Clafsl. RABBET. gt 



' to be moft prolific, that are the mofl harmlefs and 

 ' and the properell for our food *. 



This excellent obfervation of his, cannot be better 

 illuftrated than in fiiewing the great fruitfulnefs of 

 this animal ; as it far exceeds that proof, brought by 

 the ingenious author of the ceconomy of nature, in 

 fupport of the fame quotation. The inftance he pro- 

 duces is the pigeon ; whofe increafe, from one pair, 

 may in four years amount to 14,760 -f- : but rabbets 

 will breed feven times a year, and bring eight young 

 ones each time: on a fuppofition this happens regu- 

 larly, during four years, their numbers will amount 

 to 1,274,840. 



By this account, we might juftly apprehend being 

 overflocked with thefe animals, if they had not a 

 large number of enemies which prevents the too 

 great increafe : not only men, but hawks, and beafts 

 of prey, make dreadful havoke among the fpecies. 

 Notwithftanding thefe diiferent enemies, we are told 

 by Pliny, and Strabo, that they once proved fo great a 

 nuifance to the inhabitants of the Balearic iflands, 

 that they were obliged to implore the afliftance of a 

 military force from the Romans, in the time oi Augiif- 

 tus, in order to extirpate them J. Their native coun- 

 try is ^-pain, where they were taken by means of 

 ferrets, as we do at prefent, which animals were firil 

 introduced there out of Africa § : they love a tem- 

 perate and a warm clinnate, and are incapable of 



* Benigna circa hoc natura, innocua ei efcuUnla animcdia facunaa 

 genera'vit. Lib.viii. c. 55. 



t Vide S^vedijb EiTays, cranflated by Mr. SttJ/j?tgj^eiff Ed. iff. 



P- 75- 



1 Pliri. lib. vui. c. 55. Strides, lib. iii. § Sirah, m. 144* 



bearing 



