Domeflic? obliges. fources? derives? emoluments? mafacred? caprice? horfe, the dog, the cat, he makes domeftic flaves; and though in his own country, none of thete fpecies is used for food, he either obliges them to labor for him, or keeps them as fources of pleasure and amulement. From other quadrupeds, as the ox, the fheep, the goat, and the deer kind, he derives innumerable advantages. 9. The ox kind in particular, after receiv ing the emoluments of their labor and fertility, herewards with death, and then feeds upon their carcafes. Many other fpecies, tho' not com-monly used as food, are daily maffacred in millions for the purpofes of commerce,luxury, and caprice. Myriads of quadrupeds are annu-odoriferous? ally deftroyed for the fake of their furs, their hides, their tufks, their odoriferous fecretions, &c. prolific? delicious? domefticate? 10. Over the feathered tribes the dominion of man is not lefs extenfive. There is not a fingle fpecies in the numerous and diverfified clafs of birds, which he either does not, or, may not, employ for the nourishment of his body. By his fagacity and addrefs he has been enabled to domefticate many of the more prolific and delicious fpecies, as turkies, geefe,and various kinds of poultry. Thefe he multiplies without end, and devours at pleasure. poultry? ocean. ingenuity? artificial? 11. Neither do the inhabitants of the waters efcape the rapacity of man. Rivers, lakes, and even the ocean itself, feel the power of his empire, and are forced to fupply him with provifions. Neither air nor water can defend against the ingenuity, the art and the deftructive industry of the human fpecies. 12. Man may be faid even to have domefti. cated fome fishes. In artificial ponds, he feeds and rears carp, tench, perch, trout and other . fpecies, and with them occafionally furnishes his table. 13. It might have been expected, that in fects reptiles? aspect. fects and reptiles, fome of which have a moft Infects? 14. Thus man holds, and too often exercifes, a tyrannical dominion over atmoft the whole brute creation, not because he is the ftrongest of all animals, but becaufe his intellect, is vastly superior to that of the most fagacious of the lefs favoured tribes. venom? deleterious 3 tyrannical. Jagacious? 15. He reigns over the other animals, be- perfevering? caufe, like them, he is not only endowed with fentiment, but becaufe the powers of his mind are more extenfive. He overcomes force inacceffible? by ingenuity, and fwiftnefs by art and perfevering industry. In this way he has eftablifhed an empire that has no other limits folitudes? than inacceffible folitudes, obfcure caverns, burning fands, or frozen mountains. SECTION 2. Rapacious Quadrupeds: 16. Next to man, the carnivorous quadru Infefted? peds are the mof numerous and the most deftructive. Different parts of the earth are infested with lions, tigers, panthers, ounces,. leopards, jaguars, couguars, lynxes, wild cats, dogs, jackals, wolves, foxes, hyenas, civets, polecats, martins, ferrets, ermines, gluttons, Lynness bats, &c. Though all these, and many other tribes of quadrupeds, live folely upon blood and carnage, yet fome of them, as the tiger, the wolf, the hyena, and many other inferior fpecies, are much more rapacious and deftructive than others. In carnage? 17. In temperate climates, the wolf feems to exceed all other animals in the ferocity and rapacioufnets of his difpofition. When preffed with hunger, he braves every danger. He attacks all those animals which are under the protection of man, efpecially fuch as he can carry off with eafe, as lambs, kids, and the fmaller kinds of dogs. 18. When fuccefsful in his expeditions, he returns often to the charge, till after being chaced and wounded by men and dogs,he retires, during the day, to his den. In the night. he again iffues forth, traverfes the country, roams round the cottages, kills all the animals, that have been left without, digs the earth under the doors, enters with a terrible ferocity, and puts every living creature to death, before he chooses to depart, and carry off his prey. 19. When thefe inroads happen to be fruitless, he returns to the woods, fearches about with avidity, follows the track and the fcent of wild beafts, and pursues them till they fall a prey to his rapacity: In a word, when his hunger is extreme, he looses all idea of fear, attacks women and children, and fometimes men; at last he becomes perfectly furious by exceffive exertions, and generally falls a facrifice to pure rage and distraction. 20. When several wolves appear together,it is not an affociation of peace, but of war. It is attended with tumult and dreadful growlings, and indicates an attack upon fome of the larger animals, as a ftag, an ox, or a formida 'ble maftiff. This depredatory expedition is no fooner ended than they separate, and every. individual returns in filence to his folitude. 21. Wolves are fond of human flesh. They have been known to follow armies, to come interred? in troops to the field of battle, where bodies are carelessly interred, to tear them up, and to devour them with an infatiable avidity; tear. and when once accustomed to human flesh, thofe wolves ever after attack men, prefer the fhepherd to the flock, devour women and carry off children. Whole countries are fometimes obliged to arm, in order to deftroy the wolves. Thefe dangerous animals have long been totally extirpated from Great-Britain extirpated? and her iflands. SECTION 3. Rapacious Birds. infatiable? avidity? 22. Neither are the feathered tribes exempted exempted? from the general law of devaftation. But the number of birds of prey, properly fo called, is much less in proportion than that of carnivorous quadrupeds. Birds of prey are like wife weaker; and of course, the deftruction of devaftation?? animal life they occafion is much more limited than the immenfe devaftations daily committed by rapacious quadrupeds. 23. In a certain fenfe, every fpecies of bird may be faid to be a bird of prey; for almoft prolific'?' the whole of them devour flies, worms, and other infects, either for food to themselves or their young. Birds of prey, like carnivorous quadrupeds, are not fo prolific as the milder inffenfive ? and more inoffenfive kinds, 24. All birds of prey exhibit an obduracy and a ferociousaefs of difpofition, while the other kinds are mild, cheerful, and gentle, in exhibit? ciently able to provide for themselves. This relinquish? 25. When prey is fcanty which often happens, fae in a manner ftarves herself to fupport her young. Paroxyfm young. But when her hunger becomes exceffive fhe forgets her parental affection,strikes, expels, and fometimes, in a paroxyfm of fury produced by want, kills her offspring. averion to fociety is another effect of this natural and acquired obduracy of temper. averfion? affociate? folitary? rivals ? quarreling. Rapine? evafion? infatiable? impels? food. An 26. Birds of prey, as well as carnivorous quadrupeds, never afsociate. Like robbers, they lead a folitary and wandering life mutualattachment unites the male and female; and, as they are both capable of providing for them-felves, and can give mutual affistance in making war against other animals, they never feparate, even after the feafon of love. The fame pair are uniformly found in the fame place; but they never affemble in flocks, nor even affociate in families. 2. The larger kinds, as the eagles, require a greater quantity of food, and for that rea. fon, never allow their own offspring, after they have become rivals, to approach the places which the parents frequent. But all thofe birds, and all thofe quadrupeds, which are nourished. by the productions of the earth, live in families, are fond of fociety, and affemble in numerous flocks, without quarreling or disturbing: one another. SECTION 4 All Fifbes are Rapacious. 28. Every inhabitant of the waters depends for its existence upon rapine and deftruction. The life of every fifb,from the fmalleft to the greatest is one continued scene of hoftility, vi-olence, and evafion. Their appetite for foodis almost in atiable. Itimpels them to encoun-" ter every danger. 29. They are in continual motion; and the object of all their movements is to devour other fithes, or to avoid their own deftruction. Their defire for food is fo keen and undiftinguishing, that ༣ |
