Food (49), ftronger or weaker, membranaceous or mufcular.

But as remarkable a thing as any in this part of Animals, is, the curious Contrivance and Fabrick of the feveral Ventricles of ruminating Creatures. The very Act it felf of Rumination, is an excellent Provifion for the compleat Mastication of the Food, at the refting, leisure times of the Animal. But the Apparatus for this Service, of divers Ventricles for its various Uses and Purposes, together with their curious Mechanism, deferves great Admiration (49)

Having thus far purfued the Food to the Place, where, by its Reductiion into Chyle, it becomes a proper Aliment for the Body; I might next trace it through the feveral Meanders of the Guts, the Lacteals, and fo into the Blood (50), and af terwards into the very Habit of the Body; I might

alfo

(48) In moft carnivorous Birds, the third Ventricle is Mem branous; where the Meat is concocted, as in a Man : Or fomewhat Tendinous, as in an Owl; as if it were made indifferently for Flesh, or other Meat, as he could meet with either. Or moft thick and tendinous, called the Gizard; wherein the Meat, as in à Mill, is ground to pieces, Grew, ubi fupra, Chap. 9.

(49) It would be much too long a Task to infift upon it here as it deferves, and therefore concerning the whole Bufinefs of Rumination, I fhall refer to F. Conr. Peyeri Merycalog. feu de Ruminantibus & Ruminatione Commentar. where he largely treateth of the feveral Ruminating Animals, of the Parts miniftring to this Act, and the great Ufe and Benefit thereof unto them.

(50) There are too many Particulars to be infifted on obfervable in the Paffages of the Chyle, from the Guts to the Left Subclavian Vein, where it enters into the Blood; and therefore I fhall only, for a Sample of this admirable Oeconomy, take notice of some of the main and more general Matters. And,

1. After the Food is become Chyle, and gotten into the Guts, it is an excellent Provifion made, not only for its Paf fage through the Guts, but alfo for its Protrufion into the

La&eals,

alfo take notice of the Separation made in the Inteftines, of what is nutritive (which is received) and what is feculent (being ejected) and the Impregnations there from the Pancreas and the Gall, and after it hath been ftrained through thofe curious Colanders, the Lacteal Veins, I might alfo obferve its Impregnations from the Glands and Lymphæducts; and, to name no more, I might farther view the exquifite Structure of the Parts mi→ niftring to all thefe delicate Offices of Nature; particularly the artificial Conformation of the In teftines might deferve a special enquiry, their Tunicks, Glands, Fibres traverfing one another (51),

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and

Latteals, by the Peristaltick Motion and Valvula conniventes of the Guts 2. It is an admirable Provifion, that the Mouths of the Lacteals and indeed the Latteals primi genel ris themselves are fmall and fine, not wider than the Capil lary Arteries are, left by admitting Particles of the Nourishment groffer than the Capillaries, dangerous Obftructions might be thereby produced. 3. After the reception of the Aliment into the Lacteals primi generis, it is a noble Provi fion for the advancement of its Motion, that in the Mefen terick Glands, it meets with fome of the Lympha-Ducts, and receives the Impregnations of the Lympha And paffing on from thence, it is no lefs Advantage, 4. That the Ladeals, and Lympha-Ducts meet in the Receptaculum Chyli, where the Aliment meeting with more of the Lympha, is made of a due Confiftence, and Temperament, for its farther Advancement through the Thoracick Daft, and fo into the Left Subclavian Vein and Blood. Lastly, This Thoracick Duck it self is a Part of great Confideration. For (as Mr. Cowper faith) If we confider in this Duft its feveral Divifions and Inofculations, its numerous Valves looking from below upwards, its advantageous Situation between the great Artery and Vertebra of the Back, together with the Ducts difcharging their refluent Lympha from the Lungs, and other neighbouring Parts, we fhall find all conduce to demonftrate the utmost Art of Nature ufed in furthering the fleep and perpendicular Afcent of the Chyle. Anat. Introduct.

(51) These although noble Contrivances and Works of God, are too many to be infifted on, and therefore, I fhall refer to the Anatomifts, particularly Dr. Willis Pharmaceut.

Dr. Cele

and periftaltick Motion in all Creatures; and their cochleous Paffage (52) to retard the Motion of the Chyle, and to make amends for the fhortnefs of the Inteftines, in fuch Creatures who have but one Gut, together with many other Accom modations of Nature in particular Animals that might be mentioned. But it fhall fuffice to have given only a general Hint of those curious and admirable Works of God. From whence it is a bundantly manifeft how little weight there is in the former Atheistical Objection. Which will receive a further Confutation from the

16. and laft thing relating to Food, that I fhall fpeak of, namely The great Sagacity of all Animals, in finding out and providing their Food. In Man per haps we may not find any thing very admirable, or remarkable in this kind, by means of his ReaLon and Understanding, and his Supremacy over the inferior Creatures which anfwereth all his Occations relating to this Bulinefs. But then even here the Creator hath fhewed his Skill, in not over doing the Matter; in not providing Man with an unneceffary Apparatus, to effect over and over again what is feasible by the reach of his Understanding, and the power of his Authority.

q

But

Dr. Cole in Phil. Tranf. No. 125. and Mr Cowper's elegant Cuts in Anat, Tab 34 35, and Append. Fig. 39, 40.

(52 In the Thornback, and fome other Fishes, it is a ve ry curious Provifion that is made to fupply the Paucity and Brevity of the Guts; by the Perforation of their fingle Gut, going traight along, but round round like a pair of winding Seairs; fo that their Gut, which feems to be but a few face ong, hath really a Bore of many Inches. But ofthelf okke any other noble Curiofities and Difcoveries in Ali the Reader will, I hope, have a better and. large con from the curious and ingenious Dr. Douglas, who is abiting in those matters.

Book IV. But for the inferiour Creatures, who want Reafon, the power of that natural Inftinct, that Sagacity (53) which the Creator hath imprinted upon them, do amply compenfate that Defect. And here we fhall find a glorious Scene of the Divine Wisdom, Power, Providence and Care, if we' view the various Inftincts of Beafts, great and small, of Birds, Infects, and Reptiles (54). "For among every Species of them, we may ficd notable Acts of Sagacity, or Inftinct, proportional to their Occafions for Food. Even among those whose Food is near at hand, and easily come at, as Grafs and Herbs, and confequently have no great need of Art to discover it; yet, that Faculty of their accurate Smell end Tafte, fo ready at every turn, to distinguish between what is falutary, and what pernicious (55), doth juftly deferve Praise. But

for

(53) Quibus beftiis erat is cibus, ut alius generis beftiis vefcerentur, aut vires natura dedit, aut celeritatem: data eft quibufdam etiam machinatio quadam, atque folertia, &c. Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1. 2. c. 48.

(54) Among Reptiles that have a strange Faculty to fhift for Food, &c. may be reckoned Eels, which, although belonging to the Waters, can creep on the land from Pond to Pond, &c. Mr. Mofely of Mofely, faw them creep over the Meadows, like fo many Snakes from Ditch to Ditch; which he thought, was not only for bettering their Habita tion, but alfo to catch Snails in the Grass, Plot's Hift. of Staffordsb. c. 7. §. 32.

And as early as the Year 1125, the Froft was so very intense, that the Eels were forced to leave the Waters, and were frozen to death in the Meadows, Vid. Hakewill's Apol. L. 2. Chap. 7. S. 2.

(55) Enumerare poffum, ad paftum capeffendum conficien dumque, que fit in figuris animantium & quam folers, fubtilifque defcriptio partium, quamque admirabilis fabrica membrorum. Omnia enim que intus inclufa funt, ita nata, atque ita locata funt, ut nibil eorum fupervacaneum fit, nihil ad vitam retinendam non necessarium. Dedit autem eadem Natura belluis & fenfum, & appetitum, ut altero conatum baberent ad naturales paftus capessendos; altero fecernerent peftifera à falutaribus, Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1. 2. c. 37. See Book IV. Chap. 4.

(56) It

205 for fuch Animals, whofe Food is not fo eafily come ar, a variety of wonderful Inftinct may be met with, fufficient to entertain the most curious Obferver. With what entertaining Power, and Artifice do fome Creatures hunt (56) and pursue their Game and Prey! And others watch and waylay theirs (57)! With what prodigious Sagacity

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(56) It would be endless to give Iaftances of my own and others Obfervations of the prodigious Sagacity of divers Animals in Hunting, particularly Hounds, Setting-Dogs, &c. one therefore fhall fuffice of Mr. Boyl's, viz. A Perfon of Quality---to make a Trial, whether a young Blood-Hound was well inftructed,---caused one of his Servants---to walk to a town four miles off, and then to a Market-Town three miles from thence.---- The Dog, without feeing the Man he was to purfue, followed him by the Scent to the above-mentioned places, notwithstanding the Multitude of Market-People that went along in the fame way, and of Travellers that bad occafion to crofs it. And when the Blood-Hound came to the chief MarketTown, be paffed through the Streets, without taking notice of any of the people there, and left not till he had gone to the boufe, where the Man he fought refted himself, and found him in an upper room, to the wonder of thofe that followed him. Boyl, determ. Nat. of Effluv. Chap. 4.

(57. There are many Stories told of the Craft of the Fox, to compafs his Prey; of which Ol. Magnus hath many fuch, as, feigning the barking of a Dog, to catch Prey near Houfes; feigning himself dead, to catch fuch Animals as come to feed upon him; laying his Tail on a Waip-Neft, and then rubbing it hard against a tree, and then eating the Wafps fo killed: ridding himself of Fleas, by gradually going into Water, with a Lock of Wool in his Mouth, and fo driving the Fleas up into it, and then leaving it in the Water By catching Crab-Fish with his Tail, which he faith he himself was an Eye-witnefs of; Vidi & ego in Scopulis Norvegia Vulpem, inter rupes immissà cauda in aquas, plures educere Cancros, ac demum devorare, Ol. Mag. Hift. 1. 18. c 39, 40.

But Pliny's fabulous Story of the Hyana out-does these Relations of the Fox, Sermonem humanum inter paftorum ftabula affimulare, nomenque alicujus addifcere, quem evocatum foràs laceret. Item Vomitionem hominis imitari ad follicitandos Canes quos iuvadat, Plin. Nat. Hift. 1, 8, c. 30.