174 INSTINCTS. 



strip the mind of its experience. It is difficult to resusci- 

 tate surprise, when familiarity has once laid the sentiment 

 asleep. But could we forget all that we know, and which 

 our sparrows never knew, about oviparous generation : 

 could we divest ourselves of every information, but what we 

 derive from reasoning upon the appearances or quality 

 discovered in the objects presented to us, I am convinced 

 that Harlequin coming out of an egg upon the stage, is not 

 more astonishing to a child, than the hatching of a chick- 

 en both would be, and ought to be, to a philosopher. 



But admit the sparrow by some means to know, that 

 within that egg was concealed the principle of a future 

 bird, from wliat chemist was she to learn that ioarmth was 

 necessary to bring it to maturity, or that the degree of 

 warmth, imparted by the temperature of her own body, was 

 the degree required ? 



To suppose, therefore, that the female bird acts in this 

 process from a sagacity and reason of her own, is to sup- 

 pose her to arrive at conclusions, which there are no prem- 

 ises to justify. If our sparrow, sitting upon her eggs, 

 expect young sparrows to come out of them, she forms, I 

 will venture to say, a wild and extravagant expectation, in 

 opposition to present appearances, and to probability. She 

 must have penetrated into the order of nature, further than 

 any faculties of ours will carry us ; and it hath been well ob- 

 served, thai this deep sagacity, if it be sagacity, subsists in 

 conjunction with great stupidity, even in relation to the same 

 subject. " A chemical operation," says Addison, " could not 

 be followed with greater art or diligence, than is seen in 

 hatching a chicken ; yet is the process carried on without 

 the least glimmering of thought or common sense. The 

 hen will mistake a piece of chalk for an egg; is insensible 

 of increase or diminution of their number ; does not distin- 

 guish between lier own, and those of another species; is 

 frightened when her supposititious breed of ducklings take 

 the water." 



But it will be said, that what reason could not do for 

 the bird, observation, or instruction, or tradition might. 

 Now if it be true, that a couple of sparrows brought up 

 from the first in a state of separation from all other birds, 

 would build their nest, and brood upon their eggs, then 

 there is an end of this solution. What can be the tradi- 

 tionary knowledge of a chicken hatched in an oven ? 



Of young birds taken in their nests, a few species breed, 

 when kept in cages ; and they which do so, build their 



