70 OCCASIONAL PAPERS. 



as ourselves, nay, I may go further and say, an 

 immaterial and undying principle similar to our own, 

 the mystery commonly supposed to be connected 

 with the instinct of animals, vanishes in my mind 

 to a considerable extent, It is improbable in the 

 highest degree, that a flock of birds all of the first 

 year, should set off for 'a foreign land alone, with 

 no old ones in their company, who have been the 

 road before ; and therefore, I believe there are 

 always plenty in a flock to guide them. And if so, 

 why should not birds be able to travel about just the 

 same as men ? But even supposing for the sake of 

 argument that such an improbability as I have stated 

 takes place, what then ? A flock of birds feel the 

 weather in their locality, getting too cold for them. 

 They do what a tribe of men might do, try to find a 

 warmer place. If they fly northwards, they only 

 experience colder winds, what should they do then 

 but turn round to the south ? In that direction 

 they meet with warmer air, and are beckoned con- 

 tinually on and on by more balmy breezes, until 

 they arrive in a locality which suits them, and there 

 they wait until they feel compelled by circumstances 

 to go back again. In short they act like reasonable 

 beings as they are. I should be glad if some one 

 would take up the discussion of the subject presently. 

 I fear I have trespassed somewhat too much on 

 your attention, and must now draw to a close my 

 desultory remarks. I have simply tried to show 

 what we may all do in what are generally called the 

 dreary months of winter, and I hope I have proved 

 that there is plenty of occupation both for niiud and 

 body. 



