THE BUFFALO, &c. j 5 $ 



there are races of cows without horns. Thefe 

 external, or, as they may be called, acceflbry 

 parts of the body, are as fluctuating as the co- 

 lours of the hair, which, in domeftic animals, 

 are varied and combined in every poflible man- 

 ner. This difference in the figure and direction 

 of the horns, which is fo frequent, ought not, 

 therefore, to be regarded as a diftinctive character 

 of fpecies. It is, however, the only character 

 which our naturalifts have adopted in their fpe- 

 cies ; and, as Ariftotle, in his defcription of the 

 bonafus, fays, that its horns bended inwards, 

 they have, from this consideration alone, and 

 without having ever feen the individual, fepa- 

 rated it from the reft, and made it a diftinct 

 fpecies. In this variation of the horns of do- 

 meftic animals, we have confined our remarks 

 to cows and ewes ; becaufe the females are al- 

 ways more numerous than the males ; and we 

 every where fee thirty cows or ewes for one 

 bull or ram. 



The mutilation of animals by caftration feems 

 to injure the individual only, and to have no in- 

 fluence on the fpecies. It is certain, however, 

 that this practice reftrains Nature on the one 

 hand, and weakens her on the other. A fingle 

 male, obliged to ferve thirty or forty females, 

 rnuft be enfeebled ; befides, the ardour of love 

 is unequal. It is cool in the male, who exerts 

 himfelf beyond the bounds of Nature, and too 

 ardent in the female, whofe enjoyment is limit- 



e4 



