STUDY X. 571 



are the aconite tribes. I am acquainted with no 

 piant of an afpedt fo hideous as thofe of this fa- 

 mily, and, among others, that which the French 

 denominate napel^ the mod venemous vegetable of 

 our chmates. I fhall not take upon me to deter- 

 mine, whether the embryons of their fruits do not 

 difclofe, from the very firft moments of their ex- 

 panfion, harfh oppofitions, which give warning of 

 their malefic charaders : if it be fo, they have this 

 farther refemblance in common to them with the 

 young of ferocious animals. 



Such of the brute creation as are intended to 

 live on two different grounds, are impreffed with a 

 double contrail in their colours. Thus, for ex- 

 ample, the king-fifher, which Ikims along rivers, 

 is at once mufk-coloured, and glazed over with 

 azure j fo as to be detached from the dufky (hores 

 by his azure colour, and from the azure of the 

 waters by his mufk-colour. The duck, which 

 dabbles on the fame (liores, has the body tinged 

 of an afh-colour, while the head and neck are of 

 an emerald-green ; fo that he is perfecftly diftin- 

 guifliable , by the gray colour of his body, from 

 the verdure of the aquatic plants among which he 

 waddles, and by the verdure of his head and neck, 

 from the dark coloured mud where he finds part 

 of his food, and in which, by another moft afto-i 

 nilhing contrail, he never foils his plumage. 



B b 2 The 



