No animal eats such variety of food as man; he claims, more justly than
any other creature, the title of _omnivorous!_ for since he is
distinguished beyond all animals, but the capability of living in the
most distant parts of the globe, under every variety of climate which
the earth affords, his food could not be confined exclusively to either
the vegetable or animal kingdom, because he inhabits regions that afford
aliments widely different from each other. Cattle content themselves
with green vegetables; rapacious animals live on the flesh of other
creatures.
Those of the Linnæan order, _glires_,[4] live on grain and fruits; each
order of birds, keeps, in the same manner, to one sort of food, animal
or vegetable. Fishes, reptiles, and insects, also have each their
peculiar and exclusive bill of fare, beyond which even hunger will
scarcely force them to wander. But however various each class, and
order, and species of animated nature may be in the choice of food,
man--all-devouring man, will embrace the whole range of the creation,
“scarce a berry or a mushroom can escape him.”
[4] The hare, rabbit, guinea-pig, &c.
With the lion and the wolf he will eat of fresh slain animals; with the
dogs and the vulture he will feed on putrid flesh;[5] with the ox and
the guinea-pig he will devour raw vegetables, under the name of salads;
with the squirrel and the mouse he will feast on nuts and grain; with
birds of prey he feeds on fowl of almost every species; with fishes he
feeds on fish; and with insects and reptiles he sometimes lives on
insects and reptiles. Nor is he satisfied even with this abundant
variety, but must go to the mineral kingdom for salt, as a condiment
before he can furnish out his meal.
[5] Every person knows in what a putrid state game is often eaten.