Song Birds and Water Fowl 
and at other times he speaks of its joyous 
spring-time mood, with an ardor that is quite 
in contrast with his usually quiet and conserva- 
tive utterance. These varied impressions re- 
sult in part from the variations of the bird 
itself, and in part from the changing light and 
atmosphere in which a poet looks at everything. 
There are certain peculiarities in this bird that 
deserve attention. 
Some people are so symmetrical in their nat- 
ures that the skilful psychologist, from a sin- 
gle element, might reconstruct the entire frame- 
work of their character; just as Agassiz, from 
a single bone, restored the entire skeleton of a 
certain geologic reptile. Such may be the most 
valuable members of society, but they are not 
the most interesting specimens for psychological 
analysis. But when one’s own nature is at war 
with itself, when an individual like the cuckoo, 
modest, graceful, retiring, and evidently of a 
poetic melancholy temperament, is found to be 
an artful thief and a cold-blooded murderess, 
and so wanting in natural affection as to aban- 
don her own offspring—while we should hardly 
like to admit this character to our own house, 
we should certainly be eager to scrutinize such 
a strange anomaly. 
102 
ann nee OS ent 
