Xill 
a savour of the private school about it. A collection of 
China! a collection of Paintings! it seems greatly beneath 
consideration by such comparison : it really is as greatly 
above; for are they not as clearly evidence of God’s 
design, as China and Painting are evidence of Man’s. 
It is a collection of things of the greatest beauty in 
form, texture, and colour ; and of the most infinite variety 
and subtlest distinction amongst species; although broadly 
defining the genera, or families; so subtle that it takes 
long practice to be able to distinguish with proximate 
certainty the difference between, for instance, the eggs 
of the Grey, Golden, and Pacific Plovers; 
of the Common, Redbreasted, and Wilson’s Snipes ; 
of the Trumpeter, and Common Swans; 
of the Common, and Parrot Crossbills ; 
and of many other kinds. 
We heard, not long since, of a China plate being 
bought at an auction, for something under a thousand 
pounds; it was a matter of surprise: but of not more 
surprise to some than that the Great Auk’s egg should 
be bought for fifty pounds: yet one was the work of man, 
and could be repeated to-morrow ; the other is the work 
of God, and, thanks to man, cam never be repeated. 
It has been said that the egg collector is only de- 
sirous to have more, and rarer, of his pretty bead-like 
toys than his neighbour. 
This is taking for granted that his pleasure in his 
collection is solely in their pretty appearance, as they lie 
in artificial nests; but it is possible that what really is 
attractive to him and to those to whom he shows them, 
is their connection with those exquisite creatures which 
enliven his walks, cheer his heart, announce his summer 
season, and render his landscape ten thousand times more 
charming by their moving, noisy presence; as every 
