I 
1 1 8 ECONOMY 
them, and in cafe the guard ffiould be caught 
afleep, the reft tear him to pieces*. Hence the 
hunting of rapacious animals is not always fuc- 
cefsfull, and they are often obliged to labor for 
a whole day to no purpofe. For this reafon the 
Creator has given them fuch a nature, that they 
can bear failing a long time. Thus the lion 
lurks in his den many days without famifhing, 
and the wolf, when he has once well fatisfied 
his hunger, can fait many weeks without any 
difficulty. 
It appears by this table that the fmaller birds in general 
have more fail in proportion than the larger of the efculent 
kind, fuch as the pheafant, partridge, woodcock, ring-dove, 
&c. and that it fhould be fo contrived appears reafonable on 
more accounts than one. pirft, becaufe fmall birds living* 
many of them, amongft fhrubs and bufhes, are obliged to 
make jfhort and quick motions in hopping from bough to 
bough, at which time they always make ufe of their wings; 
fome of them live chiefly on worms and flies, which are not 
to be caught without great nimblenefs, and frequent gardens 
and houfes and are more liable to the attacks of cats and 
other animals. And thofe which live in the open fields are 
expofed to the hawk, and were they not quick at turning 
they would fcarcely ever efcape. 
Again the different proportions of the bulk to the furface 
in large and fmall birds is to the difadvantage of the latter, 
on account of the greater proportional refinance of the air, 
and this wanted fome compenfation. 
More might be added on this fubje&,but i am afraid mo A: 
readers will think what i have already faid is more than 
enough. 
* Maregraf. Braf. 227. Biberg. 
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