OF NATURAL HISTORY. ^2 



Upon the whole, the dignity of man's rank depends not 

 upon the flruclure of his organs. It is from the powers of 

 his intellect alone that he is entitled to claim a fuperioriiy 

 ever the brute creation. Thefe powers enable him to form 

 ideas, to aburaft, to reafon, to invent, and to reach all the 

 heights of fcience and of art. 



The remarks formerly made are applicable to quadrupeds 

 in general. But, before concluding this branch of the fub- 

 je6i:, we fhall point out a few peculiarities in the flrudcure of 

 particular fpecies. 



Befide the four ftomachs common to ruminating animals, 

 the camel and dromedary have a fifth bag, which ferves 

 them as a refervoir for holding water. This bag is capable 

 of containing a very large quantity of that necefiary element. 

 When the camel is thirfty, and has occalion to macerate his 

 dry food in the operation of ruminating, by a iimple con« 

 traction of certain mufcles, he makes part of this water af- 

 cend into his ftomach, or even as high as the gullet. This 

 flngular confcruction enables him to travel fix, eight, or even 

 twelve days in the fandy deferts, without drinking, and to 

 take at once a prodigious quantity of water, which remains 

 in the refervoir pure and limpid j becaufe neither the 

 humours of the body, nor the juices that promote digeftion, 

 can have accefs to it. Befide this fingularity of firu^ture, 

 the camel has two large flefhy bunches on his back, and the 

 dromedary, or fwift camel, one bunch ; and the feet of 

 both are covered with a very tough, but flexible fubftance. 

 The conformation of thefe animals enables them to travel 

 with heavy loads through the fandy deferts of the Eaft, 

 where the horfe or the afs would inevitably perifh ; becaufe 

 Nature has not provided them with refervoirs for holding 

 and preferving w^ater, which are indiipenfible in countries 

 w^here none of that element can be procured but in particu- 

 lar places, that are often diftant many days journey from 



