SUPERIOR INSTINCT IN A WAGTAIL. 



173 



as may be supposed, a great favourite with the family. On taking down the 

 cage one morning to replenish the little occupant's food, Mr. Marks observed 

 his "pet" lying motionless at the bottom. He took it out, examined it, and 

 it was to all appearance dead; the sad event was quickly known among the 

 household, who handed the defunct body one to another, but no one entertained 

 any hopes of ever hearing its thrilling notes again. The bird was placed on 

 the chimney-piece in the parlour, where it remained for three days; during 

 which period it received many a fond caress and minute inspection. On the 

 fourth day the servant went into the "chamber of death," when, lo! a trans- 

 formation had taken place; for instead of poor "Dick" being quietly lying on 

 his bier, he was actually flying about the room. The mourners were quickly 

 summoned to bear witness to the happy change; their joy may be well imagined, 

 on seeing their little pet, which they deplored as dead, assume again its living 

 state, and perform the many pleasing tricks it was wont to do. However 

 he did not live more than about three months after the above event, and 

 did not sing as loud and frequently as before. There could have been no 

 deception practiced in the above affair, as the bird possessed some unmistakeable 

 traits in his character, together with a peculiarly marked plumage, to allow 

 of any fraud being played. 



SUPERIOR INSTINCT IN A WAGTAIL, {MO'LAOILLA LOTOIi.) 



BY GEORGE R. TWINN, ESQ. 



It is a law that must have struck every earnest student of Nature, that 

 a system of counterbalancing agencies is always at work: — every event has 

 its opposite; every good its evil. It is very wisely arranged by Providence, 

 that no one created thing shall exclusively lay claim to a possession of all 

 the qualities, gifts, peculiarities, and endowments that are characteristic of 

 separate individuals, or even of families and classes. This is illustrated in the 

 Elephant, with its stupendous body, but very short legs; in the fleet Stag, 

 but with its impeding antlers, for passage through the thicket; in the Snake, 

 with its offensive odour, when grasped, to secure thereby its liberty; and in 

 the elongated neck of many a bird, but with a body comparatively small. 

 This law, if carefully observed, and the mind well directed to it in very close 

 thought, inevitably leads to the result of a very great admiration of Him, 

 who is thus seen to have furnished each family of his vast dominion, with 

 what is appropriate for its very wise destination and place in the earth. 



There are many who take no heed of the common things around them. 

 Oh, how much they are to be pitied! Were they but to notice the tact of 

 the Hare, with its short, though elastic legs, doubling and re-doubling to elude 

 the long vaulting members of the pursuing hound; they would at once per- 

 ceive this dual law of compensation. But there are some who claim for man, 

 that he, by his position and gift of reason, has full advantages over the beasts 

 and birds: that he is an exception to this rule of counterbalancing agences. 



