 

 mainly for the purpose of ploughing up the earth 

 and rooting up herbs by means of its tusks. 



In some animals, as the babyroussa, this tooth 

 rises and twists so as to make it at first sight ap- 

 pear useless. Certainly the tusk is neither for 

 holding, tearing, nor masticating ; yet it is not use- 

 less. This animal escapes from his enemies by 

 the facility with which he rushes through the brush- 

 wood ; and these teeth are curiously calculated to 

 bear aside the branches and to protect the eyes. 



In other animals, as the walrus, the canine teeth 



