INTRODUCTION. 15 



toe. But this is a fable ; for it is not probable that birds should 

 feed upon what they cannot digest. But allow that, yet it can- 

 not be, for other reasons ; for, first, it is found but upon certain 

 trees, and those trees bear no such fruit as may allure that bird 

 to sit and feed upon them. It may be, that bird feedeth upon 

 the misseltoe berries, and so is often found there ; which may 

 have given occasion to the tale. But that which maketh an end 

 of the question is, that misseltoe hath been found to put forth 

 under the boughs, and not only above the boughs ; so it cannot 

 be anything that falleth upon the bough." He then goes on to 

 argue that this plant, which he considers as a superior kind of 

 fungus, is produced by "abundance of sap in the bough that 

 putteth it forth," which, he says, may be certainly set down ; as 

 also that "this sap must be such as the tree doth excern and 

 cannot assimilate, for else it would go into a bough; and, besides, 

 it seemeth more fat and unctuous than the ordinary sap of the 

 tree ; both by the berry, which is clammy ; and by that it con- 

 tinueth green winter and summer, which the tree doth not." The 

 vegetable Physiologist, however, is now well assured, that the 

 Misseltoe is a distinct and independent plant, springing, like 

 others, from seed, and drawing its nourishment from the juices of 

 the tree on which it has germinated (VEGET. PHYSIOL. 319) ; 

 and a little careful observation of the habits of the Missel-Thrush 

 and other birds would have shown to the great philosopher, 

 that they really perform the office which is commonly attributed 

 to them that of diffusing the plant, by dropping its seeds in 

 situations where they may fall into the chinks and hollows of 

 trees, but which he denied on very insufficient grounds. 



There are two other tendencies which exist, more or less, in 

 almost every mind ; and which must be especially guarded 

 against by those who desire to render that study of Nature 

 alike beneficial to their own minds, whilst promoting the im- 

 provement of science. These are, the love of the marvellous ; 

 and the inclination to rest satisfied with superficial resemblances. 



