Chapter 38

CHAP. XII.Of the Cloathing of Animals.

Of the Cloathing of Animals.

Having in the foregoing Chapter somewhat largely taken a view of the Infinite Creator’s Wisdom and Goodness towards his Creatures, in ordering their Food, I shall be more brief in this Chapters in my View of theirCloathing[a]; anothernecessary Appendage of Life, and in which we have plain Tokens of the Creator’s Art, manifested in these two Particulars; theSuitableness of Animals Cloathing to their Place and Occasions; and theGarniture and Beauty thereof.

I. The Cloathing of Animals is suited to their Place of Abode, and Occasions there; a manifest Act of Design and Skill. For if there was a Possibility, that Animals could have been accoutred any other Way, than by God that made them, it must needs have come to pass, that their Cloathing would have been at all Adventures, or all made the same Mode and Way, or some of it, at least, inconvenient and unsuitable. But on the contrary, we find all is curious and compleat, nothing too much, nothing too little, nothing bungling, nothing but what will bear the Scrutiny of the most exquisite Artist; yea, and so far out-do his best Skill, that his most exquisite Imitations, even of the meanest Hair, Feather, Scale, or Shell, will be found only as so many ugly, ill-made Blunders and Botches, when strictly brought to the Test of good Glasses. But we shall find an Example remarkable enough in the present Case, if we only compare the best of Cloathing which Man makes for himself, with that given by the Creator for the Covering of the irrational Creatures. Of which it may be said, as ourSaviourdoth of the Flowers of the Field,Mat. vi. 29.That even Solomon, in all his Glory, was not arrayed like one of these.

But let us come to Particulars, and consider the Suitableness of the different Method the Creator hath taken in the Cloathing of Man, and of the irrational Animals. ThisPliny[b]pathetically laments,and says,It is hard to judge, whether Nature hath been a kinder Parent, or more cruel Step-Mother to Man.For, says he,Of all Creatures, he alone is covered with other’s Riches, whereas Nature hath given various Cloathing to other Animals, Shells, Hides, Prickles, Shag, Bristles, Hair, Down, Quills, Scales, Fleeces; and Trees she hath fenced with a Bark or two against the Injuries of Cold and Heat. Only poor naked Man, says he,is in the Day of his Birth cast into the wide World, to immediate crying and squalling; and none of all Creatures besides, so soon to Tears in the very beginning of their Life.

But here we have a manifest Demonstration of the Care and Wisdom of God towards his Creatures; that such should come into the World with their Bodies ready furnished and accommodated, who had neither Reason nor Forecast to contrive, nor Parts adapted to the Artifices and Workmanship of Cloathing; but for Man, he being endowed with the transcending Faculty of Reason, and thereby made able to help himself, by havingThoughts to contrive, and withal Hands to effect, and sufficient Materials[c]afforded him from the Skins and Fleeces of Animals, and from various Trees and Plants: Man, I say, having all this Provision made for him, therefore the Creatorhath wisely made him naked, and left him to shift for himself, being so well able to help himself.

And a notable Act this is of the Wisdom of God, not only as the more setting forth his Care and Kindness to them that most needed his Help, the helpless irrational Animals, and in his not over-doing his Work; but also as it is most agreeable to the Nature and State of Man[d], both on natural and political Accounts. That Man should cloath himself is most agreeable to his Nature, particularly(among other Things,) as being most salutary, and most suitable to his Affairs. For by this Means, Man can adapt his Cloathing to all Seasons, to all Climates, to this, or to any Business. He can hereby keep himself sweet and clean, fence off many Injuries; but above all, by this Method of Cloathing, with the natural Texture of his Skin adapted to it, it is that grand Means of Health, namely,insensible Perspiration[e]is perform’d, at least greatly promoted, without which an human Body would be soon over-run with Disease.

In the next Place, there are good political Reasons for Man’s cloathing himself, inasmuch as his Industry is hereby employ’d in the Exercises of his Art and Ingenuity; his Diligence and Care are exerted in keeping himself sweet, cleanly, and neat; many Callings and Ways of Life arise from thence, and, (to name no more,) the Ranks and Degrees of Men are hereby in some Measure render’d visible to others, in the several Nations of the Earth.

Thus it is manifestly best for Man that he should cloath himself.

But for the poor shiftless Irrationals, it is a prodigious Act of the great Creator’s Indulgence, that they are all ready furnished with such Cloathing, as is proper to their Place and Business[f]. Some covered with Hair[g], some withFeathers[h], some with Scales, some with Shells[i], some only Skin, and some with firm and stout Armature; all nicely accommodated to the Element in which the Creature liveth, and its occasions there[k]. ToQuadrupedsHair 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 Defensative against the Cold and Wet; but also a soft Bed to repose themselves in; and to many of them, a comfortable covering, to nurse and cherish their tender Young.

And as Hair to Quadrupeds; so Feathers are as commodious a Dress to such as fly in the Air, to Birds, and some Insects; not only a good Guard against Wet and Cold, and a comfortable Coveringto such as hatch and brood their Young; but also most commodious for their Flight. To which purpose they are nicely and neatly placed every where on the Body, to give them an easie Passage through the Air[l], and to assist in the wafting their Body through that thin Medium. For which Service, how curious is their Texture for Lightness, and withal for Strength? Hollow and thin for Lightness, but withal, context and firm for Strength. And where ’tis necessary they should be filled, what a light and strong medullary Substance is it they are filled with? By which curious Contrivances, even the very heaviest Parts made for Strength, are so far from being a Load to the Body, that they rather assist in making it light and buoyant, and capacitate it for Flight. But for the Vanes, the lightest part of the Feather, how curiously are they wrought with capillary Filaments, neatly interwoven together[m], whereby they are not only light, but also sufficiently close and strong, to keep the Body warm, and guard it against the Injuries of Weather, and withal, to impower the Wings, like so many Sails, to make strong Impulses upon the Air in their Flight[n]. Thus curious, thus artificial,thus commodious is the Cloathing of Beasts and Birds: Concerning which, more in proper Place.

And no less might I shew that of Reptiles and Fishes[o]to be, if it was convenient to enlarge upon this Branch of the Creator’s Works. How well adapted are theAnnuliof some Reptiles, and the Contortions of the Skin of others, not only to fence the Body sufficiently against outward Injuries; but to enable them to creep, to perforate the Earth[p], 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 same might be said of the Covering of the Inhabitants of the Waters, particularly the Shells of some, which are a strong Guard to the tender Body that is within, and consistent enough with their slower Motion; and the Scales and Skins of others, affording them an easie and swift Passage through the Waters. Butit may be sufficient to give only a Hint of these Things, which more properly belong to another Place.

Thus hath the indulgent Creator furnish’d the whole animal World with convenient, suitable Cloathing.

II. Let us in the next Place take a short View of theGarniture[q], andBeautythereof. And here we shall thus far, at least, descry it to be beautiful; that it is compleat and workman-like. Even the Cloathing of the most sordid Animals, those that are the least beautified with Colours, or rather whose Cloathing may regrate the Eye[r]; yet when we come strictly to view them, and seriously consider the nice Mechanism of one Part, the admirable Texture of another, and the exact Symmetry of the Whole; we discern such Strokes of inimitable Skill, such incomparable Curiosity, that we may say withSolomon, Eccl. iii. 11. [God]hath made every Thing beautiful in his Time.

But for a farther Demonstration, of the super-eminent Dexterity of his almighty Hand, he hath been pleas’d, as it were on Purpose, to give surprizing Beauties to divers Kinds of Animals. What radiant Colours are many of them, particularly some Birds and Insects[s], bedeck’d with! Whata prodigious Combination is there often of these, yea, how nice an Air frequently of meaner Colours[t], as to captivate the Eye of all Beholders, and exceed the Dexterity of the most exquisite Pencil to copy?

And now, when we thus find a whole World of Animals, cloathed in the wisest Manner, the most suitable to the Element in which they live, the Place in which they reside, and their State and Occasions there; when those that are able to shift for themselves, are left to their own Discretion and Diligence, but the Helpless well accouter’d and provided for; when such incomparable Strokes of Art and Workmanship appear in all, and such inimitable Glories and Beauties in the Cloathing of others; who can, without the greatest Obstinacy and Prejudice, deny this to beGOD’s Handy-work? The gaudy, or even the meanest Apparel which Man provideth for himself, we readily enough own to be the Contrivance, the Work of Man: And shall we deny the Cloathing of all the Animal World betides (which infinitely surpasseth all the Robes of earthly Majesty; shall we, dare we, deny that) to be the Work of any Thing less than of an infinite, intelligent Being, whose Art and Power are equal to such glorious Work!

FOOTNOTES:[a]Concerning the Cloathing of Animals,Aristotleobserves,That such Animals have Hair as go on Feet and are viviparous; and that such are covered with a Shell, as go on Feet, and are oviparous, Hist. Anim. l. 3. c. 10.[b]Cujus[Hominis]causâ videtur cuncta alia genuisse Natura, magnâ & sævâ mercede contra tanta sua munera: ut non sit satìs æstimare, Parens melior homini, an tristior Noverca fuerit. Ante omnia unum Animantium cunctorum alienis velat opibus: cæteris variè tegumenta tribuit, testas, cortices, coria, spinas, villos, setas, pilos, plumam, pennas, squamas, vellera. Truncos etiam arboresque cortice, interdum gemino, à frigoribus, & calore tutata est. Hominem tantum nudum, & in nudâ humo, natali die abjicit ad vagitus statim & ploratum, nullumque tot animalium aliud ad lacrymas, & has protinus vita principio.Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 7. Proœm.LetSenecaanswer this Complaint ofPliny, although perhaps what he saith might be more properly noted in another Place:Quisquis es iniquus æstimator fortis humana, cogita quanta nobis tribuerit Parens noster, quanto valentiora animalia sub jugum miserimus, quanto velociora assequamur, quàm nihil sit mortale non sub ictu nostro positum. Tot virtutes accepimus, tot artes, animum denique cui nihil non eodem quo intendit momento pervium est, Sideribus velociorem,&c.Senec. de Benef. l. 2. c. 29.[c]Mirantur plurimi quomodo tutè, & sanè vivant homines in horrendis frigoribus plagæ Septentrionalis; hancque levem quæstionem ultra 30 annos audieram in Italia, præsertim ab Æthiopibus, & Indis, quibus onerosus videtur vestitus sub Zonâ terridâ.——Quibus respondetur,——Gaudet Indus multiplici plumarum genere, magìs forsan pro tegumento, quàm necessitate: rursus Scytha villoso vestitu——Ita sub polo Arctico adversùs asperrimas hyemes——opportuna remedia faciliter administrat[Natura]. Ligna videlicet in maxima copia, & levissimo pretio, & demum Pelles diversorum animalium, tam sylvestrium quàm domesticorum.Then he gives a Catalogue of them, and saith,Quarum omnium experti pellifices ita ingeniosè noverunt mixturas componere, ut pulcherrimum decorum ostendat varietas, & calidissimum fomentum adjuncta mollities.Ol. Mag. Hist. l. 6. c. 20.To this Guard against the Cold, namely, of Fire and Cloathing; I hope the Reader will excuse me, if I take this Opportunity of adding some other Defensatives Nature, (or rather the great Author of Nature,) hath afforded these northern Regions: Such are their high Mountains, abounding, asOl. Magnussaith, through all Parts; also their numerous Woods, which besides their Fire, do, with the Mountains, serve as excellent Screens against the Cold, piercing Air and Winds. Their prodigious Quantities of Minerals, and Metals, also afford Heat, and warm Vapours,Mineræ septentrionalium regionum satìs multæ, magnæ, diversæ, & opulentæ sunt, saith the same curious, and (for his Time,) learned Archbishop,l. 6. c. 1.and in other Places. And for the Warmth they afford, theVolcano’s of those Parts are in Evidence; as are also their terrible Thunder and Lightning, which are observ’d to be the most severe and mischievous in their metalline Mountains, in which large Herds of Cattle are sometimes destroy’d; the Rocks so rent and shatter’d, that new Veins of Silver are thereby discover’d; and a troublesome Kind of Quinsie is produc’d in their Throats, by the stench, and poisonous Nature of the sulphureous Vapours, which they dissolve, by drinking warm Beer and Butter together, asOlaustells us in the same Book,Chap. 11.To all which Defensatives, I shall, in the last Place add, the warm Vapours of their Lakes, (some of which are prodigiously large, of 130ItalianMiles in Length, and not much less in Breadth;) also of their Rivers, especially the Vapours which arise from the Sea. Of which Guard against severe Cold, we have lately had a convincing Proof in thegreat Frost, in 1708, wherein, whenEngland,Germany,France,Denmark; yea, the more southerly Regions ofItaly,Switzerland, and other Parts suffer’d severely,IrelandandScotlandfelt very little of it, hardly more than in other Winters; of the Particulars of which, having given an Account in thePhil. Trans.Nᵒ. 324. I shall thither refer the Reader. But it seems this is what doth ordinarily befal those northern Parts; particularly theIslandsofOrkney, of which the learned Dr.Wallacegives this Account:Here the Winters are generally more subject to Rain than Snow; nor doth the Frost and Snow continue so long here, as in other Parts ofScotland; but the Wind in the mean Time will often blow very boisterously; and it Rains sometimes, not by Drops, but by spouts of Water, as if whole Clouds fell down at once. In the Year 1680, in the Month ofJune, after great Thunder, there fell Flakes of Ice near a Foot thick.Wall.Account ofOrk.Chap. 1.p. 4.From which last Passage I observe; That although in those Parts, the Atmosphere near the Earth be warm, it is excessively cold above; so as to freeze some of those Spouts of Water in their Descent, into such great, and almost incredible Masses of Hail. And whence can this Warmth proceed, but from the Earth, or Sea, emitting Heat sufficient to stave off the Cold above? ConsultBook II. Chap. 5. Note (c).[d]Sicut enim si innata sibi[i.e. Homini]aliqua haberat arma, illa ei sola semper adessent, ita & si artem aliquam Natura fortitus esset, reliquas sanè non haberet. Quia verò ei melius erat omnibus armis, omnibusque artibus uti, neutrum eorum à naturâ ipsi propterea datum est.Galen. de Us. Part. l. 1. c. 4.[e]Concerninginsensible Perspiration,Sanctoriusobserves, That it much exceeds all the Sensible put together.De Stat. Med. Aph. 4.That as much is evacuated byinsensible Perspirationin one Day, as is byStoolin fourteen Days. Particularly, that, in a Night’s Time, about sixteen Ounces is commonly sent out byUrine, four Ounces by Stool; but above forty Ounces byinsensible Perspiration, Aphor. 59, 60. That if a Man eats and drinks 8l.in a Day, 5l.of it is spent ininsensible Perspiration, §. 1. Aph. 6. And as to the Times, he saith,Ab assumpto cibo 5 horis 1 l. circiter perspirabilis——exhalare solet, à 5a ad 12am 3 l. circiter; à 12a ad 16am vix selibram, Aph. 56.And as to the wonderful Benefits ofinsensible Perspiration, they are abundantly demonstrated by the same learned Person,ubi supra; as also byBorelliin his second Part,De Mot. Animal, Prop. 168. who saith,Necessaria est insensibilis Transpiratio, ut vita Animalis conservetur.[f]Animantium verò quanta varietas est? Quanta ad cam rem vis, ut in suo quæque genere permaneant? Quaram aliæ coriis tectæ sunt, aliæ villis vesticæ, aliæ spinis hirsutæ: plumâ alias, alias squamâ videmus obductas, alias esse cornibus armatas, alias habere effugia pennarum.Cic. de Nat. Deor. l. 2. c. 47.[g]FromMalpighi’s curious Observations of theHair, I shall note three Things. 1. Their Structure is fistulous, or tubular; which hath long been a Doubt among the curious.Fistulosum[esse Pilum]demonstrant lustratio pilarum à caudâ & collo Equorum,&c.——præcipuè setarum Apri, quæ patentiorem ex fistulis compositionem exhibent. Est autem dictus Apri pilus Cylindricum corpus quasi diaphanum——fistularum aggere conflatum, & speciem columnæ striatæ præ se fert. Componentes fistulæ in gyrum situatæ in apice patentiores redduntur; nam hians pilus in geminas dividitur partes, & componentes minimæ fistulæ——libersores redditæ manifestantur, ita ut enumerari possunt; has autem 20, & ultra numeravi.——Expositæ fistulæ——tubulosæ sunt, & frequentibus tunicis transversaliter situatis, veluti valvulis pollent. Et quoniam Spinæ, in Erinaceis præcipui,&c.nil aliud sunt, quam duri & rigidi pili, ideo,&c.And then he describes theHedgehog’s Spines, in which those Tubes manifestly appear; together, with medullary Valves and Cells; not inelegant, which he hath figur’d inTab. 16.at the End of his Works.That which this sagacious, and not enough to be commended Observer, took notice of in the Structure of Hair, and its Parity to the Spines; I have my self observ’d in some Measure to be true, in the Hair ofCats,Rats,Mice, and divers other Animals; which look very prettily when view’d with a good Microscope. The Hair of aMouse, (the most transparent of any I have view’d,) seems to be one single transparent Tube, with a Pith made up of a fibrous Substance, running in dark Lines; in some Hairs tranversly, in others spirally, as inFig. 14, 15, 16, 17.These darker medullary Parts, or Lines, I have observ’d, are no other than small Fibres convolved round, and lying closer together than in other Parts of the Hair. They run from the Bottom, to the Top of the Hair; and I imagine, serve to the gentle Evacuation of some Humour out of the Body; perhaps the Hair serves as well for theinsensible Perspirationof hairy Animals, as to fence against Cold and Wet. InFig. 14, 16, is represented the Hair of aMouse, as it appears through a small Magnifier; and inFig. 15, 17, as it appears when view’d with a larger Magnifier.Upon another Review, I imagine, That although inFig. 14, 15, the dark Parts of the Pith seem to be transverse; that they, as well as in the two other Figures, run round in a screw-like Fashion.[h]SeeBook VII. Chap. 1. Note (d) (e).[i]SeeChap. XIV. Note (c).[k]It is a Sign some wise Artist 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 furnish’d with proper suitable Cloathing. Thus divers Animals, that have their Bodies cover’d for the most Part with short, smooth Hair; have some Parts left naked, where Hair would be an Annoyance: And some Parts beset with long Hair; as the Mane and Tail; And some with stiff, strong Bristles; as about the Nose; And sometimes within the Nostrils; to guard off, or give warning of Annoyances.[l]The Feathers being placed from the Head towards the Tail, in close and neat Order, and withal preened and dressed by the Contents of the Oil-Bag, afford as easie a Passage through the Air, as a Boat new cleaned and dressed finds in its Passage through the Waters. Whereas, were the Feathers 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 Passage of the Body through the Air. SeeBook VII. Chap. 1. Note (b).[m]InBook VII. Chap. 1. Note (e).there is a particular Account of the Mechanism of their Vanes, from some nice Microscopical Observations, and therefore I shall take no farther Notice of it here.[n]Vid.Borell. de Mot. Animal.Prop. 182. Vol. I.[o]SeeBook IX.[p]For a Sample of this Branch of my Survey, let us chuse the Tegument ofEarth-Worms, which we shall find compleatly adapted to their Way or Life and Motion, being made in the most compleat Manner possible for terebrating the Earth, and creeping where their Occasions lead them. For their Body is made throughout of small Rings, and these Rings have a curiousApparatusof Muscles, enabling those Creatures with great Strength to dilate, extend, or contract theirAnnuli, and whole Body; thoseAnnulialso are each of them armed with small, stiff, sharpBeards, orPrickles, which they can open, to lay hold on, or shut up close to their Body: And lastly, Under the Skin there lies aslimy Juice, that they emit, as Occasion is, at certain Perforations between theAnnuli, to lubricate the Body, and facilitate their Passage into the Earth. By all which Means they are enabled with great Speed, Ease, 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 such like Cloathing of the other Creatures. See more concerning this Animal,Book IX. Chap. 1. Note (a).[q]Aristotle, in hisHist. Anim. l. 3. c. 12.names several Rivers, that by being drank of, change the Colour of the Hair.[r]For an Example; Let us take the Cloathing of theTortoiseandViper; because, 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 Mechanism, neatly made; and so compleatly, and well put, and tack’d together, as to exceed any human Composures: Of the Latter see more inBook IX. Chap. 1. Note (c).[s]It would be endless to enter into the Particulars of the beautifulBirdsandInsectsof ourEuropeanParts; but especially those inhabiting the Countries between the Tropicks, which are observed as much to exceed our Birds in their Colours, as ours do theirs in their Singing.[t]TheWryneck, at a Distance, is a Bird of mean Colour; neither are indeed its Colours radiant, or beautiful, singly considered: But when it is in the Hand we see its light and darker Colours so curiously mixed together, as to give the Bird a surprizing Beauty. The same is also observable in many Insects, particularly of thePhalæna kind.

[a]Concerning the Cloathing of Animals,Aristotleobserves,That such Animals have Hair as go on Feet and are viviparous; and that such are covered with a Shell, as go on Feet, and are oviparous, Hist. Anim. l. 3. c. 10.

[b]Cujus[Hominis]causâ videtur cuncta alia genuisse Natura, magnâ & sævâ mercede contra tanta sua munera: ut non sit satìs æstimare, Parens melior homini, an tristior Noverca fuerit. Ante omnia unum Animantium cunctorum alienis velat opibus: cæteris variè tegumenta tribuit, testas, cortices, coria, spinas, villos, setas, pilos, plumam, pennas, squamas, vellera. Truncos etiam arboresque cortice, interdum gemino, à frigoribus, & calore tutata est. Hominem tantum nudum, & in nudâ humo, natali die abjicit ad vagitus statim & ploratum, nullumque tot animalium aliud ad lacrymas, & has protinus vita principio.Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 7. Proœm.LetSenecaanswer this Complaint ofPliny, although perhaps what he saith might be more properly noted in another Place:Quisquis es iniquus æstimator fortis humana, cogita quanta nobis tribuerit Parens noster, quanto valentiora animalia sub jugum miserimus, quanto velociora assequamur, quàm nihil sit mortale non sub ictu nostro positum. Tot virtutes accepimus, tot artes, animum denique cui nihil non eodem quo intendit momento pervium est, Sideribus velociorem,&c.Senec. de Benef. l. 2. c. 29.

LetSenecaanswer this Complaint ofPliny, although perhaps what he saith might be more properly noted in another Place:Quisquis es iniquus æstimator fortis humana, cogita quanta nobis tribuerit Parens noster, quanto valentiora animalia sub jugum miserimus, quanto velociora assequamur, quàm nihil sit mortale non sub ictu nostro positum. Tot virtutes accepimus, tot artes, animum denique cui nihil non eodem quo intendit momento pervium est, Sideribus velociorem,&c.Senec. de Benef. l. 2. c. 29.

[c]Mirantur plurimi quomodo tutè, & sanè vivant homines in horrendis frigoribus plagæ Septentrionalis; hancque levem quæstionem ultra 30 annos audieram in Italia, præsertim ab Æthiopibus, & Indis, quibus onerosus videtur vestitus sub Zonâ terridâ.——Quibus respondetur,——Gaudet Indus multiplici plumarum genere, magìs forsan pro tegumento, quàm necessitate: rursus Scytha villoso vestitu——Ita sub polo Arctico adversùs asperrimas hyemes——opportuna remedia faciliter administrat[Natura]. Ligna videlicet in maxima copia, & levissimo pretio, & demum Pelles diversorum animalium, tam sylvestrium quàm domesticorum.Then he gives a Catalogue of them, and saith,Quarum omnium experti pellifices ita ingeniosè noverunt mixturas componere, ut pulcherrimum decorum ostendat varietas, & calidissimum fomentum adjuncta mollities.Ol. Mag. Hist. l. 6. c. 20.To this Guard against the Cold, namely, of Fire and Cloathing; I hope the Reader will excuse me, if I take this Opportunity of adding some other Defensatives Nature, (or rather the great Author of Nature,) hath afforded these northern Regions: Such are their high Mountains, abounding, asOl. Magnussaith, through all Parts; also their numerous Woods, which besides their Fire, do, with the Mountains, serve as excellent Screens against the Cold, piercing Air and Winds. Their prodigious Quantities of Minerals, and Metals, also afford Heat, and warm Vapours,Mineræ septentrionalium regionum satìs multæ, magnæ, diversæ, & opulentæ sunt, saith the same curious, and (for his Time,) learned Archbishop,l. 6. c. 1.and in other Places. And for the Warmth they afford, theVolcano’s of those Parts are in Evidence; as are also their terrible Thunder and Lightning, which are observ’d to be the most severe and mischievous in their metalline Mountains, in which large Herds of Cattle are sometimes destroy’d; the Rocks so rent and shatter’d, that new Veins of Silver are thereby discover’d; and a troublesome Kind of Quinsie is produc’d in their Throats, by the stench, and poisonous Nature of the sulphureous Vapours, which they dissolve, by drinking warm Beer and Butter together, asOlaustells us in the same Book,Chap. 11.To all which Defensatives, I shall, in the last Place add, the warm Vapours of their Lakes, (some of which are prodigiously large, of 130ItalianMiles in Length, and not much less in Breadth;) also of their Rivers, especially the Vapours which arise from the Sea. Of which Guard against severe Cold, we have lately had a convincing Proof in thegreat Frost, in 1708, wherein, whenEngland,Germany,France,Denmark; yea, the more southerly Regions ofItaly,Switzerland, and other Parts suffer’d severely,IrelandandScotlandfelt very little of it, hardly more than in other Winters; of the Particulars of which, having given an Account in thePhil. Trans.Nᵒ. 324. I shall thither refer the Reader. But it seems this is what doth ordinarily befal those northern Parts; particularly theIslandsofOrkney, of which the learned Dr.Wallacegives this Account:Here the Winters are generally more subject to Rain than Snow; nor doth the Frost and Snow continue so long here, as in other Parts ofScotland; but the Wind in the mean Time will often blow very boisterously; and it Rains sometimes, not by Drops, but by spouts of Water, as if whole Clouds fell down at once. In the Year 1680, in the Month ofJune, after great Thunder, there fell Flakes of Ice near a Foot thick.Wall.Account ofOrk.Chap. 1.p. 4.From which last Passage I observe; That although in those Parts, the Atmosphere near the Earth be warm, it is excessively cold above; so as to freeze some of those Spouts of Water in their Descent, into such great, and almost incredible Masses of Hail. And whence can this Warmth proceed, but from the Earth, or Sea, emitting Heat sufficient to stave off the Cold above? ConsultBook II. Chap. 5. Note (c).

To this Guard against the Cold, namely, of Fire and Cloathing; I hope the Reader will excuse me, if I take this Opportunity of adding some other Defensatives Nature, (or rather the great Author of Nature,) hath afforded these northern Regions: Such are their high Mountains, abounding, asOl. Magnussaith, through all Parts; also their numerous Woods, which besides their Fire, do, with the Mountains, serve as excellent Screens against the Cold, piercing Air and Winds. Their prodigious Quantities of Minerals, and Metals, also afford Heat, and warm Vapours,Mineræ septentrionalium regionum satìs multæ, magnæ, diversæ, & opulentæ sunt, saith the same curious, and (for his Time,) learned Archbishop,l. 6. c. 1.and in other Places. And for the Warmth they afford, theVolcano’s of those Parts are in Evidence; as are also their terrible Thunder and Lightning, which are observ’d to be the most severe and mischievous in their metalline Mountains, in which large Herds of Cattle are sometimes destroy’d; the Rocks so rent and shatter’d, that new Veins of Silver are thereby discover’d; and a troublesome Kind of Quinsie is produc’d in their Throats, by the stench, and poisonous Nature of the sulphureous Vapours, which they dissolve, by drinking warm Beer and Butter together, asOlaustells us in the same Book,Chap. 11.

To all which Defensatives, I shall, in the last Place add, the warm Vapours of their Lakes, (some of which are prodigiously large, of 130ItalianMiles in Length, and not much less in Breadth;) also of their Rivers, especially the Vapours which arise from the Sea. Of which Guard against severe Cold, we have lately had a convincing Proof in thegreat Frost, in 1708, wherein, whenEngland,Germany,France,Denmark; yea, the more southerly Regions ofItaly,Switzerland, and other Parts suffer’d severely,IrelandandScotlandfelt very little of it, hardly more than in other Winters; of the Particulars of which, having given an Account in thePhil. Trans.Nᵒ. 324. I shall thither refer the Reader. But it seems this is what doth ordinarily befal those northern Parts; particularly theIslandsofOrkney, of which the learned Dr.Wallacegives this Account:Here the Winters are generally more subject to Rain than Snow; nor doth the Frost and Snow continue so long here, as in other Parts ofScotland; but the Wind in the mean Time will often blow very boisterously; and it Rains sometimes, not by Drops, but by spouts of Water, as if whole Clouds fell down at once. In the Year 1680, in the Month ofJune, after great Thunder, there fell Flakes of Ice near a Foot thick.Wall.Account ofOrk.Chap. 1.p. 4.From which last Passage I observe; That although in those Parts, the Atmosphere near the Earth be warm, it is excessively cold above; so as to freeze some of those Spouts of Water in their Descent, into such great, and almost incredible Masses of Hail. And whence can this Warmth proceed, but from the Earth, or Sea, emitting Heat sufficient to stave off the Cold above? ConsultBook II. Chap. 5. Note (c).

[d]Sicut enim si innata sibi[i.e. Homini]aliqua haberat arma, illa ei sola semper adessent, ita & si artem aliquam Natura fortitus esset, reliquas sanè non haberet. Quia verò ei melius erat omnibus armis, omnibusque artibus uti, neutrum eorum à naturâ ipsi propterea datum est.Galen. de Us. Part. l. 1. c. 4.

[e]Concerninginsensible Perspiration,Sanctoriusobserves, That it much exceeds all the Sensible put together.De Stat. Med. Aph. 4.That as much is evacuated byinsensible Perspirationin one Day, as is byStoolin fourteen Days. Particularly, that, in a Night’s Time, about sixteen Ounces is commonly sent out byUrine, four Ounces by Stool; but above forty Ounces byinsensible Perspiration, Aphor. 59, 60. That if a Man eats and drinks 8l.in a Day, 5l.of it is spent ininsensible Perspiration, §. 1. Aph. 6. And as to the Times, he saith,Ab assumpto cibo 5 horis 1 l. circiter perspirabilis——exhalare solet, à 5a ad 12am 3 l. circiter; à 12a ad 16am vix selibram, Aph. 56.And as to the wonderful Benefits ofinsensible Perspiration, they are abundantly demonstrated by the same learned Person,ubi supra; as also byBorelliin his second Part,De Mot. Animal, Prop. 168. who saith,Necessaria est insensibilis Transpiratio, ut vita Animalis conservetur.

And as to the wonderful Benefits ofinsensible Perspiration, they are abundantly demonstrated by the same learned Person,ubi supra; as also byBorelliin his second Part,De Mot. Animal, Prop. 168. who saith,Necessaria est insensibilis Transpiratio, ut vita Animalis conservetur.

[f]Animantium verò quanta varietas est? Quanta ad cam rem vis, ut in suo quæque genere permaneant? Quaram aliæ coriis tectæ sunt, aliæ villis vesticæ, aliæ spinis hirsutæ: plumâ alias, alias squamâ videmus obductas, alias esse cornibus armatas, alias habere effugia pennarum.Cic. de Nat. Deor. l. 2. c. 47.

[g]FromMalpighi’s curious Observations of theHair, I shall note three Things. 1. Their Structure is fistulous, or tubular; which hath long been a Doubt among the curious.Fistulosum[esse Pilum]demonstrant lustratio pilarum à caudâ & collo Equorum,&c.——præcipuè setarum Apri, quæ patentiorem ex fistulis compositionem exhibent. Est autem dictus Apri pilus Cylindricum corpus quasi diaphanum——fistularum aggere conflatum, & speciem columnæ striatæ præ se fert. Componentes fistulæ in gyrum situatæ in apice patentiores redduntur; nam hians pilus in geminas dividitur partes, & componentes minimæ fistulæ——libersores redditæ manifestantur, ita ut enumerari possunt; has autem 20, & ultra numeravi.——Expositæ fistulæ——tubulosæ sunt, & frequentibus tunicis transversaliter situatis, veluti valvulis pollent. Et quoniam Spinæ, in Erinaceis præcipui,&c.nil aliud sunt, quam duri & rigidi pili, ideo,&c.And then he describes theHedgehog’s Spines, in which those Tubes manifestly appear; together, with medullary Valves and Cells; not inelegant, which he hath figur’d inTab. 16.at the End of his Works.That which this sagacious, and not enough to be commended Observer, took notice of in the Structure of Hair, and its Parity to the Spines; I have my self observ’d in some Measure to be true, in the Hair ofCats,Rats,Mice, and divers other Animals; which look very prettily when view’d with a good Microscope. The Hair of aMouse, (the most transparent of any I have view’d,) seems to be one single transparent Tube, with a Pith made up of a fibrous Substance, running in dark Lines; in some Hairs tranversly, in others spirally, as inFig. 14, 15, 16, 17.These darker medullary Parts, or Lines, I have observ’d, are no other than small Fibres convolved round, and lying closer together than in other Parts of the Hair. They run from the Bottom, to the Top of the Hair; and I imagine, serve to the gentle Evacuation of some Humour out of the Body; perhaps the Hair serves as well for theinsensible Perspirationof hairy Animals, as to fence against Cold and Wet. InFig. 14, 16, is represented the Hair of aMouse, as it appears through a small Magnifier; and inFig. 15, 17, as it appears when view’d with a larger Magnifier.Upon another Review, I imagine, That although inFig. 14, 15, the dark Parts of the Pith seem to be transverse; that they, as well as in the two other Figures, run round in a screw-like Fashion.

That which this sagacious, and not enough to be commended Observer, took notice of in the Structure of Hair, and its Parity to the Spines; I have my self observ’d in some Measure to be true, in the Hair ofCats,Rats,Mice, and divers other Animals; which look very prettily when view’d with a good Microscope. The Hair of aMouse, (the most transparent of any I have view’d,) seems to be one single transparent Tube, with a Pith made up of a fibrous Substance, running in dark Lines; in some Hairs tranversly, in others spirally, as inFig. 14, 15, 16, 17.These darker medullary Parts, or Lines, I have observ’d, are no other than small Fibres convolved round, and lying closer together than in other Parts of the Hair. They run from the Bottom, to the Top of the Hair; and I imagine, serve to the gentle Evacuation of some Humour out of the Body; perhaps the Hair serves as well for theinsensible Perspirationof hairy Animals, as to fence against Cold and Wet. InFig. 14, 16, is represented the Hair of aMouse, as it appears through a small Magnifier; and inFig. 15, 17, as it appears when view’d with a larger Magnifier.

Upon another Review, I imagine, That although inFig. 14, 15, the dark Parts of the Pith seem to be transverse; that they, as well as in the two other Figures, run round in a screw-like Fashion.

[h]SeeBook VII. Chap. 1. Note (d) (e).

[i]SeeChap. XIV. Note (c).

[k]It is a Sign some wise Artist 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 furnish’d with proper suitable Cloathing. Thus divers Animals, that have their Bodies cover’d for the most Part with short, smooth Hair; have some Parts left naked, where Hair would be an Annoyance: And some Parts beset with long Hair; as the Mane and Tail; And some with stiff, strong Bristles; as about the Nose; And sometimes within the Nostrils; to guard off, or give warning of Annoyances.

[l]The Feathers being placed from the Head towards the Tail, in close and neat Order, and withal preened and dressed by the Contents of the Oil-Bag, afford as easie a Passage through the Air, as a Boat new cleaned and dressed finds in its Passage through the Waters. Whereas, were the Feathers 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 Passage of the Body through the Air. SeeBook VII. Chap. 1. Note (b).

[m]InBook VII. Chap. 1. Note (e).there is a particular Account of the Mechanism of their Vanes, from some nice Microscopical Observations, and therefore I shall take no farther Notice of it here.

[n]Vid.Borell. de Mot. Animal.Prop. 182. Vol. I.

[o]SeeBook IX.

[p]For a Sample of this Branch of my Survey, let us chuse the Tegument ofEarth-Worms, which we shall find compleatly adapted to their Way or Life and Motion, being made in the most compleat Manner possible for terebrating the Earth, and creeping where their Occasions lead them. For their Body is made throughout of small Rings, and these Rings have a curiousApparatusof Muscles, enabling those Creatures with great Strength to dilate, extend, or contract theirAnnuli, and whole Body; thoseAnnulialso are each of them armed with small, stiff, sharpBeards, orPrickles, which they can open, to lay hold on, or shut up close to their Body: And lastly, Under the Skin there lies aslimy Juice, that they emit, as Occasion is, at certain Perforations between theAnnuli, to lubricate the Body, and facilitate their Passage into the Earth. By all which Means they are enabled with great Speed, Ease, 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 such like Cloathing of the other Creatures. See more concerning this Animal,Book IX. Chap. 1. Note (a).

[q]Aristotle, in hisHist. Anim. l. 3. c. 12.names several Rivers, that by being drank of, change the Colour of the Hair.

[r]For an Example; Let us take the Cloathing of theTortoiseandViper; because, 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 Mechanism, neatly made; and so compleatly, and well put, and tack’d together, as to exceed any human Composures: Of the Latter see more inBook IX. Chap. 1. Note (c).

[s]It would be endless to enter into the Particulars of the beautifulBirdsandInsectsof ourEuropeanParts; but especially those inhabiting the Countries between the Tropicks, which are observed as much to exceed our Birds in their Colours, as ours do theirs in their Singing.

[t]TheWryneck, at a Distance, is a Bird of mean Colour; neither are indeed its Colours radiant, or beautiful, singly considered: But when it is in the Hand we see its light and darker Colours so curiously mixed together, as to give the Bird a surprizing Beauty. The same is also observable in many Insects, particularly of thePhalæna kind.

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