ter of Stilton, who, in
1745, wagered he would ride the distance from Stilton to London thrice
in fifteen consecutive hours. Setting out from Stilton, and using eight
different horses, he accomplished his task in 3 hours 51 minutes. In the
return journey he used six horses, and took 3 hours 52 minutes. For the
third race he confined his choice of horses to those he had already
ridden, and, selecting seven, achieved the distance in 3 hours 49
minutes. He performed the undertaking in 11 hours and 32 minutes. "I
doubt," comments Buffon, "whether in the Olympic Games there was ever
witnessed such rapid racing as that displayed by Mr. Thornhill."

Justice having been done to it, the horse gives place to the ass, ox,
sheep, goat, pig, dog, and cat, with which he closes the account of the
domesticated animals, to which three volumes are allotted. It is
noteworthy that Buffon frequently, if not always, gives the synonyms of
the animals' names in other languages, and usually supports his textual
statements by footnote references to his authorities.

When he comes to the Carnivores--"les animaux nuisibles"--the defects of
Buffon's higgledy-piggledy plan are almost ludicrously evident, for
flesh-eaters, fruit-eaters, insect-eaters, and gnawers rub shoulders
with colossal indifference. Doubtless, however, this is to us all the
more conspicuous, because use and wont have made readers of the present
day acquainted with the advantages of classification, which it is but
fair to recognise has been elaborated and perfected since Buffon's time.

As his gigantic task progressed, Buffon's difficulties increased. At the
beginning of vol. xii. (1764) he intimates that, with a view to break
the monotony of a narrative in which uniformity is an unavoidable
feature, he will in future, from time to time, interrupt the general
description by discourses on Nature and its effects on a grand scale.
This will, he naively adds, enable him to resume "with renewed courage"
his account of details the investigation of which demands "the calmest
patience, and affords no scope for genius."

_II.--The Birds_

Scarcely had he finished the twelve volumes of Quadrupeds when Buffon
turned to the Birds. If this section were less exacting, yet it made
enormous claims upon his attention, and nine volumes were occupied
before the history of the class was concluded. Publication of "Des
Oiseaux" was begun in 1770, and continued intermittently until 1783. But
tro