of Montagues Orriithological Dictionary » 517 



perature, and not be suffered to cool for a moment. The natural heat df 

 the bird itself is sufficient for this purpose, without the heat of ferment- 

 ation, erroneously supposed by Pennant ; but if she quits them for a mo- 

 ment, to go in pursuit of food, or to withdraw the attention of an intruding 

 water-spaniel, or a prying naturalist, their near vicinity to moist plants, or 

 to water, would certainly prove fatal to the embryo chicks. In order, then, 

 to prevent the brood from being destroyed by cold, the careful bird covers 

 the eggs with a quantity of dry hay, to keep them warm till her return." 



When the worthy Professor wrote the above-quoted pas- 

 sage, I am sure that he had not the least doubt but that it 

 was correct. Nine tenths of his readers would be of the same 

 opinion with him. The errors it contains can only be ac- 

 counted for on the score that our Professor, like many other 

 naturalists of high note and consideration, has spent more 

 of his time in books than in bogs. His deficiency in bog- 

 education is to be lamented ; for such an education would have 

 been a great help to him in his ornithological writings. For 

 my own part, I must own, that I have been more in bogs than 

 amongst books ; and have for years wandered " per loca senta 

 situ," where, it is easy for the reader to imagine, that I must 

 have had many corporal misadventures, and at the same time 

 acquired some mental improvement. 



After this statement, I trust that the Professor will not 

 take it amiss if I do not agree with him in all his notions on 

 waterfowl incubation. Many writers on natural history, on 

 account of their situation in life, can only attempt to clear up 

 doubts by means of theory. Others, again, who have had 

 practice, have it in their power to adduce facts. Truth is 

 the great object which all strive to reach. " Omnes eodem 

 cogimur." 



Let us now go to the marsh, and find a waterfowl's nest, 

 with the old bird sitting on eggs containing embryo chicks. 

 We will drive the bird gently off the nest, and we will stay 

 full two hours near the place, to prevent the return of the 

 bird. At the end of the two hours we will go away, and I 

 will engage that the old bird will come back to her nest, and 

 hatch the eggs which have been left uncovered all this time. 

 This being the case, how stands the Professor's speculation, 

 that the vicinity of the nest to moist plants, or to water, would 

 certainly prove fatal to the embryo chicks, were the bird to 

 quit the eggs for a moment unless she covered them with 

 dry hay ? 



In 1826 I was helping a man to stub some large willows 

 near the water's edge. There was a waterhen's nest at the 

 root of one of them. It had seven eggs in it. I broke two 

 of them, and saw that they contained embryo chicks. The 

 labourer took up part of the nest, with the remaining fvio, 



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