30 THE BIRDS OF COOKHAM AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, 
basket, and killed the old bird. Mr. Briggs remarks the extreme 
similarity of the Cuckoo’s egg to that of the Wagtail, an assertion 
I can myself confirm from personal observation. 
In the severe weather at the beginning of the present year Mr. 
Briggs was surprised to find a large flock of Wagtails congregated 
in the laurels near his cottage door. He estimates their number 
at about 200 to 250, and supposes that they were going to roost 
there, the cold being too great to allow them to occupy their usual 
place—the osier beds in the eyots on the river. In the winter they 
roost in flocks in these latter places, and as it gets dusk they may 
be seen trooping, singly, or in small parties of five or six towards 
their destination. Ifthe weather continues severe, the Wagtails 
_ do not remain long, but leave, I think, for the South of England. 
At all events very few are to be seen in extreme frosts. 
To be continued, R. B, SHARPE, 
On some Resemblanices Wetveen Llants and Animals” 
T seems somewhat startling for a beginner in botanical studies 
to be told that it is impossible to define with scientific accuracy 
the difference between plants and animals. You will, perhaps, 
say, ‘*‘ Why, it is the easiest thing in the world. An animal is 
alive, and moves about, and breathes, and eats, and sleeps; but a 
plant is fixed to the soil, and does none of these things.” It ¢s 
quite true that most animals move, breathe, eat, digest, sleep ;— 
but I am going to show that plants also do all these, and more, 
too, that are the usual attributes of animals. I will, however, 
allow that it is quite easy to distinguish between ordinary plants 
and ordinary animals, though perhaps not quite so easy to set 
the distinctions down in writing. But plants are not all alike, nor 
are animals all alike. There are gradations in the chain of created 
beings; and, though all are equally perfect, because the work 
of the Great Creator, and are all equally adapted to live in the 
situations in which they are placed, all are not equally complex 
* Read before the Society at the Fourth Eyening Meeting (February 5th, 
1867) of the Second Winter Session. 
