Page:The Works of William Harvey (part 1 of 2).djvu/525

 arise." In the bird, however, this is not so ; for whatever the colour of the feathers, the skin is still never otherwise than of one tint, viz., white. And then the same feather or quill is fre- quently seen of different and often brilliant colours in different parts for the ornament of the creature.

In the human foetus the skin and all the parts connected with it are in like manner perfected the last of all. In the earlier periods, consequently, we find neither lips, cheeks, ex- ternal ears, eyelids, nor nose ; and the last part to grow toge- ther is the upper lip in the course of the middle line of the body.

Man comes into the world naked and unarmed, as if nature had destined him for a social creature, and ordained him to live under equitable laws and in peace ; as if she had desired that he should be guided by reason rather than be driven by force; therefore did she endow him with understanding, and furnish him with hands, that he might himself contrive what was neces- sary to his clothing and protection. To those animals to which nature has given vast strength, she has also presented weapons in harmony with their powers ; to those that are not thus vigo- rous, she has given ingenuity, cunning, and singular dexterity in avoiding injury.

Ornaments of all kinds, such as tufts, crests, combs, wattles, brilliant plumage, and the like, of which some vain creatures seem not a little proud, to say nothing of such offensive wea- pons as teeth, horns, spurs, and other implements employed in combat, are more frequently and remarkably conferred upon the male than the female. And it is not uninteresting to remark, that many of these ornaments or weapons are most conspicuous in the male at that epoch when the females come into season, and burn with desire of engendering. And whilst in the young they are still absent, in the aged they also fail as being no longer wanted.

Our common cock, whose pugnacious qualities are well known, so soon as he comes to his strength and is possessed of the fa- culty of engendering, is distinguished by his spurs, and orna- mented with his comb and beautiful feathers, by which he charms his mates to the rites of Venus, and is furnished for the combat with other males, the subject of dispute being no empty or vainglorious matter, but the perpetuation of the stock in