OF NATURAL HISTORY. 467 



CHAPTER XVIIL 



Of the Characlers of Atiimals, 



vJN this fubje£l it never was intended to paint 

 the chara£ters of every fpecies, even of the larger animals. 

 The reader will eafily recollefV, that, in many parts of this 

 work, much has already been faid with regard to the tem- 

 pers, difpofitions, and manners, of a great number of animals. 

 Thefe we fhall not repeat, but proceed to fome general re- 

 marks. 



On every animal Nature has imprinted a certain charaBevy 

 which is indelibly fixed, and diftlnguifhes the fpecies. This 

 characSler we difcover by the a(Stions, the air, the counten- 

 ance, the movements, and the whole external appearance. 

 The courage of the Hon, the ferocity of the tiger, the 

 voracloufnefs of the wolf, the pride of the courfer, the 

 duUnefs and indolence of the afs, the cunning and ad- 

 drefs of the fox, the affe£lion and docility of the dog, the 

 fubtlety and felfifhnefs of the cat, the mildnefs of the fheep, 

 the timidity of the hare, the vivacity of the fquirrel, are 

 proper examples. Thefe characlers, when under the h.. 3uence 

 of domeftlcation, may be modified by education, of which 

 rewards and punifliments are the chief infbruments employ- 

 ed. But the original charadler, imprefled by the hand of 

 Nature, is never fully obliterated. Thofo animals which 

 feem to have been deftined by Nature to live in perpetual 

 ilavery under tlie dominion of man, have the mildefi: and 

 moft gentle difpofitions. It is pleafant, but, at the fame time^ 

 fomewhat contemptible, to fee a troop of oxen guided by the 

 whip ot a child. 



