LECTURE I. 19 



distances si differentes? Quelle est la source 

 de la force prodigieuse des muscles des 

 oiseaux ? Cette force comment est elle 

 employee a produire ce mouvement si 

 etonnant du vol ? Quelle est la cause de 

 I'etendue, et de la variete de sa voix ? Tel 

 reptile, pourquoi est-il si engourdie ? Tel 

 ver, comment conserve-t-il la vie long tems 

 apres etre divise ? Tel zoophyte comment 

 peut on vivre egalement bien quelque parties 

 de son corps que Ton en retranche. Sup- 

 pose-t-on qu'il puisse exister une histoire 

 naturelle sans ces questions, et des milliers 

 d'autres semblables?" 



Believing that no man will ever labour in 

 the strenuous and unremitting manner that 

 Mr. Hunter did, and to the detriment of his 

 own private interest, without some strong 

 incentive ; I have supposed, that at an early 

 period he conceived those notions of life 

 which were confirmed by his future en- 

 quiries and experiments. He began his ob- 

 servations on the incubated egg, in the year 

 1755, which must either have suggested or 

 corroborated all his opinions with regard to 



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