QUA 
It to the heat, were it not, that on the Africah 
coaftj where it is ftill more intenfe, this rule does 
not obtain; for in that region, inftead of degene- 
ratingj the goat feems rather to improve. Na- 
ture, however, feems to obferve a general rule 
among Quadrupeds; that thofe which are large 
and formidable produce but few at a time, while 
fuch as are fmall and contemptible are extremely- 
prolific. The lion and tiger feldom bring forth 
more than One at a time; while the car, which is 
of a fimilar nature, has often five or fix. Thus 
the lower tribes become extremely numerous; 
and but for this furprifing fecundity, from their 
natural weaknefs, they would fpeedily be extir- 
pated. Were the moufe as flow in production as 
the elephant, the breed would long fince have 
been extinft. But Providence has wifely ordained, 
that thofe animals which are incapable of making 
fuch refinance, fliould pofiefs the means of repair- 
ing that deftruclion which tliey muft often fulfer 
by their quick reprodudlion. 
The wifdom of Providence is equally difplayed 
with regard to the larger animals: they produce 
but flowly; for as they require fupport from na- 
ture in proportion to their bulk, they would foon 
confume their own ftores, were they more proli- 
fic; and, confequently, many of them would pe- 
rifh for want of food, and life would be indulged 
without the neceffary means of fubfiftence. Be- 
fides, did the elephant, the rhinoceros, and the 
lion, pofiTefs the fame degree of fecundity with the 
rabbit, all the arts of man would foon be unequal 
to the conteft, and they would fnortly become the 
tyrants of thofe who afted to call themfelves the 
maftcrs of the creation. 
Providence has therefore wifely balanced the 
ftrength of the great againft the fecundity of the 
little; and has alfo provided, that the larger ani- 
mals, which produce but few at once, feldom be- 
gin to generate till they have nearly acquired their 
full gi^owth; while thofe which bring forth many, 
engender before they have arrived at half their na- 
tural fize: the bull and the horfe, for example, 
are almoft full grown before they begin to breed ; 
but the hog and the rabbit become parents almoft 
as foon as they have quitted the teat. In propor- 
tion to their fize alfo, moft animals prolong the 
time of their pregnancy : the mare goes eleven 
months with young, the cow nine, the wolf five, 
and the bitch only nine weeks. The interme- 
diate litters are generally the moft fruitful in ail; 
the firft and the laft producing ufually the worft 
of the kind, as well as the feweft in number. 
Animals of all kinds, whatever their natural dif- 
pofitions may be at other times, acquire new cou- 
rage and fiercenefs in defence of their young. 
Neither terrors nor dangers can drive them from 
the poft of duty; and even the moft gentle then 
exert their little force, and threaten their invaders. 
Where no hopes are entertained from refiftance, 
they incur every danger in order to refcue their 
young by flight, and negleft their own fecurity 
in providing for that of their oftspring. Such as 
are naturally ftrong, and fubfiftby rapine, during 
this feafon are terrible indeed ! No obftacles can 
put a ftop to their ravages, nor any threats deter 
them : the lionefs then appears more daring than 
even the lion him.felf; flie attacks men and beafts 
indifcriininately ; and carries all (he can fubdue, 
reeking, to her cubs, whom flie thus early inures 
to blood and cruelty. 
Milk is the firft aliment of all Quadrupeds, a 
O tr A 
liquor at once nutritive and eafy of digeftion; 
this, in carnivorous animals, is much more fpar- 
ing than in others; and probably for this reafon, 
becaufe all fuch carry home their prey alive, in 
order that the blood may fupply the deficiency of 
milk. 
Nature, which has furniftied animals vj'nh cou- 
rage to protect their young, has alfo imparted to 
them inftinCt to chufe the proper fcafons of copu- 
lation, fo as to bring forth when the provifion 
iuitable to the age and appetite of each peculiar 
kind is to be found in the greateft abundance; 
and in general they couple at fuch times, that the 
females may bring forth during the mildeft fea- 
fons: the wolf, for inftance, couples in December, 
that fhe may produce in April, the time of preg- 
nancy being five months; and the mare, which 
goes eleven months, admits the horfe in fummer, 
that fhe may foal about the beginning of May. 
But thofe animals which treafure up provifions 
for the winter, as the beaver and the marmotte, 
cou,)le towards the latter end of autumn, in order 
to bring forth about January; for which unpro- 
pitious feafon they have provided the neceifary 
fupplies. With refpedl to foine of the domeftic 
kinds, however, the feafons of copulation are ge- 
nerally regulated by the quantity of provifions 
with which they are at any time fupplied: we may 
therefore caufe thefe animals to breed whenever 
we pleafe, by feeding, and procefting them from 
the rigours of the climate; and by this means 
lambs are produced all the year round. 
The choice of fituation for parturition is alio 
worthy of admiration. Among the moft rapa- 
cious kinds, the female takes the utmoft precau- 
tion to conceal from the male the place of her 
retreat, otherwife the ftimulations of hunger 
would frequently tempt him to devour the cubs: 
fhe therefore feldom ftrays far from her den, and 
never enters it while the male continues in view. 
Animals of tender conftitucions are particularly 
careful in providing places of warmth as well as 
fafety for their young: the rapacious kinds bring 
forth in the thickeft woods; the ruminant, toge- 
ther with the various tribes of the vermin kind, 
make choice of Ibme hiding-places in the vicinity 
of man; fome feek the hollows of trees; others 
dig holes in the ground; and all the amphibious 
kinds rear their young near the water, and habi- 
tuate them early to either element. 
There is, however, one clafs of Quadrupeds, 
which feems to be entirely left to chance, without 
parents or inftru(ftors to teach them the arts of de- 
fence, or aflift them in procuring fubfiftence : fuch 
are thofe produced from eggs, as the lizard, the 
tortoife, and the crocodile. Of all animals, tliefe 
are the moft prolific, often bringing forth above 
tv.'o hundred at a time. But as the ofi^spring is 
more numerous, the parental care is lefs necefl^ary 
for the continuance of the breed: without farther 
folicitude, they bury their eggs in the fand, leav- 
ing them to be maturated by the warmth of the 
fun ; and they arrive at perfection almoft as foon 
as difengaged from the ihells: and indeed it is a 
general obfervation, that the more imperfeCl any 
animal is, the fooner it arrives at maturity. Moft 
of them, without any guide, immediately move 
towards the water: but, in their pafl^age thither, 
they have innumerable enemies to fear; birds of 
prey, that haunt the lliore; beafts ; and even the 
parent animals themfelves, by a ftrange kind of 
rapacity, are faid to reduce their numbers. Pro- 
vidence 
