SECT. XVI. 14. OF INSTINCT. 07 



might poffibly have been taken by a hawk, fome 

 time when the old one was feeking food. I never 

 found her off her neft but once, and that was the 

 lad time 1 (aw the remaining young one, when it 

 was almoft full feathered. I then went from home 

 for two or three days, and, when I -returned, the 

 young one was gone, which I take for granted had 

 flown. Though during this time I frequently faw 

 cuckoos in the thicket I mention, I never obferved 

 any one, that I fuppofed to be the cock-bird, pair- 

 ed with this hen." 



Nor is this a new obfervation, though it is entire- 

 ly overlooked by the modern naturalifts, for Arif- 

 totle (peaking of the cuckoo, aiTerts that me fome- 

 times builds her neft among broken rocks, and oa 

 high mountains, (L. 6. H. c. i.) but adds in ano- 

 ther place that (he generally poffeffes the neft of 

 another bird, (L. 6. H. c. 7.) And Niphus fays 

 that cuckoos rarely build for themfelves, moft fre- 

 quently laying their eggs in the nefts of other birds, 

 (Gefner, L, 3. de Cuculo.) 



The Philofopher who is acquainted with thefe 

 facts concerning the cuckoo, would feem to have 

 very little reaion himfelf, if he could imagine this 

 neglect of her young to be a neceffary injlinft ! 



XiV. The deep recedes of the ocean are inac- 

 ceffible to mankind, which prevents us from hav- 

 ing much knowledge of the arts and government 

 of its inhabitants. 



i. One of the baits ufed by the fiflierman, is an 

 animal called an Old Soldier, his fize and form are 

 fomewhat like the craw-fifli, with this difference, 

 that his tail is covered with a tough membrane in- 

 ftead of a (hell ; and to obviate this defect, he 

 feeks out the uninhabited (hell of fome dead fifh, 

 that is hrge enough to receive his tail, and carries 

 It about with him as part of his clothing or armour, 



2, 



