CHAP. III.Of the Necks ofQuadrupeds.
Of the Necks ofQuadrupeds.
From the Head pass we to the Neck, no principal Part of the Body, but yet a good Instance of the Creator’s Wisdom and Design, inasmuch as in Man it is short, agreeable to the Erection of his Body; but in the Four-footed Tribe it is long, answerable to the Length of theLegs[a], and in some of these long, and less strong, serving to carry the Mouth to the Ground; in others shorter, brawny and strong, serving to dig, and heave up great Burdens[b].
But that which deserves especial Remark, is that peculiar Provision made in the Necks of all, or most granivorousQuadrupeds, for the perpetual holding down their Head in gathering their Food, by that strong, tendinous and insensibleAponeurosis, or Ligament[c]braced from the Head to the middle of the Back. By which means the Head, although heavy, may be long held down without any Labour, Pain, or Uneasiness to the Muscles of theNeck, that would otherwise be wearied by being so long put upon the Stretch.
FOOTNOTES:[a]It is very remarkable, that in all the Species ofQuadrupeds, this Equality holds, except only theElephant; and that there should be a sufficient special Provision made for that Creature, by itsProboscisorTrunk. A Member so admirably contrived, so curiously wrought, and with so great Agility and Readiness, applied by that unwieldy Creature to all its several Occasions, that I take it to be a manifest Instance of the Creator’s Workmanship. See its Anatomy to Dr.A. Moulen’sAnat. of theElephant, p. 33. As also in Mr.Blair’s Account inPhil. Trans.Nᵒ. 326.Aliorum ea est humilitas ut cibum terrestrem rostris facilè contingant. Quæ autem altiora sunt, ut Anseres, ut Cygni, ut Grues, ut Cameli, adjuvantur proceritate collorum. Manus etiam data Elephantis, qui propter magnitudinem corporis difficiles aditus habebant ad pastum.Cic. de N. D. L. 2. c. 47.Quod iis animalibus quæ pedes habent fissos in digitos, Collum brevius sit factum, quàm ut per ipsum Cibum ori admovere queant: iis verò quæ ungulas habent solidas, aut bifidas, longius, ut prona atque inclinantia pasci queant. Qui id etiam opus non sit Artificis utilitatis memoris? Ad hæc quòd Grues at Ciconiæ, cùm crura haberent longiora, ob eam causam Rostrum etiam magnum, & Collum longius habuerint. Pisces autem neque Collum penitus habuere, utpote qui neque Crura habent. Quo pacto non id etiam est admirandum?Galen. de Us. part. L. 11. c. 8.[b]As inMolesandSwine, inCh. 2. Note (a).[c]Called theWhiteleather,Packwax,Taxwax, andFixfax.
[a]It is very remarkable, that in all the Species ofQuadrupeds, this Equality holds, except only theElephant; and that there should be a sufficient special Provision made for that Creature, by itsProboscisorTrunk. A Member so admirably contrived, so curiously wrought, and with so great Agility and Readiness, applied by that unwieldy Creature to all its several Occasions, that I take it to be a manifest Instance of the Creator’s Workmanship. See its Anatomy to Dr.A. Moulen’sAnat. of theElephant, p. 33. As also in Mr.Blair’s Account inPhil. Trans.Nᵒ. 326.Aliorum ea est humilitas ut cibum terrestrem rostris facilè contingant. Quæ autem altiora sunt, ut Anseres, ut Cygni, ut Grues, ut Cameli, adjuvantur proceritate collorum. Manus etiam data Elephantis, qui propter magnitudinem corporis difficiles aditus habebant ad pastum.Cic. de N. D. L. 2. c. 47.Quod iis animalibus quæ pedes habent fissos in digitos, Collum brevius sit factum, quàm ut per ipsum Cibum ori admovere queant: iis verò quæ ungulas habent solidas, aut bifidas, longius, ut prona atque inclinantia pasci queant. Qui id etiam opus non sit Artificis utilitatis memoris? Ad hæc quòd Grues at Ciconiæ, cùm crura haberent longiora, ob eam causam Rostrum etiam magnum, & Collum longius habuerint. Pisces autem neque Collum penitus habuere, utpote qui neque Crura habent. Quo pacto non id etiam est admirandum?Galen. de Us. part. L. 11. c. 8.
[a]It is very remarkable, that in all the Species ofQuadrupeds, this Equality holds, except only theElephant; and that there should be a sufficient special Provision made for that Creature, by itsProboscisorTrunk. A Member so admirably contrived, so curiously wrought, and with so great Agility and Readiness, applied by that unwieldy Creature to all its several Occasions, that I take it to be a manifest Instance of the Creator’s Workmanship. See its Anatomy to Dr.A. Moulen’sAnat. of theElephant, p. 33. As also in Mr.Blair’s Account inPhil. Trans.Nᵒ. 326.
Aliorum ea est humilitas ut cibum terrestrem rostris facilè contingant. Quæ autem altiora sunt, ut Anseres, ut Cygni, ut Grues, ut Cameli, adjuvantur proceritate collorum. Manus etiam data Elephantis, qui propter magnitudinem corporis difficiles aditus habebant ad pastum.Cic. de N. D. L. 2. c. 47.
Quod iis animalibus quæ pedes habent fissos in digitos, Collum brevius sit factum, quàm ut per ipsum Cibum ori admovere queant: iis verò quæ ungulas habent solidas, aut bifidas, longius, ut prona atque inclinantia pasci queant. Qui id etiam opus non sit Artificis utilitatis memoris? Ad hæc quòd Grues at Ciconiæ, cùm crura haberent longiora, ob eam causam Rostrum etiam magnum, & Collum longius habuerint. Pisces autem neque Collum penitus habuere, utpote qui neque Crura habent. Quo pacto non id etiam est admirandum?Galen. de Us. part. L. 11. c. 8.
[b]As inMolesandSwine, inCh. 2. Note (a).
[b]As inMolesandSwine, inCh. 2. Note (a).
[c]Called theWhiteleather,Packwax,Taxwax, andFixfax.
[c]Called theWhiteleather,Packwax,Taxwax, andFixfax.