68 taE PHILOSOPHY 



tity of nutritive matter than the flefli of animals ; neither is 

 it fo ealily reduced to chyle. A large quantity, therefore, 

 as well as a longer detention in the Aomach and inteftinesj 

 IS necefTary for the nourifhment of thefe creatures. Several 

 quadrupeds comprehended under this order ruminate or 

 chew the cud. Thefe are furniflied with no lefs than four 

 ftomachs. The food after mafiication, is thrown into the 

 firft ftomach, where it remains fome time •, after v^'-hich, the 

 animal forces it up again into the mouth, and gives it a fec- 

 ond chewing. It is then fent directly into the fecond fto- 

 mach, and gradually pafTes into the third and fourth ; and, 

 laftly, it is tranfmitted through the convolutions of the in- 

 teftines, and the dregs, or faeces, are thrown out of the body. 

 By this machinery, herbivorous animals are enabled to de- 

 vour large quantities of vegetable aliment, to retain it long In 

 their boivels, and confequently to extract from it nutritive 

 matter fufficient for their growth, fupport, and multiplica- 

 tion. Here the quantity compenfates the quality of the nii- 

 triment. 



It Is true, that the liorfe, the afs, the hare, and fome other 

 animals which live upon herbage and grain, have only one 

 ftomach. But, though the horfe and afs have one ftomach 

 only, their inteftines are furniflied with facs or pouches fo 

 large, that they may be compared to the paunch of ruminat- 

 ing animals •, and hares^ rabbits, the Guiney-pig, &c. have 

 blind guts fo long and capacious, that they are equivalent to 

 a fecond ftomach. The hedgehog, the wild boar, the fquir- 

 rel, &c. whofe ftomach and inteftines are of a mean capacity, 

 eat little herbage, but live chiefly upon feeds, fruits, and 

 roots, which contain, In fmall bounds, a greater quantity of 

 nutritive matter than the leaves or ftems of plants. 



The external form of herbivorous animals, like that of the 

 rapacious. Is accommodated to their difpofitlons and the oe- 

 conomy they are obliged to obfervc. That they might be 



