INSTINCT AND REASON. 63 



The butterfly was set, and ever afterwards kept apart in 

 Dick's collection as a memento of this time. 



Before they went home again they had got several specimens 

 of this handsome butterfly, and still better, they discovered 

 numbers of the bright green caterpillars and chrysalides on 

 the meadow-sweet and wild carrot, which grew in the marsh, 

 and so were able to breed several fine specimens, enough for 

 their own collection and for exchange. 



CHAPTER X. 



Moonlight. Instinct and Reason. Death's Head Moth. Bittern. 

 Water-rail. Quail. Golden Plover, Hen-Harrier and Weasel. 

 Preserving Bird-skins. 



THEY anchored that night just inside Hoveton Great Broad. 

 The moon rose large and round, and lake and marsh slept 

 still in her mellow light. The boys sat on deck watching the 

 reflection of the moon in the water, and listening to the cries 

 of the night-birds around them and the splash of the fish in 

 the shallow margins. Dick said, 



" Is it not wonderful that the butterfly knows on which plant 

 le is to lay her eggs ? How does the swallow-tail know that 

 le must lay them on the wild carrot or on the meadow-sweet ; 

 he death's-head moth on the potato ; and the white butterfly 

 n the cabbage ? How is it that they select these plants, seeing 

 hat it is all strange and new to them ? It is very wonderful ! " 

 " Yes," said Jimmy, " and it cannot be reason, because they 

 an have no facts to reason from, so it must be instinct." 



" Well, I don't like talking anything like cant, and you won't 

 ccuse me of that if I say that it seems to me that instinct is 

 personal prompting and direction of God to the lower animals 

 or their good, and I don't believe we think of that enough," 

 aid Dick. 

 Frank replied, " You are right, Dick, and while man has 



