S6 THE NOMENCLATURE 



The four-handed animals fill the interval be- 

 tween man and the animals ; and the two-hand- 

 ed fpecies coaftitute a mean term in the dillance 

 between man and the cetaceous tribes. The 

 bipeds with wings form the iliade between qua- 

 drupeds and birds ; and the digitated fpecies, 

 ■who ufe their fore feet as hands, fill the whole 

 fpace between the quadrupeds and the four- 

 handed kinds. But 1 will purfue this fiib- 

 jcvil no farther : However uTcful it may be for 

 acquiring a diftinct knowledge of animals, it 

 is ftill more fo by affording a frefh proof, that 

 all our definitions or general terms want pre- 

 cifion, when applied to the objedts or beings 

 which they reprefcnr. 



But why are thefe definitions and general 

 terms, which appear to be the moft brilliant exer- 

 tions of the human intelledt, fo defedlive in their 

 application ? Does the error neceflarily arife fi-om 

 the narrow limits of our underftandin-r? Or. 

 rather, does it not proceed folely from our in- 

 capacity of combining and perceiving at one 

 time a great number of objeds ? Let us com- 

 pare the works of Nature with thofe of man. 

 Let us examine how both operate, and inquire 

 whether the mind, however acute, can follow 

 tJie fame route, without lofing itfelf in the 

 im'menfity of fpace, in the obfcurity of time, 

 or in the infinity of related beings. When 

 man directs his mind to any objcft, if his per- 

 ceptions be accurate, he takes the ftraight line, 



runs 



