Query Vl

vegetables are elaborated from the elements of earth, air, water, and fire. We accordingly fee the more humid climates produce the greater quan- tity of vegetables. Vegetables .are me- diately or immediately the food of every animal: and in proportion to the quantity of food, we fee animals not only multi- plied in their numbers, but improved in their bulk, asfar as the laws of their nature will admit. Of this opinion is the Count de BufFon himfelf in another part of his [ 9^ ] work*: ** en general il paroit ques les pays un peufroids conviennent mieux a nos boeufs que les pays chauds, et qu'ils font d'autant plus grofs et plus grands que le climat eft plus humide et plus abondans en paturages. Les boeufs de Danemarck, de la Podolie, de rUlkraine et de la Tartaric qu habitent les Calmouques font les plus grands de tous." Here then a race of animals, and one of the largeft too, has been increafed in its dimenfions by cold and moijiurey in dired: oppofition to the hypo- thefis, which fuppofes that thefe two cir- cumftances diminifh animal bulk, and that it is their contraries heat and drynefs which enlarge it. But when we appeal to ex- perience, we are not to reft fatisfied with a fingle faft. Let us therefore try our queftion on more general ground. Let us take two portions of the earth, Europe and America for Inftance, fufRciently ex- tenfive to give operation to general caufes;