56 



Therefore, on the whole, we cannot agree 

 to consider an animal, endowed with carnivo- 

 rous grinders, to be herbivorous^ on the mere 

 ground, that mashed vegetable substances were 

 found in the vicinity of his bones 1 It would 

 be catching at straws, to support a theory, to 

 me entirely inadmissible. 1 could prefer 

 meeting the doctrine of those who suppose 

 the animals of a mixed nature ; though I have 

 no intention to abandon my own, that he is 

 carnivorous, and unmixed. It is true, not- 

 withstanding, that the lower jaw is furnished 

 with but four teeth, two on each side ; and 

 being unassociated either with incisor es or canine^ 

 it mig-ht be inferred, that his nature was not 

 wholly carnivorous, but mixed ; — and that a 

 being, whose existence would require such an 

 immoderate quantity of animal food, might, 

 under circumstances of necessity, be indued 

 with the faculty of subsisting on vegetable 

 substances. As the idea is not unreasonable, 

 I shall not oppose it, though I am far from 

 beino- of the belief myself, 



1 shall also be accused of placing an animal 

 of such extreme volume under the 2;enus of 



