THE RELIGION OF NATURE 



of indifference must be to the race. Supposing 

 that only a single pair of ravens or eagles are 

 known to breed in a large tract of wild country, 

 and one of the pair is shot; the survivor will re- 

 turn in a very few days with a new mate, though 

 where the third bird comes from is always a 

 mystery. 



When a pair of woodpigeons are robbed of their 

 unfledged squabs, they only go to nest again the 

 sooner. 



From the natural point of view we can see the 

 beauty of this indifference to domestic bereave- 

 ment. It is good for the race that when the first 

 effort of reproduction has failed, a second should 

 be made without delay. From the human point 

 of view, on the other hand, such conduct seems 

 callous and wrong ; and we are readier to believe 

 that birds mope and die when they lose their 

 young, because it harmonizes with our false ideals 

 of nature. 



" Why that look of terror in a chased creature's 

 eye?" is the seventh question; and this is based 

 on the mistaken idea that the eye expresses emo- 

 tions. The eye does not change ; and the emotions 

 which we connect with it the wide eyelids of ter- 

 ror, the brow-darkened eye of anger, the narrowed 

 eye of merriment, and so on are all expressed 

 by the play of the facial muscles, which have each 



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