ruped_, comprehending these two species; which men in their
situation would no more be led to form, than a person, who had only seen
one individual of each species, would think of an appellation to express
both, instead of applying a proper name to each. In consequence of the
variety of birds, it appears that they had a generic name comprehending
all of them, to which it was not unnatural for them to refer any new
animal they met with."--This solution is very specious, but when
narrowly examined, will be found to rest on two suppositions not
altogether borne out by evidence, and also to be liable to yield a
conclusion not readily reconcileable with all the circumstances of the
case. In the first place, it is not proved that these islanders had no
generic word to comprehend the two species of quadrupeds with which they
were acquainted; and the reason given for their want of it, which, after
all, is merely a probable one, cannot be allowed much force. Its
weakness will appear from the consideration, that men in their
situation, having certainly an idea of number, must, according to Mr
S.'s own principles stated in the next page, have possessed the power of
attending separately to the things which their senses had presented to
them in a state of union, and have found it necessary to apply to all
of them one common name, or, in other words, "to have reduced them all
to the same genus." It is requisite, therefore, for the validity of Mr
S.'s reason, to shew that these islanders either were not able to
distinguish betwixt their hogs and dogs, or had never numbered them
together, which it is quite impossible to credit. Even the case of the
person who had seen only one individual of each species, which Mr S.
conceives similar to that we are considering, may be argued against in
the same manner, and besides this, will be found not analogous. The
reason is plain. He may or may not have been able, from a solitary
observation, to infer that the distinction he noticed betwixt them was a
radical difference, or, in the language of the schoolmen, was essential:
Whereas the islanders, from the constancy of the differences they
observed, must have been necessitated to form a classification of the
objects, the result of which would be, the use of one term for the
common properties or the resemblance, and two words for the comprehended
individuals. In the second place, it cannot otherwise be made appear,
that these islanders had a generic na