﻿OP THE PANGOLIN. 357 



what else is necessary to the subsistence of his cor- 

 poreal machine ? 



Considering the scaly covering of this animal, we 

 may conceive that it may be at least necessary for 

 its existence, on that account, to imbibe a greater 

 proportion of earth than is necessary to other animals. 

 It may deserve consideration, that birds are covered 

 with feathers, which in their constituent principles ap- 

 proach to the nature of horn and bone. Of these 

 animals the gallinaceous tribe swallow stones ; and 

 the carnivorous take in the feathers and bones of their 

 prey : the latter article is known to be soluble in the 

 membranaceous stomachs ; and hence is a copious 

 supply of the earthy principles. In truth, I do not 

 know that any thing is soluble in the stomach of ani- 

 mals, which may not be thence absorbed into their 

 circulating system ; and nothing can be so absorbed 

 without affecting the whole constitution. 



What I have here stated is all that I could advance 

 to the Colonel ; but my opinion has been since not a 

 little confirmed, by observing the report of experi- 

 ment's by M. BruquateUi of Pavia, on the authority 

 of M. CrelU by which we learn, that some birds have 

 so great a dissolvent power in the gastric juice, as to 

 dissolve in their stomachs flints, rock-crystal, cal- 

 careous stones, and shells. 



I beg only farther to observe, that some things in 

 Buffons description of the Pangolin, not apparently 

 quite applicable to this animal, might have been ow- 

 ing to his description being only from the view of a 

 dried preparation, in which the organs of generation 

 would be obliterated, and the dugs shrivelled away so 

 as to be imperceptible; else that elegant philosopher 

 co&|d not have asserted that, " tons les anhnaux qua- 

 "impedes, qui sont converts d 'ecailles ■, font ovifiares." 



Aa 2 



