OF NATURE, 51 
remarkable fertility, that they may ferve for 
food, not only to man, but to hawks and other 
birds of prey *. Nature has made harmlefs and 
efculent animals fruitfull. Plin. Nature has 
forbid the bird kind to fall fhort of the num- 
ber of eggs allotted to each fpecies, and there* 
fore if the eggs which they intend to fit upon, 
be taken away a certain number of times, 
they prefently lay others in their room, as may 
be feen in the fwallow, duck, and fmall birds.*, 
Prefervation. 
Prefervation follows generation ; this ap- 
pears chiefly in the tender age, while the 
young are unable to provide for their own fup- 
port. For then the parents, though otherwife 
ever fo fierce in their difpofition, are affefled 
with a wonderful! tendernefs or fenfe of love 
towards their progeny, and fpare no pains to 
provide for, guard, and preferve them, and 
that not by an imaginary law, but one given 
by the Lord of nature himfelf. 
Quadrupeds give fuck to their tender young 
and fupport them by a liquor, perfectly eafy of 
digeftion, till their ftomachs are able to digeft, 
* Vid. Mufchenbr. Orat. de Sap. Divin. 
and 
