22 HISTORY OF 



continues he, " does the hen provide herself a 

 nest in places unfrequented, and free from noise 

 and disturbance ! When she has laid her eggs in 

 such a manner that she can cover them, what 

 care does she take in turning them frequently, 

 that all parts may partake of the vital warmth ! 

 When she leaves them, to provide for her neces- 

 sary sustenance, how punctually does she return 

 before they have time to cool, and become inca- 

 pable of producing an animal ! In the summer 

 you see her giving herself greater freedoms, and 

 quitting her care for above two hours together ; 

 but in winter, when the rigour of the season 

 would chill the principles of life, and destroy the 

 young one, she grows more assiduous in her at- 

 tendance, and stays away but half the time. 

 When the birth approaches, with how much 

 nicety and attention does she help the chick to 

 break the prison ! not to take notice of her cover- 

 ing it from the injuries of the weather, providing 

 it with proper nourishment, and teaching it to 

 help itself; nor to mention her forsaking the nest, 

 if, after the usual time of reckoning, the young 

 one does not make its appearance. A chemical 

 operation could not be followed with greater art 

 or diligence than is seen in hatching a chick, 

 though there are many birds that show an in- 

 finitely greater sagacity; yet at the same time 

 the hen, that has all this seeming ingenuity, 

 which is indeed absolutely necessary for the pro- 

 pagation of the species, considered in other re- 

 spects, is without the least glimmerings of thought 

 or common sense : she mistakes a piece of chalk 



