£0 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



is entirely black. I rayfelf recollect to have ken, 

 at Port l'Orient, a cacatois, whofe ftomach had 

 been dripped of the feathers, and difplayed a fkin 

 as black as that of a Negro. When this white 

 bird, with his black beak, and black and naked 

 breaft, erected his plume, and clapped his wings, 

 he had the complete air of an Indian King, with 

 his crown, and mantle of feathers. 



This Law of compenfations employs, therefore, 

 means endlefsly varied, which contradict moft of 

 the Laws which we have laid in Phyfics ; but this 

 Law muft itfelf be fubjected to that of general 

 accommodation or conformity ; without which, 

 were we to attempt to render it univerfal, it would 

 involve us, in it's turn, in the common error. It 

 has given rife, in Geometry, to feveral axioms ex- 

 tremely doubtful, though of great celebrity, fuch 

 as the following; the action is equal to the re-atlion, 

 and this other, which is a confequence from it, 

 the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence, 

 I (hall not flop to demonflrate in how many cafes 

 thefe axioms are erroneous ; how many actions in 

 Nature are without re-actions ; how many actions 

 have unequal re-actions ; how many angles of re- 

 flection are deranged by the very planes of inci- 

 dence. It is fufficient for me, at prefent, to re- 

 peat what I have already, oftener than once, ad- 

 vanced, namely, tiiat the weaknefs of the human 



mind, 



