46 OBSERVATIONS IN 



either in one way or other. But, in recompense, we support them ; so 

 that they do not provide for themselves in any shape, either in food, 

 lodging, or other needfuls in the economy of life. 



Iu smaller animals, viz. insects, we seem to reap small advantage 

 from their labours, except we destroy their means of life, viz. their 

 subsistence : therefore, we are at no pains to support them ; and their 

 whole labour is to provide for or support themselves, both in food, 

 lodging, keeping themselves clean, and a number of small economical 

 practices. "When they are of service to us, we either kill and use them, 

 or we rob them of their magazines. 



We see, then, what a difference there is in the disposition of these 

 two sizes or kinds of useful animals ; one kind never provides for the 

 manner of living and futurity, the other does ; and, therefore, it is more 

 like the human kind in this action. 



Animals in general may be supposed to be useful or hurtful in pro- 

 portion to their size : however, there may be exceptions to this. If 

 it be generally true, we may judge of any animal's use comparatively. 

 This is the reason why the large animals are made generally to live 

 upon the less ; and is the reason why we cultivate the largest of the 

 useful, and destroy the largest of the hurtful. It would seem strange 

 that any should be hurtful ; but, if we consider things rightly, we shall 

 find that it arises only from [or relates to] human government, not 

 from natural government ; and is therefore made to answer the present 

 system of the cultivated part of the world ; but none would be hurtful 

 in a natural state of the world. 



It was necessary that many animals should be made to prey upon 

 others ; else we should be overstocked with the smaller ; for it would 

 be too much for the human race to attend to the proportions that animals 

 ought to bear to one another. It would, from this, seem strange too 

 that nature should make them [the smaller] so prolific ; but this was 

 necessary to supply immediate wants. As we must suppose that they 

 are all useful, supposing the use of every one is not known, yet many 

 seem to be useless, and indeed are so in certain governments, and may 

 be so in every one ; and are only to be considered as the correctors of 

 quantity of others that are useful both in a natural and artificial state ; 

 which circumstance gives us the use of the others. In many governments 

 some animals are absolutely useless ; but this arises from the human 

 kind doing what those animals did [in a natural state]. 



In Britain wolves are of no service at present ; but they would be of 

 great service if the land was not inhabited ; for then the land would be 

 overrun with such animals as wolves live upon, which increase would 

 be a cause for those animals starving. Therefore, when parts of the 



