OF APES. 6^ 



ture compcfed of the fame pieces, and nearly 

 fituated in the fame manner. This plan pro- 

 ceeds uniformly from man to the ape, from the 

 ape to quadrupeds, from quadrupeds to cetaceous 

 animals, to birds, to fifhes, and to reptiles : This 

 plan, I fay, when well apprehended by the hu- 

 man intelledl, exhibits a faithful pidure of ani- 

 mated Nature, and affords the moft general as 

 well as the moft fimple view under which (he 

 can be confidered : And, when we want to ex- 

 tend it, and to pafs from the animal to the ve- 

 getable, we perceive this plan, which had at firft 

 varied only by fliades, gradually degenerating 

 from reptiles to infeds, from infe£ts to worms, 

 from worms to zoophytes, from zoophytes to 

 plants ; and, though changed in all its external 

 parts, ftill preferring the fame charader, the 

 principal features of which are nutrition, growth, 

 and reprodudion. Thefe features are common 

 to all organized fubftances. They are eternal 

 and divine ; and, inftead of being effaced by 

 time, it only renews and renders them more con- 

 fpicuous. 



If, from this grand pidure of refemblances ex- 

 hibited in animated Nature, as conftituting but 

 one family, we pafs to that of the differences, 

 where each fpecies claims a feparate apartment, 

 and a diftind portrait, we fhall find, that, with 

 the exception of a few large kinds, fuch as the 

 elephant, the rhinoceros, the hippopotamus, the 

 tiger, and the lion, which ought to have parti- 

 cular 



