472 



THE PHILOSOPHY 



' relifh fiefli when they came to England. In the iflands of the Pa- 

 ' cific Ocean, the dogs are bred upon vegetables, and would not eat 

 * flefh when offered them by our circumnavigators.' 



From fads of this kind, of which a great number might be men- 

 tioned, the following obfervations naturally arife. Thefe Chinefc 

 dogs, though defcended, probably for many generations, from a 

 race of anceftors who never had the leaft experience or education in 

 hunting, preferved their original inftindl of fcenting and purfuing 

 game. The dog is a grofsly carnivorous animal ; for he prefers car- 

 rion to any other kind of nourifliment.; yet the Chinefe dogs difco- 

 vered no particular relifh for the flelh of animals. Thus it appears, 

 that, by habits, acquired, not by the individual, but by a train of 

 anceftors, both the tafte and the conftitution of animals may be 

 greatly altered. From the fame fads, however, it is equally evident, 

 that Nature can never be entirely conquered. The moment the 

 Chinefe dogs firft faw a field, they both fcented and hunted game. 

 Imitation and habit feem to have greater effeds upon the mode of 

 living, feeding, and the corporeal fabrick, than upon the original 

 inftindts of the mind. Thefe dogs, even when they came to Eng- 

 land after a long voyage, had not acquired the habit of greedily de- 

 vouring, like other dogs, either frefh meat or carrion ; but, on the 

 firft opportunity afforded to them, they difcovered an inclination to 

 hunt. 



CHAP. 



