Vi PREFACE. 
nious, but adorned with all the beauties of ex- 
pression, and all the charms of novelty. 
Whichever way we turn our view, we shall 
find new subjects for our admiration and thank- 
fulness. The larger quadrupeds are formed in 
general for an inoffensive life, or are subservient 
to the rule of man ; the smaller, if mischevious, 
are happily limited in their powers of annoyance, 
by their want of courage or of strength ; but 
happily for us, and for the inoffensive order of 
animals, the most savage are limited in number, 
and the rest are either timid or irresolute, un- 
less when impelled by hunger, trusting in ge- 
neral rather to cunning than to force. 
The arts of those that pursue, however, are 
not more various than the subtile shifts of their 
prey to escape destruction ; and were it other- 
wise, the feeble race of animals would soon 
cease to exist, and the most ferocious would be 
compelled to prey upon each other, till they 
were utterly exterminated also. 
The lion, the tiger, and other predacious ani- 
mals, seldom come abroad during the day, but 
trust to the night for getting a supply of food. 
Thus man; who uses the interval of darkness as 
a season of repose, is not obnoxious to their at- 
tacks, and those creatures, which are the object 
of their pursuit, either find safety by flight, or 
shelter and protection by sagacity. Some place 
a centmel to warn them of approaching danger, 
and relieve each other in that station by turns ; 
other's form a phalanx for their mutual security, 
