OF NATURAL HISTORY. 283 



from the parents. In thefe fpecies, accordingly, the male 

 pays no attention to the progeny, becaufe it is unneceflary j 

 but the mother carefally leads them about to places where 

 proper food is to be had, protects them from injuries, and 

 communicates heat to them by covering them with her 

 wings. 



Quadrupeds, efpecially thofe which feed upon grafs, do 

 not pair ; becaufe, while the female gives fuck to her young, 

 {he herfelf is feeding. Befide, the young of this tribe, very 

 foon after birth, can eat grafs and other vegetables. The 

 Count de Buffon reniarks, that the roe- deer, though they feed 

 Upon grafs, are to be excepted from this rule j for they pair 

 and have annually but one litter. Lions, tigers, wolves, and 

 other rapacious quadrupeds, do not pair. The whole labour 

 of procuring food is devolved upon the female, which often 

 fliortens her own life, as well as that of her offspring. In 

 relation to man, this is a fortunate circumftance, for, if beafts 

 of prey paired, a dangerous multiplication of thofe deftruc- 

 tive fpecies would be the confequence. But pairing is efTen- 

 tially neceflary to birds of prey ; becaufe, during the procefs 

 of incubation, the female would not have time fufficient for 

 procuring food *, which, in thefe animals, requires both pa- 

 tience and addrefs. Some quadrupeds, particularly thofe 

 which lay up provifions for the winter, as the beaver, pair. 

 As foon as the young beavers are produced, the males aban- 

 don the ftock of proviiions to the females, and go in queft of 

 food for themfelves. But they by no means relinquifh their 

 mates ; but frequently return and viflt them while they are 

 fuckling their young. 



If man, and fome of the pairing animals be excepted, the 

 feafons of love are limited to particular times of the year. 

 Thefe feafons, though various, are admirably adapted to the 

 nature and oeconomy of the different fpecies. In all ani- 

 mals of this kind, the feafons of love, and the times of fe- 



M M 



