XVI 
PREFACE. 
vented by the owner’s care. The gene- 
ration of infedts is more various and fur- 
prifing than that of the other parts of the 
animal creation ; many of them appear 
and adt as different animals, in fhapes very 
unlike each other, though they are iden- 
tically the fame. 
In claffmg of animals there is a very 
great difficulty. In birds we place the 
feveral fpecies of the fame genus together; 
but, when we have done this to the beft 
of our abilities, we are doubtful which 
genus to prefer to the firft place, and fo 
on to the laft ; for, I believe, no two 
men, who had not conlulted others, 
would place them in the fame order. 
The like may be faid of quadrupeds, 
fifties, and the whole tribe of leffer animals. 
It appears, at firft view, as if quadrupeds 
gradually declined into birds: for the Batt 
feems to have extended wings, and ac- 
tually flies; and the Gerbo (plate 219) 
hops like a bird on its hinder legs, never 
ufing its fore paws or hands in its pro- 
greflive motion, which is an adtion that 
belongs to birds: yet, on a ftridt ex- 
amination, neither of thefe animals have 
any relation at all to birds; for they bring 
forth their young alive, they nourilh them 
with their milk, they are covered with 
hair, they have teeth, and, in fhort, fodr 
limbs or legs, as other quadrupeds have. 
The Batt, indeed, has the fingers of its 
arms or fore legs greatly lengthened, and 
connedted by fine membranes, to enable 
it to fly in the air : the Gerbo has alfo 
hands or fore feet, with fingers, in which 
it holds its food, though it doth not put 
them to the ground in its progrdfion. 
7i y apporte du remede . La generation des 
infe&es eft plus variee , et plus furprenante y 
que celle des autres parties de la creation 
animale : il y en a plufteurs qui paroijjent 
et qui agiftent comme divers animaux , et 
qui fo7it faits fort differemment les uns des 
autres , quoiquils foient abfolument les mimes. 
11 y a des fres grandes difjicultes a ranger 
les animaux par clajfes . A Pegard des oifeaux > 
on met enfemble les diverfes efpeces du mime 
genre ; mais> quand ?ious avons fait cela le 
jnieux qiiil 7ious a ete pojjible , nous fommes 
mcertains quel genre placer au premier rang , 
et ainfi de Juite jufquau dernier ; car jc nc 
crois pas quil fe trouvdt dans le monde deux 
hommesy quiy fa?is avoir cotifulte perfojine au~ 
paravanty les mijjent da?is le mime ordre . 
On peut dire la mime chofe des quadrupedes r 
des poiftbnsy et de tous les petits animaux. 
On diroity au premier coup d'ceil, que les 
quadruples dechnent graduellement en oi- 
J'eaux ; car la Chauve Souris paroit avoir 
des ailes etenduiSy et vole rcellement ; et le 
Gerbo * faute comme un oifeau fur fes pates 
de derriercy et il ne fe fert jamais de fes 
jambes de devanty oil de fes mains , dans Jen 
jnouvemejit progreftif qui fe fait par un 
ail ion la quelle appartie?it en general aux 
oifeaux : cependanty apres un meur examen , 
ces deux anrnaux nont du tout y ?ii Pun ni 
V autre , aucune relation aux oifeaux ; car Us 
font leurs petits vivants r et les nourrijj'ent 
de leur hit ; Us font converts de poil y Us 
out des dentSy et y en fin , quatre piedsy com- 
me les autres quadrupedes . A la veritiy la 
Chauve Souris a les doigts de fes bras , ou 
de fes pattes de deva?it fort aloyigeSy et at- 
taches Pun a P autre par des membranes trc$ 
jlneSy par le 7iioyen defquelles elle vole dans 
Pa it': le Gerbo a aujji des mains ou des 
pattes de devanty avec des d&igts y dorit il fe 
fert pour tehir fa proyey quoiquil ne les 
pofe jamais ci terre pour marcher . 
* Voi. pi. 219. 
