Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Índice
1. i - Anteportada
2. ii
3. iii - Portada
4. iv
5. v - Preface
6. vi
7. vii
8. viii
9. ix
10. x
11. xi
12. xii
13. xiii - Table of contents
14. xiv
15. 129 - Dissertation III. On the Police of Nature. [...]
16. 130
17. 131
18. 132
19. 133
20. 134
21. 135
22. 136
23. 137
24. 138
25. 139
26. 140
27. 141
28. 142
29. 143
30. 144
31. 145
32. 146
33. 147
34. 148
35. 149
36. 150
37. 151
38. 152
39. 153
40. 154
41. 155
42. 156
43. 157
44. 158
45. 159
46. 160
47. 161
48. 162
49. 163
....
52. 166
•
S E L E C T
D I S S E R T A T I O N S
FROM THE
Amœnitates Academical.
S É L E C T
D I S S E R T A T I O N S
FROM THE
Amœnitates Academicae,
» A SUPPLEMENT TO
RELATING TO * D
TRANSLATED BY THE
Rev. F. J: BRAN D, M. A.
I N T W O V O L U M E S .
VOLUME I.
L O N D O N :
Sold by G . ROBINSON, Bookfeller, in PatefnoHer-Row, and
J. ROBSON, in New Bond-ftreet.
M,DCC,LXXXI. .
ж-
Ж: .
4
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: M. О
P R E F A C E .
Upon
viii P R E F A C E .
Upon a comparifon of the tranflation
with the originals fome omiffions will be
difcovered, and as thefe are not always
noted at the bottom of the page, it is
necefFary to give fome account of them
here. Moft of the writers of the
Amcenitates have thought a very florid
Introduction necefTary to the plain details
of Natural Hiflory : the eftabliihed form
of an Academical thefis may impofe a
kind of neceffity upon the fpeaker to
give into fuch a practice; but as the fub-
ject is the fame in moft of them, a iketch
of the outlines of the three natural king
doms, and the admiration which a'total view
of them rrruft imprint upon the mind of
man, I have fometimes avoided the mono
tony of fo undiveriified a Preface; and pre-
ferved only fuch entire as were diftinguifhed
by a particular merit: and the like reafon
has induced me to retain and connect
fome detached parts of others.
The
•
P R E F A C E , îx
The fame matter is likewife frequently
repeated in the writings o f different per-
fons upon fubjecfts either iimilar or nearly
related; where the connection of the
whole would permit, thefe repetitions
are omitted, and where it would not they
will be found fometimes abridged.
TABLE
T A B L E of CONTENTS.
VOL. I.
I. GENERAL DISSERTATIONS.
D I S S E R T A T I O N III.
O N T H E
POLICE OF NATURE,
B Y '
S U M M A R Y .
C H A P T E R I.
§ 1. 2.
T H O S E laws of nature by
which the number of fpe-
' cies in the natural kingdoms is preferved
' undeftroyed, and their relative propor-
S 2 " tions
Î 2
3 ON T II E
*' • tions kept in proper bounds, are ob-
*' •* je£ts extremely worthy of our atten-
" live purfuit and refearches :" in this
inveiligation we mull proceed from her
fimple to her more complicated infli-
tutions : the circumftance of my having
no predeceffor in this enquiry, w i l l , I
hope, be received as a fufficient apology
for venturing upon fuch an attempt, and
for my déficiences in the execution of it.
Entirely omitting the foffiis, I mail en-
deavour to develop fome of the conflitu-
tions eftablifhed for this end in the a n i -
mal and vegetable kingdoms.
§ 2-
VEGETABLE KINGDOM.
§ 3-
§ 4 . . .
By this inflitution the feveral vegeta
bles are preferved in their proper limits;
and though their fpecies amount to many
thoufands,
§ 5. omitted.
The A N I M A L KINGDOM.
§ 6, extraB.
§ 7- '
Animals ferve in the firit place to pre-
ferve a due proportion among vegetables :
2dly. to adorn the theatre of nature and
confume every thing fuperfluous and ufe-
I S
3 (5 N T H E
lefs: 3dly. to remove all impurities ari
s i n g from animal and vegetable putridity;
and laftly, to multiply and difleminate
plants and ferve them in many other re-
fpec"ls.
§ 8.
Worms fjrft offer themfelves to our
consideration ; but as far the greater num
ber of thefe are natives of the deepen:
parts of the ocean, which oppofes an in
vincible obfbacle to our inveftigating their
natural hiftory, I am obliged to pafs this
divifion of my fubjecT: over untouched.
§ 9 and i o .
- •
* Butterfly. \ Leaf-loufe.
f Gold-chafFer. § Grafsfaopper.
140 0 N T H E
point out that fuch food is by no means
well adapted to its nature. T h e leaves
of a given plant are fometimes the food
of one infect, the flowers, the feed vef-
fel, and feed, of fo many others; thus
the Tenthredo fcrophularise * devours only
the leaves of that plant, the Curculio
fcrophularise -j- its fructification ; the Cir-
culio nucumj the' kernel of wood nuts,
and the Phalsena ftrobilella the cones of
the fir.
§ 11 and 1 2 .
flourishes
* Berk. 163. 4. f Figworth wevil.
% Nut-wevil.
POLICE OF N A T U R E . 141
flourimes fo as to exclude all other plants:
here the Phalama graminis, with her nu
merous progeny, find a well fpread ta
ble ; they multiply in immenfe numbers,
and the farmer for fome years laments
the failure of his hay crop; but the
grafs being confumed, the Phalaenas die
with hunger, or remove to another place.
Now the quantity of grafs being greatly
diminifhed, the other plants which were
before choked by it fpring up, and the
ground becomes variegated with a multi-
titude of different fpecies of flowers : had
not nature given a commimon to this mi-
nifter for that purpofe, the grafs would
deftroy a great number of fpecies of ve
getables of which the equilibrium is now
kept up. T h e Scrophularia* is eaten by
very few cattle, it affords food to a num
ber of fpecies of infects: fcarce any
beaft will touch the nettle, fifty different
kinds of infects are fed by i t ; fome of
which
* Figwort.
142 - O N T H E
which feize upon the root, while the
ftern, leaves, flowers and feeds, are eaten
by others; without this multitude of
enemies it would annihilate a great num
ber of plants : T h e fame holds good, in
fhrubs and timber trees, efpecially thofe
which produce fpines, and are eafily dif-
feminated; the loftier plants are fo much
the more preyed upon by infects, as they
are lefs expofed to the attacks of cattle:
and infects appear to be created to refl'rain
the different fpecies of vegetables within
proper limits,
i
* Leaf-loufe. J Leaf-loufe.
f B . 1 7 4 . 7. § Golden e y e . .
|| Leaf-loufe ichneumon.
144 O N T H E
§ H-
T h e Phaloena ftrobilella has the fir cone
affigried to it to depoftt its eggs upon ; the
young caterpillars coming out of the (hell
confume the cone and fuperfluous feed; but
left the deftruclion mould be too general,
the Ichneumon ftrobilellas lays its eggs
in the caterpillar, inferting its long tail
in the openings of the cone till it touches
the included infect, for its body is too
large to enter; thus it fixes its minute
egg upon the caterpillar, which being
hatched, deftroys it. But left it mould
multiply to the total extermination of the
former fpecies, the Ichneumon moderator,
a very fmall infecf enters into the cone,
and lays its eggs upon the caterpillar of
the Ichneumon ftrobilella, which being
hatched, devour i t : we owe this difco-
very to D . Rolander.
POLICE OF NATURE. 145
1
§ 5-
T h e Caterpillars of the Phalaenae,
which fubfift upon trees and herbs, have
alfo other infects fet over them; the Ca-
rabi* get by night upon the branches of
the trees, and devour what caterpillars
they find, as Reamur informs us : thofe
who raife fruit trees cannot practice a
better expedient to free themfelves from
caterpillars, than to collect thofe infects,
and place their eggs at the foot of the
tree; which being hatched will execute
their office in the Police of Nature, and
devour them.
§ 16.
* Species of Beeticr-
146 O N T H E
the Mufca putris"* in mire, the Mufca
domefticaj in dunghills, and others in
dead carcafes : -but left thefe mould mul
tiply beyond proper limits, fome vigilant
overfeers are appointed over them; the
Spider weaves innumerable webs upon
every bufh, the Afili-j- fuck their blood,
and the Dragon fly catches them wherever
he flies.
§ !7;
Thus hundreds and thoufands of fepa-
rate commimons are given to different
animals, that the general proportion of
things mould be kept u p ; and nothing
be multiplied beyond i t : Every created
thing has a fuperior and a fubordination
appointed it.
•
POLICE OF NATURE. 147
. § 18.
§ 20.
I 21. •;
§ 22.
§ 24.
* Order 4.
iz
5 O N T H E
§ 26.
* Order 3. || Guillemots,
f Ducks. Gulls.
± Divers. * * Terns.
§ Awks. f f Rawri.
POLICE OF N A T U R E . 153
devour carion, the Graculus*, Crotopha-
gus and Cuculus-j- many infe&s, the Cer-
thia^ feeds upon their eggs ; the Tipula|j
feeds upon the roots of Grafs, and leaves
the Italic {landing, which thus prevents
any future vegetable from occupying its
place; the C r o w , who is exceedingly
fond of the. caterpillar of the Tipula, is
obliged to dig up the dead ftalks to come
at them, and thus performs the tafk af-
figned to her.
§ 27.
§ 28.
. - •
§ 29.
T h e Cète %, with the Phocas^ and L u -
traejl, are the rulers of the waters, and
fubfifl:
• i
§ 3°-
T h e Pecora and Belluas* every year de
vour the herbs that the face o f the earth
may be cleared for its annual renovation:
certain fpecies o f vegetables feem inter
dicted to certain animals, leaffc other fpe
cies w h o follow them mould be totally
deprived o f fubfiftence.
§ 31-
T h e Glires-j~ have it afligned to them in
office to g n a w away and confume all fu-
perfluous and dead fubftances, having a
difagreeable appearance; the Squirrel is
as great a devourer o f the cones o f pines,
as the L o x i a curviroftraj and C o c c o t h r a u -
fies§, w h i c h fcattering their feeds, fubfift
X 2 upon
* Order 5. and 6. \ % Crofs bill.
| Order 4. § H a w finch.
156 O N T H E
upon their fuperfluous parts: the Squir
rel, together with the Moufe, the Cor-
vus caryocataftes * and Glandarius-f-, after
they are well fed, collect and bury nuts
and acorns in the earth, where they are
frequently left either by their forgetful-
nefs, being driven from their old haunts,
or by death; thus thefe feeds which per
haps would never have been buried a proper
depth in the earth to vegetate, fpring and
grow up into trees.
§ 39-
* Nutcracker. f Swine.
t Jay. § Hedge-hog.
% Order-2. || Mole.
POLICE OF NATURE. 157
§ 6
* Order 2, t Order r.
i 8
5 O N T H-E
below as it were with one continued roof,
left they fhould be totally parched up by
the heat of the fun : part of thefe, as
the Bat, Ant eater and Manis, fufift upon
thofe infecls which are moft numerous;
and others, as the Elephant, Monkey,
Lemuris and Sloth, upon the fruits and
luxuriant foliage of trees.
§ 35-
C H A P T E R II.
:
. i — a n s a — ' *
K-p . . . ; - *lu*
i66 POLICE OF NATURE.
lute neceffity to the preferving of the order of things
in that perfedion in which it was created ; and whick
fubfifts alone by maintaining the number of fpecies,
and the relative proportion of the individuals of each
unaltered.
Q N