branch of a tree, and then fuffers its whole body to fwing from it. This is its manner of taking repofe, and of confulting for its fafety. It continues the whole night fufpended by its tooth, both easy in its pofture, and fecure; being out of the reach of animals which hunt it for prey *.

• Goldsmith's Nat. Hift. vol. iii. p. 195.

CHAP.

CHAPTER XIV.

PROSPECTIVE CONTRIVANCES.

I

CAN hardly imagine to myself a more diftinguishing mark, and, confequently, a more certain proof of defign, than preparation, i. e. the providing of things beforehand, which are not to be used until a confiderable time afterwards; for this implies a contemplation of the future, which belongs only to intelligence.

Of these prospective contrivances the bodies of animals furnish various examples.

I. The human teeth afford an inftance, not only of profpective contrivance, but of the completion of the contrivance being defignedly fufpended. They are formed within the gums, and there they ftop: the fact being, that their further advance to maturity would not only be useless to the new-born animal, but extremely in its way; as it is evident that the act of fucking, by which it is for fome time to be nourished, will be performed with more eafe both to the nurfe and to the

infant, whilft the infide of the mouth, and edges of the gums, are smooth and soft, than if fet with hard pointed bones. By the time they are wanted, the teeth are ready. They have been lodged within the gums for fome months paft, but detained, as it were, in their fockets, fo long as their further protrufion would interfere with the office to which the mouth is deftined. Nature, namely, that intelligence which was employed in creation, looked beyond the first year of the infant's life; yet, whilst she was providing for functions which were after that term to become neceffary, was careful not to incommode thofe which preceded them. What renders it more probable that this is the effect of defign is, that the teeth are imperfect, whilst all other parts of the mouth are perfect. The lips are perfect, the tongue is perfect; the cheeks, the jaws, the palate, the pharynx, the larynx, are all perfect. The teeth alone are not fo. This is the fact with respect to the human mouth: the fact alfo is, that the parts above enumerated, are called into use from the beginning; whereas the teeth would be only fo many obstacles and annoyances, if they were there. When a contrary

VOL. I.

T

contrary order is neceffary, a contrary order prevails. In the worm of the beetle, as hatched from the egg, the teeth are the first things which arrive at perfection. The infect begins to gnaw as foon as it escapes from the shell, though its other parts be only gradually advancing to their maturity.

What has been obferved of the teeth, is true of the horns of animals; and for the fame reason. The horn of a calf or lamb does not bud, or at least does not sprout to any confiderable length, until the animal be capable of browfing upon its pafture; because such a fubftance upon the forehead of the young animal, would very much incommode the teat of the dam in the office of giving fuck.

But in the case of the teeth, of the human teeth at least, the profpective contrivance looks ftill further. A fucceffion of crops is provided, and provided from the beginning; a fecord tier being originally formed beneath the firft, which do not come into ufe till feveral years afterwards. afterwards. And this double or fuppletory provifion meets a difficulty in the mechanifm of the mouth, which would have

4

appeared

appeared almoft unfurmountable. The expansion of the jaw, (the confequence of the proportionable growth of the animal, and of its fkull) neceffarily feparates the teeth of the first fet, however compactly difpofed, to a distance from one another, which would be very inconvenient. In due time therefore, i. e. when the jaw has attained a great part of its dimenfions, a new set of teeth springs up, (loofening and pufhing out the old ones before them) more exactly fitted to the space which they are to occupy, and rifing alfo in fuch clofe ranks, as to allow for any extenfion of line which the fubfequent enlarge ment of the head may occafion.

II. It is not very eafy to conceive a more evidently prospective contrivance, than that which, in all viviparous animals, is found in the milk of the female parent. At the moment the young animal enters the world, there is its maintenance ready for it. The particulars to be remarked in this economy are neither few nor flight. We have, first, the nutritious quality of the fluid, unlike, in this respect, every other excretion of the body; and in which nature hitherto remains unimitated, neither cookery

T 2