i 5 6 THE BUFFALO, &c. 



parts of the body. The influence of climate, 

 which acts powerfully upon all Nature, exerts it- 

 felf with greater efficacy upon captive than upon 

 free animals. Food prepared by the hand of 

 man, which is often ill chofen, and fparingly ad- 

 miniuered, joined to the inclemency of a foreign 

 fky, produce, in the progrefs of time, alterations 

 fo deeply engraven that they become conftant, 

 and are tranfmitted to pofterity. I pretend not 

 to maintain, that this general caufe of change is 

 fo powerful as to alter eiTentially the nature of 

 beings, whofeconftitution is fo permanently fix- 

 ed as that of animals. But it transforms and 

 mafks their external appearance ; it annihilates 

 fome parts, and gives rife to others ; it paints 

 them with various colours ; and, by its action on 

 the temperament of the body, it has an influence 

 on the difpofitions, inftincts, and other internal 

 qualities. The modification of a fingle part, in 

 a machine fo perfect as that of an animal body, 

 is fufficient to make the whole feel the effects of 

 the alteration. It is for this reafon that our do- 

 uieftic animals differ nearly as much in difpofi- 

 tions and inftincts, as in figure, from thofe which 

 enjoy their natural ftate of freedom. Of this 

 the iheep affords a ftriking example. This fpe- 

 cies, in its prefent condition^ could not exift 

 without the care and defence of man : It is alfo 

 much changed, and very 'inferior to its original 

 fpecics. But, not to depart from our chief ob- 

 ject, we fee how many alterations the ox has 



undergone, 



