"these fentiments, but were ready to put in practice the leffons they had inculcated." Let the most profound politician fay, what more efficacious incentive there can be to virtue and manhood, than the behaviour of the Spartan matrons, flocking to the temples, and thanking the gods, that their hufbands and fons had died gloriously, fighting for their country. In the war between Lacedemon and Thebes, the Lacedemonians having behaved ill, the married men, as Plutarch reports, were fo ashamed of themfelves, that they durft not look their wives in the face. What a glorious prize is here exhibited to be contended for by the female fex! By fuch refin'd education, love would take on a new form, that which nature inspires for making us happy, and for foftening the diftreffes of chance: it would fill deliciously the whole foul with tender amity, and mutual confidence. The union of a worthy man with a frivolous woman can never, with all the advantages of fortune, be made comfortable: how different the union of a virtuous pair, who have no aim but to make each other happy! Between fuch a pair emulation is reversed, by an ardent defire in each to be furpaffed by the other. Cultivation of the female mind is not of great importance in a republic, where men pafs little of their time with women. Such cultivation where polygamy is indulged, would to them be a great misfortune, by opening their eyes to their miferable condition. But in an opulent monarchy where polygamy is prohibited, female education is of high importance, not fingly with refpect to private happiness, but with refpect to the fociety in general, ་ 220 APPENDIX. Concerning Propagation of Animals, and Care of their Offspring. THE natural history of animals with refpect to pairing, and care of their offspring, is fufceptible of more elucidation than could regularly be introduced into the sketch itself, where it makes but a fingle argument. Loth to neglect a subject that eminently displays the wisdom and benevolence of Providence, I gladly embrace the present opportunity, however flight, to add what further occurs upon it. Buffon, in many large volumes, beftows fcarce a thought on that favourite fubject; and the neglect of our countrymen Ray and Derham is ftill less excufable, confidering that to display the conduct of Providence was their fole purpose in writing on natural history. The instinct of pairing is bestow'd on every fpecies of animals to which it is neceffary for rearing their young; and on no other fpecies. All wild birds pair: but with a remarkable difference between fuch as place their nefts on trees, and fuch as place them on the ground. The young of the former, being hatched blind, and without feathers, require the nursing care of both parents till they be able to fly. The male feeds his mate on the neft, and cheers her with a fong. As foon as the young are hatched, finging yields to a more necessary occupation, that of providing food for a numerous iffue, a task that requires both parents. Eagles and other birds of prey build on trees, or on other inacceffible fpots. They not only pair, but continue in pairs all the year year round; and the fame pair procreate year after year. This at least is the case of eagles: the male and female hunt together, unless during incubation, during which time the female is fed by the male. A greater number than a fingle pair never are seen in company. Gregarious birds pair, in order probably to prevent discord in a fociety confined to a narrow space. This is the case particularly of pigeons and rooks. The male and female fit on the eggs alternately, and divide the care of feeding their young. Partridges, plovers, pheasants, peafowl, grouse, and other kinds that place their nests on the ground, have the instinct of pairing; but differ from fuch as build on trees in the following particular, that after the female is impregnated, fhe completes her task without needing any help from the male. -Retiring from him, fhe chufes a fafe fpot for her neft, where fhe can find plenty of worms and grass-feed at hand. And her young, as foon as hatched, take foot, and feek food for themfelves. The only remaining duty incumbent on the dam is, to lead them to proper places for food, and to call them together when danger impends. Some males, provoked at the desertion of their mates, break the eggs if they stumble on them. ́Eider ducks pair like other birds that place their nefts on the ground; and the female finishes her neft with down plucked from her own breaft. If the neft be deftroy'd for the down, which is remarkably warm and elastic, fhe makes an- The birds. other nest as before. If fhe be robb'd a fecond time, the makes a vaid to bastup third neft; but the male furnishes the down. A lady of spirit ob- a common scen ferved, that the Eider duck may give a leffon to many a married Arithmetic woman, who is more difpofed to pluck her husband than herself, with the sake lake The black game never pair: in fpring the cock on an eminenceth at a puspicieth crows, and claps his wings; and all the females within hearing in-at science Your own species メ ftantly refort to him. Pairing birds, excepting thofe of prey, flock together in February, in can. are in order to chuse their mates. They foon disperse; and are not feen afterward but in pairs. Pairing is unknown to quadrupeds that feed on grafs. To fuch it would be ufelefs; as the female gives fuck to her young while fhe herself is feeding. If M. Buffon deserve credit, the roe-deer are an exception. They pair, though they feed on grafs, and have but one litter in a year. Beasts of prey, fuch as lions, tigers, wolves, pair not. The female is left to fhift for herself and for her young; which is a laborious task, and often fo unfuccefsful as to fhorten the life of many of them. Pairing is effential to birds of prey, because incubation leaves the female no fufficient time to hunt for food. ing is not neceffary to beafts of prey, because their young can bear a long faft. Add another reason, that they would multiply fo fast by pairing as to prove troublefome neighbours to the human race. Pair Among animals that pair not, males fight desperately about a female. Such a battle among horned cattle is finely described by Lucretius. Nor is it unufual for feven or eight lions to wage bloody war for a single female. The fame reason that makes pairing neceffary for gregarious birds, obtains with refpect to gregarious quadrupeds; those especially who store up food for winter, and during that season live in common. Difcord among fuch would be attended with worse confequences than even among lions and bulls, who are not confined to one place. The beavers, with refpect to pairing, resemble birds that place their nefts on the ground. As foon as the young are produced, the males abandon their stock of food to their mates, and live at large; but return frequently to vifit them while they are fuckling their young. Hedge-hogs pair as well as feveral of the monkey-kind. We are not well acquainted with the natural history of these ani mals; mals; but it would appear that the young require the nurfing care of both parents. Seals have a fingular economy. Polygamy feems to be a law of nature among them, as a male affociates with feveral females. The fea-turtle has no occafion to pair, as the female concludes her task by laying her eggs in the fand. The young are hatched by the fun; and immediately crawl to the fea. In every other branch of animal economy concerning the continuance of the species, the hand of Providence is equally confpicuous. The young of pairing birds are produced in the spring, when the weather begins to be comfortable; and their early production makes them firm and vigorous before winter, to endure the hardships of that rigorous season. Such early production is in particular favourable to eagles, and other birds of prey; for in the spring they have plenty of food, by the return of birds of paffage. Tho' the time of gestation varies confiderably in the different quadrupeds that feed on grafs, yet the female is regularly delivered early in fummer, when grafs is in plenty. The mare admits the stallion in fummer, carries eleven months, and is delivered the beginning of May. The cow differs little. A fheep and a goat take the male in November, carry five months, and produce when grafs begins to fpring. These animals love fhort grafs, upon which a mare or a cow would starve *. The rutting-feafon of the red deer is the end of September, and beginning of October: it continues for three weeks, during which time the male runs from female to female without intermiffion. The female * I have it upon good authority, that ewes pafturing in a hilly country pitch early on fome fnug fpot, where they may drop their young with fafety. And hence the risk of removing a flock to a new field immediately before delivery: many lambs perish by being dropped in improper places. brings |