THE FIRST FLUTTERIXGS OF THE WING. 



98 



Let us pause for a few moments at the solemn 

 life uncertain seems still to oscillate, where Nature appears 

 herself, to examine her own volition. " Shall I be fish or 

 says the creature. It falters, and remains a fish, 

 blooded ; belongs to the mild race of lamentins and seals, 

 be bird or quadruped ?" A great question ; a perplexed 

 a prolonged and changeful combat. All its various 

 cussed ; the diverse solutions of the problems naively 

 realized by fantastic beings like the ornithorhynchus, 

 nothing of the bird but the beak ; like the poor bat, a 



where 

 to question 

 mammal ?" 

 but warni- 

 " Shall I 



are dis- 

 and 

 which has 

 tender and 



innocent animal in its family-circle, but whose undefined form makes 

 it grim-looking and unfortunate. You perceive that nature has 



