MAMMIFEROUS ANIMALS. 335 



liarity of its structure and its habits; is ren- 

 dered, by the high temperature of tropical lati- 

 tudes, an animal comparatively of vast magni- 

 tude, disgusting in aspect, and most truly formid- 

 able in its propensities, which are rendered the 

 more dangerous from the invidiousness of the 

 attacks, by which the sufferer is totally unpre- 

 pared to guard against the evil. 



In closing my account of the Bat, I may be 

 permitted to observe, that since this animal was 

 destined to derive the principal part of its food 

 from night insects which frequent the lower por- 

 tions of the atmosphere in the vicinity of build- 

 ings, we cannot but admire the peculiar mecha- 

 nism of its structure, by which the Bat is to be 

 distinguished from, every other animal, and 

 through whose agency, those various actions, (so 

 necessary to its preservation,) could alone have 

 been performed. 



Thus, throughout nature's works, however di- 

 versified in their forms, or opposed to each other 

 in their object, we uniformly see the same adap- 

 tation of the means to the end ; and though va- 

 rious instruments have been employed, we find 

 one general effect to be the result, namely, the 

 harmony of the ivhole. 



In the second order of LinnaBus, the animals 

 are distinguished by having very powerful grind- 

 ers, without front teeth in either jaw, and by 

 feet being fortified with strong, blunted. 



