that vegetables are elaborated from the elements of earth, air,
water, and fire. We accordingly see the more humid climates
produce the greater quantity of vegetables. Vegetables are
mediately or immediately the food of every animal; and in
proportion to the quantity of food, we see animals not only
multiplied in their numbers, but improved in their bulk, as
far as the laws of their nature will admit. Of this opinion is
the Count de Buffon himself in another part of his work:[1]
“En general il paroit que les pays un peu froids conviennent
mieux à nos boeufs que les pays chauds, et qu'ils sont d'autant
plus gros 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 Tartarie qu'habitent les
Calmouques sont les plus grands de tous.’”[2] 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 consider 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
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