74 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



TIioii, upon tlie decline of the nest, the fresh egg 

 glided off into a sort of pocket made to receive it, 

 and when thus relieved the nest re-arose to its 

 position beneath the fowl. After a short time 

 s^^ent in clnickling bliss at the supposed fruit of 

 ^'sexual selection," as Darwin has it, the doat- 

 ing mother arose, shook her feathers, and turned 

 round to look with admiring eyes on the pledge 

 she had given that ^^ selection" had born its fruits. 

 When, in astonishment, she saw it not, she deemed- 

 she had made a mistake in ^' counting eggs before 

 they were " laid ; so, to remedy the omission, she 

 resumed her nest, and laid another egg, and thus 

 a double fructuation was sensibly produced. The 

 rumour of this nest came from Essex, but I know 

 not witli what truth. 



As to cows upon a farm, Avhenever more than 

 one boy is emploj^ed, the cows are always wild, 

 for even the man and the milkmaids don't spare 

 lialf enough of the caresses they bestow upon 

 each other to render the dairy herd affectionately 

 attached to tliem and docile. A cow, and, indeed, 

 all animals, are sensible of kindness when gently 

 and tenderly bestowed ; and all animals, and birds 

 too, liave much more power of tliought and wise 



