42 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



Dark clouds fweep through the air iti the horrible 

 forms of dragons. Here and there the pale fire of 

 lightning burfts from the gloom, the noife of the 

 thunder, with which their dark womb is impreg- 

 nated, refounds like the roaring of the celeflial 

 lion. The Orb of Day, who can icarcely render 

 himfelf vifible through their rainy and multiplied 

 veils, emits long radiations of a wan and lîckly 

 light. The leaden furface of the Ocean finks and 

 fwells into broad white foaming furges. A hollow 

 murmuring noife feems to iflue from thofe threat- 

 ening billows. The black (hallows whiten at a 

 diftance, with horrid founds, from time to time, 

 interrupted by ominous lilence. The Sea, which 

 alternately covers and reveals them, difplays to the 

 light of day their cavernous foundations. The 

 Norwegian lorn perches on one of their craggy 

 points, uttering lamentable cries, like thofe of a 

 drowning man. The fea-ofpray rifes aloft in the 

 air, and not daring to commit herfelf to the im- 

 petuofity of the winds, flruggles, with a plaintive 

 fcreaming voice, againft the temped, which bends 

 back her flubborn wings. The black procellaria 

 flutters about, grazing the foam of the waves, and 

 feeks, in the cavity of their moving valleys, a (bel- 

 ter from the fury of the winds. ïf this fmall and 

 feeble bird happens to perceive a fhip in the midft 

 of the Sea, he flees for refuge along her fide, and, 

 as a reward for the protection which he folicits, 



announces 



