236 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



The captivating language of Buffon was employed with 

 all its effect and elegance in describing the weakness, insensi- 

 bility, and insignificance of the Guinea-pig ; and M.F.Cu- 

 vier has been not less energetic on the same subject than his 

 great precursor in zoological science. The latter of these 

 writers, however, by limiting his publications to what he 

 has been enabled to see and study in nature, is less excursive 

 and hypothetical, and more implicitly to be trusted in all 

 his statements ; whenever, therefore, we find him pursuing 

 the path of Buffon, we may be assured that it is not merely 

 because the track was beaten to his feet, but because he 

 was satisfied from observation that it was the correct one. 

 We shall proceed to abridge his notice of the animal in 

 question. 



Gentle in disposition, docile through weakness, almost 

 insensible to every thing, the Guinea-pig has the appear- 

 ance of an automaton endued with fecundity, but created 

 only to represent a species. These are the traits, says M. 

 Cuvier, with which Buffon terminates his article on this 

 animal, and which characterize it with the utmost pro- 

 priety. Every animal receiving from nature the instinct of 

 self-preservation, receives with it within certain limits the 

 means of obeying it. All endeavour, in the first instance, 

 to avoid their enemies ; but if escape be ineffectual, they 

 employ some one or more of their organs as weapons of 

 self-defence. The Monkey will endeavour to wound with 

 his nails and his teeth ; the Dog limits his exertions to 

 biting ; the Cat tears with her talons ; the Ruminantia 

 exert their horns ; the Horse will kick ; the generality of 

 the Rodentia employ their formidable incisive teeth to bite, 

 and sometimes their bent nails to tear — the Guinea-pig 

 alone cries out, and endeavours to fly. Whether nature has 

 so constituted this animal, or whether domestication has 

 rooted out its natural instinct, it appears to have no notion 

 of opposition, to escape from harm ; and its long incisive 



