396 THE PHILOSOPHY 



er ufe the arts of defence, or provide agalnft danger, except 

 from three caufes, pure inftindl, which is implanted in their 

 natures, imitation, and experience. By experience, timid 

 animals are taught the arts of evailon. FHght is inflin6live ; 

 but the modifications of it are acquired by imitation and ex- 

 perience. 



HoftiUties, in fome infLances, feem to arife, not from a 

 natural antipathy of one fpecies to another, but from a fear- 

 city of food. The celebrated Captain Cook informs us, that, 

 in Staten Ifland, birds of prey affemble promifcuoufly with 

 penguias and other birds, without the one offering any inju- 

 ry, or the other difcovering the fmalleft fymptom of terror. 

 In that Ifland, the rapacious birds, perhaps, find plenty of 

 food from dead feals, fea-llons, and iiflies. 



A profuiion of animal life feems to be the general inten- 

 tion of Nature. For this purpofe, when not modified or re- 

 {trained by the induftry and intelligence of man, fhe uni- 

 formly covers the furface of the earth with trees and vegeta- 

 bles of every kind, which fupply myriads of animated beings 

 with food. But the greatefl pofli'ole extentlon of life would 

 ftill be wanting, if animals did not prey upon each other. If 

 all anim.als were to live upon vegetables alone, many fpecies, 

 and millions of individuals, which now enjoy life and happi- 

 nefs, could have no exiftence j for the produdlions of the 

 earth would not be fufficient to fupport them. But, by mak- 

 ing animals feed upon each other, the fyfl:em of animation 

 and of happinefs is extended to the greatefl: poffible degree. 

 In this view, Nature, inftead of being cruel and oppreffive, is 

 highly generous and beneficent. 



To diminifli the number of noxious animals, and to aug- 

 ment that of ufeful vegetables, has been the uniform fcope 

 of human induftry. A few fpecies of animals only are of 

 immediate utility to man. Thefe he either cultivates with 

 care, or hunts for his prey. The ox, the fheep, the goat, 



