OF NATURAL HISTORY. s^S 



In tracing the gradations from fifties to quadrupeds, the tranfi- 

 tlon is almoft imperceptible. The fea-lion, the morfe, all the ce- 

 taceous tribes, the crocodile, the turtle, the feals, have fuch a rc- 

 femblance, both in their external and internal ftrudure, to terref- 

 trial quadrupeds, that fome naturalifts, in their methodical diftri- 

 butions, have ranked them under the fame clafs of animals. The 

 bats and the flying fquirrels, who traverfe the air by means of mem- 

 branous inftead of feathered wings, evidently conned quadrupeds 

 with birds. The oftrich, the caflbwary, and the dodo, who rather 

 run than fly, form another link between the quadruped and the 

 bird. 



All the fubfl:ances we recognife on this earth may be divided in- 

 to organifed and animated, organifed and inanimated, and unor- 

 ganifed, or brute matter. The whole of thefe poflfefs degrees of 

 perfedion, of excellence, or of relative utility, proportioned to 

 their ftations or ranks in the univerfe. Change thefe ftations or 

 ranks, and another world would be neceflfary to contain and fup- 

 port them. Beings muft not be contemplated individually, but by 

 their rank, and the relations they have to the conftituent parts of 

 the general fyftem of Nature. Certain refults of their natures we 

 eonfider as evils. Deftroy thefe evils, and you annihilate the be- 

 ings who complain of them. The reciprocal aclion of the folids 

 and fluids conftitutes life, and the continuation of this adion is the 

 natural caufe of death. Immortality on this earth, therefore, pre- 

 fuppofes another fyftem ; for our planet has no relation to immor- 

 tal beings. Every animal, and every plant, rifes, by gentle gra- 

 dations, from an embryo, or gelatinous ftate, to a certain degree 

 of perfedion exadly proportioned to their feveral orders. An af- 

 femblage of all the orders of relative perfedion conftitutes the ab- 

 folute perfedion of the whole. All the planets of this fyftera 

 "•ravilate toward the fun and toward, each other. Our fyftem gra- 



vitates 



