ASCRIBED TO THE RATTLE SNAKE, &c. 107 



the young are devoured. The fnake feizes upon her: 

 and this is the cataftrophe, which crowns the tale of faf- 

 cination ! 



An attachment to our offspring is not pecuHar to the 

 human kind alone. It is an inftindt which pervades the 

 univerfe of animals. It is a fpark of the divinity that 

 aduates the greater number of living exiftences. It is a 

 paffion which, in my mind, at leaft, declares, in lan- 

 guage moft emphatick, the exiftence, the fuperinten- 

 dance, the benevolence, of a firft great caufe, who re- 

 gards with partial and parental, if not with equal, eye", 

 the falling of a fparrow and the falling of an empire. 



Among the greater number of the I'pecies of birds, the 

 attachment of the parent to the young is remarkably 

 ftrong. We have daily inftances of this attachment 

 among our domeftick birds, and I believe, it is ftronger 

 among thefe birds in their wild ftate : for there are fome 

 reafons for fufpedling, that this amiable inftindl is dimi- 

 nifhed and weakened by culture*. The inftances which 

 I have already mentioned, as well as a fad, which re- 

 mains to be mentioned> point out, in a flriking view, the 

 attachment of the mother-bird to her offspring. She 

 often guards her neft, with the greateft attention, fearful 

 of the inlidious glide of the ferpent. She endeavours to 

 prevent the dertrudion of her eggs or young, by this 

 enemy. When he has fucceeded in obtaining them, fhe 

 attacks him either alone, or calls other birds to her aflif- 

 tance. We ought not to be furprlfed, that fometimes 

 fhe falls a vi<;tim to her affection. For it is a well known 

 fad, that fome fpecies of birds will fuffer themfelves to 

 be taken upon their nells, rather than relinquifli their 

 young, or their eggs. 



* This queftion will be examined ill mv memoirs upon tlic ftorge, or af- 

 fedions, of animals. 



In 



