424t THE philosopM' 



But the difpofitions of men have little affinity to thofe of' the 

 beavers. 



The hampfter, or German marmot, and fome other quad- 

 rupeds of this kind, live in fociety, and affift each other iu 

 digging and rendering commodious their fubterraneous hab- 

 itations. The operations of the marmots have already been 

 defcribed ; and the nature of their fociety, as they continue 

 during the winter in a torpid ftate, is either lefs known, or 

 does not excite fo much admiration as that of the beavers. 



Pairing birds, in fome meafure, may be confidered as 

 forming proper focieties -, becaufe, in general, the males and 

 females mutually affift each other in building nefts and feed-r 

 ing their young. But this fociety, except in the eagle tribes, 

 commonly continues no longer than their mutual offspring 

 are fully able to provide for themfelves. None of the feath. 

 ered tribes, as far as we know, unite in bodies, in order to 

 carry on any operation common to the whole. 



Neither do we learn from hiftory that fifhes ever aflbciate 

 for the purpofe of executing any common operation. Many 

 of them, as herrings, falmons, &c. affemble in multitudes at 

 particular feafons of the year ; but this affociation, to which 

 they are impelled by inftin<fl, has no common obje£l ; for 

 each individual is flimulated to a(Sl in this manner by its own 

 motives, and no general effe£t is produced by mutual exer-; 

 tions. 



In proper focieties, each individual not only attends to hl& 

 own prefervation and welfare, but all the members co-ope- 

 rate in certain laborious offices which produce many common 

 advantages that could not otherwife be procured. In fome 

 focieties, the general principle of affociation and of mutual 

 labour is purely inftlnflive, though, in many cafes, individu- 

 als learn, by obfervation and experience, to modify or ac- 

 commodate this general principle according to particular ac- 

 cidents or circumftances j fome examples of which have al- 

 ready been given in the chapter upon infLin<fl. 



