Xli INTRODUCTION. 
animals that lead a life of hostility, and live upon 
others* have their feet armed with sharp claws* 
which some can sheath and unsheath at will. 
Those* on the contrary* who lead peaceful lives* 
have generally hoofs* which serve some as weapons 
of defence ; and which* in all* are better fitted 
for traversing extensive tracts of rugged country* 
than the claw-foot of their pursuers. 
The stomach is generally proportioned to the 
quality of the animal's food, or the ease with which 
it is obtained. In those that live upon flesh* and 
such nourishing substances* it is small and glan- 
dular* affording such juices as are best adapted to 
digest its coritents ; their intestines* also* are short* 
and without fatness. On the contrary* such ani- 
mals as feed entirely upon vegetables* have the 
stomach very large ; and those who chew the cud 
have no less than four stomachs* all which serve 
as so many laboritories* to prepare and turn their 
coarse food into proper nourishment. In Africa* 
where the plants afford greater nourishment than 
in our temperate climates* several animals* that 
with us have four stomachs* have there but two. 
However* in all animals the size of the intestines 
are proportioned to the nature of the food ; where 
that is furnished in large quantities* the stomach 
dilates to answer the increase. In domestic animals* 
that are plentifully supplied* it is large ; in the 
wild animals* that live precariously* it is much 
more contracted* and the intestines are much 
shorter. 
