But for the poor fhiftlefs Irrationals, it is a prodigious Act of the great Creator's Indulgence, that they are all ready furnished with fuch Cloathing, as is proper to their Place and Bufinefs (6). Some covered with Hair (7), fome with

(6) Animantium vero quanta varietas eft? quanta ad eam rem vis, ut in fuo quaque genere permaneant? quarum alia coriis tette funt, alia villis veftita, alia fpinis hirfute: pluma alias, alias fquammâ videmus obductas, alias effe cornibus armatas, alias habere effugia pennarum. Cic de Nat. Deor. 1.

2. c. 47.

(7) From Malpighi's curious Obfervations of the Hair, I fhall note three things. 1. Their Structure is fiftulous or tubular; which hath long been a Doubt among the curious. Fiftulofum [effe Pilum] demoftrant luftratio pilorum à cauda & collo Equorum, &c. ---præcipuè fetarum Apri, quæ patenti, orem ex fiftulis compofitionem exhibent. Eft autem dictus Apri pilus Cylindricum corpus quafi diaphanum---fiftularum aggere conflatum, & fpeciem columna ftriata pra fe fert. Componentes fiftula in gyrum fituata in apice patentiores redduntur; nam bians pilus in geminas dividitur partes, & componentes minima fiftula----liberiores reddita manifeftantur, ita ut enumerari poffunt; bas autem 20, & ultra numeravi. Expofita fiftule---- tubulofæ funt, & frequentibus tunicis tranfverfalitèr fituatis, veluti valvulis pollent. Et quoniam Spine, in Erinaceis præcipui, &c. nil aliud funt, quam duri

rigidi pili, ideo, &c. And then he defcribes the Hedgehog's Spines, in which those Tubes manifeftly appear, together with medullary Valves and Cells, not inelegant, which he hath figured in Tab. 16. at the end of his Works.

That which this fagacious, and not enough to be commended Obferver took notice of in the Structure of Hair, and its parity to the Spines, I have my felf observed in fome mealure to be true in the Hair of Cats, Rats, Mice, and divers other Animals; which look very prettily when viewed with a good Microscope. The Hair of a Mouse (the moft tranfparent of any I have viewed) feems to be one fingle tranfparent Tube, with a Pith made up of a fibrous fubftance running in dark lines, in fome hairs tranfverfly, in others fpirally, as in Fig. 14, 15, 16, 17. Thefe darker medullary Parts, or Lines, I have obferved, are no other than small Fibres convolved round round, and lying clofer together than in other Parts of the Hair. They run from the bottom to the top of the Hair, and I imagine ferve to the

gentle

with Feathers (8), fome with Scales, fome with Shells (9), fome only with Skin, and fome with firm and ftout Armature; all nicely accommodated to the Element in which the Creature liveth, and its occafions there (10). To Quadrupeds Hair is a commodious Cloathing; which, together with the apt Texture of their Skin, fitteth them for all Weathers, to lie on the Ground, and to do the Offices of Man; and the thick and warm Furs and Fleeces of others, are not only a good Defenfative againft the Cold and Wet, but also a foft Bed to repofe themselves in, and to many of them, a comfortable covering, to nurfe and cherish their render Young.

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And as Hair to Quadrupeds, fo Feathers are as commodious a dress to fuch as fly in the Air, to Birds, and fome Infects; not only a good guard against Wet and Cold, and a comfortable Covering

gentle Evacuation of fome Humour out of the Body; perhaps the Hair ferves as well for the Infenfible Perfpiration of hairy Animals, as to fence againft Cold and Wet. In Fig. 14, 16. is reprefented the Hair of a Moufe, as it appears through a fmall Magnifier; and in Fig. 15. 17. as it appears when viewed with a larger Magnifier.

Upon another Review, I imagine, that although in Fig. 14, 15. the dark Parts of the Pith feem to be tranfverfe, that they as well as in the two other Figures, run round in a fcrew-like Fashion.

(8) See Book VIII. Chap. 1. Not. 4, 5.

(9) See Chap. 14. Note 3.

(10) It is a fign fome wife Artift was a Contriver of the Cloathing of Animals; not only as their Cloathing varies as their way of Living doth; but also because every Part of their Bodies is furnished with proper fuitable Cloathing. Thus divers Animals that have their Bodies covered for the moft part with fhort, fmooth Hair, have fome Parts left na ked, where Hair would be an Annoyance; and fome Parts befet with long Hair, as the Mane and Tail; and fome with ftiff, ftrong Briftles, as about the Nofe, and fometimes within the Noffrils, to guard off, or give warning of Annoyances

223 ing to fuch as hatch and brood their Young; but alfo moft commodious for their Flight, To which purpose they are nicely and neatly placed every where on the Body, to give them an eafie Paffage through the Air (11), and to affift in the wafting their Body through that thin Medium. For which Service, how curious is their Texture for Lightnefs, and withal for Strength? Hollow and thin for Lightness, but withal, context and firm for Strength. And where 'tis neceffary they should be filled, what a light and ftrong medullary Subftance is it they are filled with? By which curious Contrivances, even the very heaviest Parts made for Strength, are fo far from being a load to the Body, that they rather affift in making it light and buoyant, and capacitate it for Flight. But for the Vanes, the lighteft part of the Feather, how curiously are they wrought with capillary Filaments, neatly interwoven together (12), whereby they are not only light, but alfo fufficiently close, and ftrong, to keep the Body warm, and guard it against the Injuries of Weather, and withal, to impower the Wings like fo many Sails, to make ftrong Impulfes upon the Air in their Flight (13). Thus curious, thus artificial,

thus

(11) The Feathers being placed from the Head towards the Tail, in clofe and neat Order, and withal preened and dreffed by the Contents of the Oil-bag, afford as eafie a Paffage through the Air, as a Boat new cleaned and dreffed finds in its Paffage through the Waters. Whereas, were the Fea thers placed the contrary, or any other way (as they would have been, had they been placed by Chance, or without Art) they would then have gathered Air, and been a great Encumbrance to the Paffage of the Body through the Air. See Book VII. Chap. 1. Note 2.

(12) In Book VII. Chap. 1. Note 5. there is a particular Account of the Mechanifm of their Vanes, from fome nice Microscopical Obfervations, and therefore I fhall take no farther Notice of it here.

(13) Vid. Borell de Mot. Animal, Prop. 182. Vol. 1, (14)

thus commodious is the Cloathing of Beafts and Birds: Concerning which, more in proper place.

And no lefs might I fhew that of Reptiles, and Fishes (14) to be, if it was convenient to enlarge upon this Branch of the Creator's Works. How well adapted are the Annuli of fome Reptiles, and the Contortions of the Skin of others, not only to fence the Body fufficiently againft outward Injuries; but to enable them to creep, to perforate the Earth (15) and in a word, to perform all the Offices of their Reptile State, much better than any other Tegument of the Body would do? And the fame might be faid of the covering of the Inhabitants of the Waters, particularly the Shells of fome, which are a ftrong guard to the tender Body that is within, and confiftent enough with their flower Motion; and the Scales and Skins of others, affording them an eafie and fwift Paffage through the Waters. But it may be fufficient to give on

(14) See Book IV.

ly

(15) For a Sample of this Branch of my Survey, let us chufe the Tegument of Earth-Worms, which we fhall find compleatly adapted to their way of Life and Motion, being made in the most compleat manner poffible for terebrating the Earth, and creeping where their Occafions lead them. For their Body is made throughout of fmall Rings, and thefe Rings have a curious Apparatus of Mufcles, enabling thofe Creatures with great Strength to dilate, extend, or contract their Annuli, and whole Body; thole Annuli alfo are each of them armed with fmall, ftiff, fharp Beards, or Prickles, which they can open, to lay hold on; or fhut up clofe to their Body: And lastly, under the Skin there lies a flimy Juice, that they emit, as occafion is, at certain Perforations between the Annuli, to lubricate the Body, and facilitate their Paffage into the Earth. By all which means they are enabled, with great speed, cafe, and safety, to thrust, and wedge themselves into the Earth; which they could not do, had their Bodies been covered with Hair, Feathers, Scales, or fuch like Clothing of the other Creatures. See more concerning this Animal, Book IX. Chap, 1, Note 1.

ly a hint of these things, which more properly belong to another place.

Thus hath the indulgent Creator furnished the whole Animal World with convenient, fuitable Cloathing.

"

2. Let us in the next place take a fhort View of the Garniture (16) and Beauty thereof. And here we fhall thus far, at leaft, defcry it to be beautiful, that it is Compleat and Workman-like. Even the Cloathing of the moft fordid Animal, thofe that are the leaft beautified with Colours, or rather whose Cloathing may regrate the Eye (17); yet when we come ftrictly to view them, and feriously confider the nice Mechanism of one Part, the admirable Texture of another, and the exact Symmetry of the whole, we difcern fuch Strokes of inimitable Skill, fuch incomparable Curiofity, that we may say with Solomon, Ecclef. 3. 11. [God] 3.11. hath made every thing beautiful in his time.

But for a farther Demonstration of the fupereminent Dexterity of his Almighty Hand, he hath been pleased, as it were on purpose, to give furprizing Beauties to divers Kinds of Animals. What radiant Colours are many of them, particularly fome Birds and Infects (18), bedecked with! What

a

(16) Ariftotle, in his Hift. Anim. 1. 3. c. 12. names feveral Rivers, that by being drank of, change the Colour of the Hair.

(17) For an Example, let us take the Cloathing of the Tortoife and Viper, becaufe, by an incurious View, it rather regrateth than pleaseth the Eye: But yet, by an accurate Survey, we find the Shells of the former, and the Scales of the latter to be a curious piece of Mechanifm, neatly made, and fo compleatly and well put and tacked together, as to exceed any Human Composures. Of the latter lee more in Book IX. Chap. 1. Not. 3.

(18) It would be endlefs to enter into the Particulars of the beautiful Birds and Infects of our European Parts; but especially those inhabiting the Countries between the Tro