290 IN A LOG CAMP 



which the ancients accounted for curious 

 facts in bird-life, but listen to a sample of 

 the ignorance of our ancestors little more 

 than one hundred years ago. In a serious 

 "Dictionary of Natural History" this ac- 

 count is given of the albatross : 



"When an albatross wishes to sleep it 

 rises into the clouds as high as it can, where, 

 putting its head under one wing and beating 

 the air with the other, it seems to enjoy its 

 ease. After some time, however, the weight 

 of its body only thus half supported brings 

 it down, and it is seen descending with a 

 pretty accelerated motion towards the sur- 

 face of the deep; on this it again exerts 

 itself to rise, and thus alternately ascends 

 and descends at its ease." 



And again, our Cotton Mather gravely 

 announced the discovery in America of the 

 " dove employed by our father Noah," going 

 into particulars, and adding his own convic- 

 tion that "it is a true discovery." 



Should not these statements make us a 

 little modest in our assertions, and suggest 

 to us that not everything is known even 

 yet; and that it does not become us to be 



