Female Society. 187 



writing on Physiology, and, in conversation, I hap- 

 pened to mention that the wild ducks in the fens, at 

 Lincolnshire, always build their nests on high tufts 

 of grass, or reeds, to save them from sudden floods ; 

 and that Sir John Sebright had raised wild ducks 

 under a hen, which built their nests on tufts of 

 grass as if they had been in the fens. Dr. Edwards 

 begged of me to inquire for how many generations 

 that instinct lasted. 



Monsieur and Madame Gay Lussac lived in the 

 Jardin des Plantes. Madame was only twenty-one* 

 exceedingly pretty, and well-educated; she read 

 English and German, painted prettily, and was a 

 musician. She told me it had been computed, 

 that if all the property in France were equally 

 divided among the population, each person would 

 have 150 francs a-year, or four sous per day ; so 

 that if anyone should spend eight sous a-day, some 

 other person would starve. 



The Duchesse de Broglie, Madame de StaeTs 

 daughter, called, and invited us to her receptions, 

 which were the most brilliant in Paris. Every 

 person of distinction was there, French or foreign, 

 generally four or five men to one woman. The 

 Duchess was a charming woman, both handsome 

 and amiable, and received with much grace. The 

 Duke was, then, Minister for Foreign Affairs. They 



