45 



The opinion advanced by the Count de BufFon,* is 

 1. That the animals common both to the old and new 

 world, are smaller in the latter. 2. That those peculiar 

 to the new are on a smaller scale. 3. That those 

 which hiive been domesticated in both, have degenera- 

 ted in America: and 4. That on the whole it exhibits 

 fewer species. And the reason he thinks is, that the 

 heats of America are less; that more waters are spread 

 over its surface by nature, and fewer of these drained 

 off by the hand of man. In other words, that heat is 

 fri^indly, and moisture adverse to the production and 

 developement of large quadrupecls. 1 will not meet 

 this hypothesis on its first doubtful ground, whether 

 the cliujate of America be comparatively more humid ? 

 Because we are not furnished with observations suffi- 

 cient to decide this question. And though, till it be 

 decided, we are as free to deny, as others are to affirm 

 the fact, yet for a moment let it be supposed. The 

 hypothesis, after this supposition, f)roceeds to another; 

 that moisture is unfriendly to animal growth. The 

 truth of this is inscrutable to us by reasonings a priori. 

 Nature has hidden from us her modus agendi. Our 

 only appeal on such questions is to experience; and I 

 think that experience is against the supposition. It is 

 by the assistance of heat and inoistiwe that vegetables 

 are elaborated irom the elements of earth, air, water 

 and fire. We accordingly see the more humid cli- 

 mates produce the greater quantity of vegetables. 

 Vegetables are mediately or immediately the food of 

 every animal: and in proportion to the quantity of 

 food, we see animals not only multiplied in their num- 

 bers, but improved in their bulk, as far as the laws of 

 their nature will admit. Of this opir-on is the Count 

 de BufFon himself in another part of his work :f 'en 

 general il paroit que les pays un peu froids convien- 

 nent tnieux a nos boeufs que les pays chauds, et qu'ils 

 sont d'autant plus gross et plus grands que le climat 



* Bufifon, xviii. 100—156. t vJii. 134. 



