JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



27 



came rich. The giraffe has a small 

 body, long legs, very long neck and 

 small head with eyes of wonderful 

 beauty which are much larger than 

 those of any other quadruped. 



Animal temper is naturally pacific, 

 equable and mild. Animals love so- 

 ciety. A New England hillside pas- 

 ture" with its herd of domestic cattle 

 of different races and of various col- 

 ors, some feeding and some quietly 

 resting, presents to the eye a picture 

 at once most peaceful and most pleas- 

 ing. What a grand and heart-stirring 

 spectacle was presented by a herd of 

 buffalo consisting of thousands of 

 individuals moved by one impulse, 

 tearing over a western prairie, turn- 

 ing aside for neither river nor preci- 

 pice lying in its course. 



Passing to animals of a lower class 

 we come to the birds, of which we 

 have here in America an entire fam- 

 ily of the most beautiful, — the hum- 

 ming birds, consisting of about 450 

 species, with only one in the United 

 States this side of the Mississippi, the 

 Ruby-throat. You can discover what 

 naturalists have thought of their 

 beauty by the names which they have 

 given them, — the Amethyst, Crimson 

 Topaz, Ruby -throat. Sapphire -throat- 

 ed. Splendid Coquette, Sappho Comet, 

 Sun Gem, Chimborazian Hill Star, 

 Golden Train-bearer. "Of all ani- 

 mated beings," says Buffon, "this is 

 the most elegant in form and splendid 

 in coloring." Precious stones and 

 metals artificially polished can never 

 be compared to this jewel of natui-e. 

 Lady Emeline Stuart Woi'tley calls 

 them these Diamond Dew Drops on 

 Wings, these Sylphs, these Visions, 

 these Rainbow Atoms. 



The humming birds scarcely surpass 

 two or three other families. The sun- 

 birds, the birds of Paradise, the pea- 

 cock, and some of the trogans almost 

 rival tliem. Some of the pheasants 

 and fruit pigeons are hardly inferior 

 to the peacocks. Many others which 

 are less beautiful are most pictur- 

 esque. What can be more picturesque 

 than family groups of tall and elegant 

 storks perched upon the chimney tops 

 of Holland and Southern Germany? 

 Audubon tries in vain to describe his 

 feelings when he beheld the flamin- 

 gos at the Florida Keys. The rough 

 Spanish sailors were so filled with 

 emotion that they were moved to 

 tears when they saw at a distance on 



the Cuban shores the scarlet flamin- 

 gos like soldiers in a line. No boy 

 that has watched a flock of wild 

 geese with outstretched neck cleav- 

 ing the air with that mysterious 

 wedge can ever forget it. Who ever 

 saw a sight more beautiful than the 

 snow white swan on St. Mary's 

 Lake, "floating double, swan and 

 shadow." What man with all his 

 science and machinery has been able 

 to fiy like a bird? even to discover 

 how the huge condor can float in the 

 rarified air of the Andes and pass from 

 one aerial plane to another without 

 flapping its wings. 



Passing still on to a lower class of 

 animals we come to the butterflies 

 and moths. In Brazil, in the Eastern 

 Archipelago, including the Philippines, 

 and in other tropical countries, where 

 only man is vile, the splendor of 

 these airy creatures cannot be con- 

 ceived by us who are only acquainted 

 with those of New England. Natu- 

 ralists, collecting in these countries, 

 after hunting for butterflies during 

 the day have seen at night, in their 

 dreams and excited imaginations, 

 visions of such gorgeous butterflies as 

 are not found this side of the Celes- 

 tial Region. 



3d. Animals ought to be interest- 

 ing to us because of their intelligence. 

 Without expressing any opinion as to 

 whether mind in the lower animals 

 differs from that of man in extent 

 only or in quality as well as extent, 

 one need not hesitate to speak of the 

 intelligence of animals. Instinct is 

 the involuntary prompting to action. 

 Within its limits it is uniform in its 

 teaching. It admits of no discrimina- 

 tion, no forethought, no voluntary 

 application of means to ends. In- 

 stinct is inborn and it makes no prog- 

 ress. Intelligence is improved by 

 experience. I do not think that any 

 careful observer doubts that at times, 

 in exigencies, all the higher animals 

 employ something higher than mere 

 instinct. Those who deny intelligence 

 to animals must ignore at the outset 

 the bees and ants, which are organ- 

 ized into well arranged and well gov- 

 ernedcommunities. I will commence 

 with the birds. 



An oriole's nest, described by Dr. 

 C. C. Abbott, had been suspended 

 from the delicate branches of a weep- 

 ing willow. These being found too 

 slight for the weight of the nest when 



