SECTION II.
The knowledge of mere Animals (who have no School for Arts and Sciences) is most surprising; these without visible Instructors, know how to perpetuate their Species to the End of the World; and how to order their Eggs, as those, who are apprized, their Successors were contained in them, and that it was in their power to produce them, and to perpetuate, or keep up the Name of their Family.
The Serpentine Animals are thus taught by Nature; these differ in the Mode of Propagation; some of them are viviparous, an Epithet applied to such Animals, who lay their Eggs within their Bellies, who bring forth their Young Ones alive and perfect, as Vipers, Sheep, Hares; others are oviparous, and bring forth their Young from Eggs, as Serpents, Snakes, Lizards, Frogs, Salmon, Tortoise, Herrings, &c.[[7]]
[7]. Omnia ab ovo animalia.
In this Contrivance of Male and Female, and different Method of Multiplication for perpetuating the Species, we may see an admirable Instance of divine Wisdom: But for this Difference in Sexes, there would be no Increase of Serpents nor other Animals. The oviparous and viviparous Manner of Propagation is as wonderful; for,
Were they all viviparous, that is, brought forth living Births, there would be but a small Number, and not sufficient to support the whole animal Body: Corn, Grass, Fruits, &c. are no Production of the Sea, therefore can be no Food for Fish: The Almighty Creator so ordained it, that they should feed one upon another; and this made it necessary that they should be oviparous, that they might increase in great Plenty, which they could not do, if they were of the viviparous Kind; that is, brought forth their living Offspring, as Vipers, Sheep, Hares, Cows do.
But Fish being oviparous, propagating their Kind by Eggs, which, for Number, are infinite, their Progeny is innumerable, and sufficient to support all the Branches of the Marine Family; even the lesser Kind of Fish send forth an incredible Number of Spawn.
On the other hand, if four-footed Beasts were propagated by Eggs, they would soon cover the Face of the Earth, without a daily Destruction of them, which would take up no little time, tho’ an Army of Nimrods were employed. Birds increase by Eggs, and bring forth great Numbers; and perhaps, for this reason, that Birds of Prey and Serpents, Kitchens, &c. might not want proper Supplies. Now, if a Female Bird was great with six or twelve Young Ones at once, the Burden would be intolerable, her Wings would fail, and she would become an easy Prey to her Enemies.
But you will say, what if they brought forth only one or two at a time, till they amounted to the usual Number of their Eggs? I answer, that then they would be troubled all the Year long with feeding their Young, or bearing them in their Womb.
This Production of Creatures by Eggs, is a wonderful Phænomenon in the animal World; the Eggs are shelly and hard, to preserve the included Embryo from Accidents, and to contain suitable Nutriment for it. ’Tis observable that Chickens, while in their dark embryotick State, are nourished by the White alone, till grown big, and then feed on the Yolk, as the stronger Diet; and, when that is consumed, the Shell opens, and lets out the Prisoners.
Though all Fowl are hatched from Eggs, yet it is not always by the Parent’s Incubation, or Brooding, but by some other Warmth: The Tortoise is said to lay no less than fifteen hundred Eggs, which she covers in the Sand, and leaves the Sun to hatch them. The Eggs of the Ostrich[[8]] are hatched after the same manner; so the Serpent lays, and leaves her Eggs in the Dunghill.
[8]. Job xxxix. 14, 15. Willoughby’s Ornithol. lib. ii. cap. 8.
The Eggs of Serpents, and certain other Animals, are Parts formed in the Ovaries of the Female, covered with a Shell, which includes an Embryo of the same Species. In the days of old, the Egg was the Symbol of the World; the World, by Tradition, being made of an Egg: Hence Eggs became of singular Importance in the Sacrifices of Cybele the Mother of the Gods. Some of the Pagan Deities were said to be produced from Eggs.
In some Parts of Asia, and at Grand Cairo in Egypt, they hatch their Chickens in Ovens; each Oven contains several thousand Eggs which the Country brings in, and have their Eggs returned in Chickens.
By this Method, they generally want some integral Part, as an Eye, a Claw, &c. which may be owing to a Want of equal Impression of Heat, tho’ the artificial Warmth be continued. There are thousands, yea Millions at a Batch, thus produced in Egyptian Ovens;—and may as well be in Europe, if our Bakers had the knack on’t. An Experiment has been made by a Duke of Tuscany, who having built such Ovens, did produce living Chickens in the same manner.
Under this Section, I shall consider the wonderful Sagacity of Serpents, in chusing their Paths for Deambulation, and finding out proper Receptacles for their Repose and Security in Winter; and that in Climates that are Opposites in their Nature.
In Summer, generally speaking, they are found in solitary and unfrequented dry Situations; others delight in moorish fenny Grounds; and in hot Countries, near to Groves, Rivulets—These, like other Animals, strictly adhere to the Constitutions of their Family, without Deviation.
They take up their Winter-Quarters in Caverns, hollow Places, Burrows, Rocks, old Hedges, and under the Roots of Vegetables, especially the Birch, others say Beech-Trees, which were consecrated by the Pagans to the supreme Numen.
In these lonesome Habitations they repose themselves during the Winter, in a kind of sleepy State, as half dead, with open Eyes[[9]]. In this Solitude they lie dormant, indulg’d with a little humid Air, till the Sun, by its Entrance into the northern Constellations, restores them to the active Life; without some Air they could not live. Mr. Boyle made the experiment, by putting Vipers into the exhausted Receiver, which soon died upon pumping out the Air.
[9]. Apertis Oculis. Conrad. Gesner. pag. 3. de Serp.
It argues no little Penetration, that they know when and how to shelter themselves in Places of Safety in all Seasons; and what is yet more astonishing, is, that they live there so many Months without Food and without Action; and when released from their hybernal Confinement, how soon do they find out their appointed Food? Taken in this light, they are not singular; for ’tis believed, there are other Animals that pass the Winter-Season in a state of Indolence and Inactivity, as Cuckows and Swallows, making way by their Retreat for Woodcocks and Fieldfares, which visit us in Winter, and then return northwards: They are said to breed in colder Countries, as Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the Islands of Orcades, the most northern Parts of Scotland; which Islands were formerly in possession of the Norwegians, and given and annex’d to Scotland by Christiern I. King of Denmark and Norway, on the Marriage of his Daughter Margaret, with James III. King of Scotland, about the Year 1474.
It is probable, that when these northern Countries are buried in Snow, and their Rivers are frozen up, these Birds take their Flight hither, and such like Places, where they have access to Water, &c. But as to Cuckows and Swallows, as intimated above, ’tis generally allow’d that they sleep in Winter, having, as ’tis said, been found in hollow Trees and Caverns. Nor is this at all unlikely; tho’ on the other hand, I can see no Absurdity in supposing that these should go upon a Summer, as the other do upon a Winter Pilgrimage; that these pursue a lesser Heat, as well as the others fly from a greater Cold. Yea, Vegetables are said to sleep in Winter, and to be awake and lively in Summer: During the Months of their Rest, a quantity of Oil is laid up in them for their Defence against the Cold, and in proportion to the Degrees of it, which they are to sustain; whence it is, that the Trees of the northern Climates so much abound with Oil.
On the other hand, there are Reptiles and Insects that have Sense enough to lay up Winter-Store in Summer, as the Bee, Wasp, Field-Mouse, &c. a Property foreign to the ancient House of Serpents.
In Summer, the Bees labor hard for Winter Provision: As soon as the Air grows mild and warm, they are out betimes, and gather their Harvest from the Simples of the Fields, which they suck into their Bodies, and upon their Return to the Hive they disgorge it, as Pigeons do their Food wherewith they feed their Young. When the Bees have fill’d their Storehouse with the Delicacies of Nature, they lock the Doors, which they seal up with delicate white Wax, to prevent the Emanation of the Honey, which is a vegetable Juice: The Combs in which their Treasure is lodg’d, are geometrically nice, and exceed the most exquisite Art of Man.
The Ants also in this respect, are remarkable for Penetration and Foresight. In America are Ants which raise Hillocks four or five Foot high, and have such a way of cementing the Earth about them, that ’tis as firm as Lime and Stone, which protects them against the Ant-Bears, or Pismire-eaters; i. e. a kind of Creatures as big as Dogs, that feed on these Insects.
One observes, that the Spaniards left Jamaica, and went to Cuba, for this Reason among others, because their Childrens Eyes were eaten by these Ants, when left by themselves in the Cradle[[10]].
[10]. Sir Hans Sloan’s Introduction to his Voyage, p. 68.
Ceylon in the East-Indies produces several sorts of remarkable Ants, particularly a large red kind, which make their Nests on the Boughs of great Trees, with Leaves wrapt together in Clusters, in which they lay their Eggs: And another sort call’d Vacos, whose Hinder-part is white, and the Head red; these swarm over the Land and devour every thing, but Stone and Iron: They creep on House-walls, and always build an Arch over themselves; on these their Poultry live chiefly; some of them bite desperately.
To these I might add the Wasps, that have their Winter-Treasures in subterranean Cells, and the Field-mice that know the proper Season to gather Acorns, which they carefully hide in hollow Places, (as Mole-runs) in the Earth. Thus we see no Creatures so mean in our View, but a Ray of divine Wisdom shines in their Foresight and Contrivance: When we consider how wonderfully these inferior Creatures are conducted in their Operations, how punctually they obey the Laws of their Creator, how solicitously every one propagates his Kind, and makes proper Provisions for his Family; it looks as if it were done by some Principle that’s more perfect than the common Reason of Man. Nevertheless ’tis past doubt, that Brutes of the highest Order, and most refin’d, are but Brutes, i. e. irrational, and it’s well for us they are so.
This is call’d Instinct, a natural Disposition, or Sagacity wherewith Animals are endued; by virtue whereof they are enabled to provide for themselves, know what is good for them, and are determin’d to propagate and preserve their Species. Instinct bears some Analogy to Reason or Understanding, and supplies the Defect of it in Brutes. The Narrative of Eve’s Temptation begins with affirming, The Serpent was more subtle than any Beast of the Field. And Christ recommends the Wisdom of the Serpent, but not without the Innocence of the Dove.
The Proofs of its Subtilty are not so obvious; some produce such as these, telling us, that the Serpent Cerastes hides itself in the Sand, with a view to bite the Horse’s Foot that he might throw the Rider. Jacob seems to allude to this, in the Blessing he gave to Dan, of whom ’tis said, Dan shall be a Serpent by the Way, an Adder in the Path, that bites the Horse’s Heels, so that his Rider shall fall backward. Gen. xlix. 17. But more in Part third.