Page:Notes on the State of Virginia (1802).djvu/73

Rh d'autant plus groſs et plus grands que le climat eſt plus humide et plus abondans en paturages. Les boeufs de Danemarck, de la Podolie, de l'Ukraine et de la Tartaire qu habitent les Calmouques ſont les plus grands de tous.” Here then a race of animals, and one of the largeſt too, has been increaſed in its dimenſions by cold and moiſture, in direct oppoſition to the hypotheſis, which ſuppoſes that theſe two circumſtances diminiſh animal bulk, and that it is their contraries, heat and dryneſs which enlarge it. But when we appeal to experience, we are not to reſt ſatisfied with a ſingle fact. Let us therefore try our queſtion on more general ground. Let us take two portions of the earth, Europe and America for inſtance, ſufficiently extenſive to give operation to general cauſes; let us confider the circumſtances peculiar to each, and obſerve their effect on animal nature. America, running through the torrid as well as temperate zone, has more heat collectively taken, than Europe. But Europe according to our hypotheſis, is the dryeſt. They are equally adapted then to animal productions; each being endowed with one of thoſe cauſes which befriend animal growth, and with one which oppoſes it. If it be thought unequal to compare Europe with America, which is ſo much larger, I anſwer, not more ſo than to compare America with the whole world. Beſides, the purpoſe of the compariſon is to try an hypotheſis, which makes the ſize of animals depend on the heat and moiſture of climate. If therefore we take a region, ſo extenſive as to comprehend a ſenſible deſtinction of climate, and ſo extenſive too as that local accidents, or the intercourſe of animals on its borders may not materially affect the ſize of thoſe in its