Ii8 



I must have been one. But I don't believe in the transmigra- 

 tion of souls, nor in the theor}' that birds were at one time 

 reptiles and have developed themselves into their present 

 higher form of life. I am content to accept the unquestioning 

 creed of my little son, who maintains that ' As the Bible says 

 God on the fifth day created every winged fowl after their kind, 

 it is no use saying that He didn't!'' " 



It is not to be supposed that many will disagree 

 with the author in his disbelief in the transmigration 

 of souls, but from the text of the extract here given 

 it will be evident that any hopes on the part of the 

 reader for instruction in either biological or morpho- 

 logical science will indeed be vain. And if he indtilges 

 in any extravagant anticipation of coming stores of 

 fresh field natural history lore, he will be eqtially dis- 

 appointed — unless indeed he be tempted to join Mr. 

 Beavan in his one time inclination " to adopt old 

 Gilbert White's theory that Swallows sometimes re- 

 main in England to hibernate." We will give otir 

 atithor's own account of the circumstance which led 

 up to this peculiar mental reversion. 



" One sunny January morning I was standing near an out- 

 house waiting for a friend to go shooting with me, when some 

 sparrows emerged from their snuggery in the thatch and flew 

 away, followed by three housemartins from out the eaves. 

 Three more soon appeared, and I fired and missed them ; but 

 I had a good view of them and saw that they were not benumbed 

 as if from loftg repose or scanty food, [the italics are ours], but 

 lively and strong on the wing. The Times recorded the fact 

 a couple of days later, but the editor sarcastically enquired 

 why I had shot at them, forgetting that, in the interests of 

 ornithology, I was anxious to prove that they ivere swallows 

 — swallows in the month of January in Cornwall, while snow 

 was lying on the ground in London ! " 



For otir own part we feel "inclined" to go one 

 better than the Editor of the Times, and to ask why 



