128 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



water, or under it, these animals and the may- 

 flies are defended, or concealed from the fishes, 

 and therefore are not so easy to come at; but 

 now is their harvest, and when they drop their 

 eggs, they fall towards the stream, and it is 

 deemed a shower of manna. 



The same object brings the several kinds of 

 land-crabs at stated times to sea, to deposit 

 their eggs where their young may reach a cer- 

 tain maturity, if not undergo a metamorphosis ; 

 probably at this period there is an assemblage of 

 aquatic devourers of Crustaceans, to share in the 

 expected harvest. And during the route of the 

 myriads that thus migrate to the sea, beasts and 

 birds, and man himself, all partake of the feast 

 thus provided for them. 



If we give this subject of the migration of 

 animals due consideration, and reflect what 

 would be the consequence if no animals ever 

 changed their quarters, we shall find abundant 

 reason for thankfulness to the Almighty Father 

 of the universe, for the care he has taken of his 

 whole family, and of his creature man in par- 

 ticular, consulting not only his sustentation and 

 the gratification of his palate by multiplying 

 and varying his food, but also that of his other 

 senses, by the beauty, motions, and music of the 

 animals that are his summer or winter visiters : 

 did the nightingale forsake our groves, the 

 swallow our houses and gardens, the cod-fish, 



