LETTER No. X. 

 WOOD-PIGEONS, MAGPIES, AND ROOKS. 



N the days that were earlier," pro- 

 bably about the time when the 

 ape's tail began to grow " curlier," 

 and long before a man or even a thumb had 

 been evolved from him, there seemed to be 

 a stirring of evolution in the slow-minded 

 wood-pigeon (or quist, as we call him in our 

 country), and he desired to improve the archi- 

 tecture of his dwelling ; so he besought the 

 cunning magpie to give him a lesson in 

 house-building. 



" Pray tell me," said the quist, " the way 

 in which you build your nest so strong and 

 so fine." 



"Well," said the magpie, "I don't mind 

 instructing you if you will pay attention ; 

 first, you place one stick so " "I know," 

 said the quist. " And then you put another 

 across it so " " I know," said the quist. 



