16 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 



clearly enough, that in a hot climate it would not do to make 

 them close and warm, or in a cold climate, open. 



It stands to reason, in the one case, that the young would 

 be suffocated, in the other, frozen. 



Furthermore, continues the orator, it is all fal lal I the as- 

 sertion that my young are taught by any such thing as in- 

 instinct when to pierce the shell ; the principle of life has 

 germinated, as it does in a grain of corn, in a certain number 

 of days, under the warmth of my breast, and when the little 

 fellows begin to get strong, they kick and scuffle in their 

 prison, and a small sharp cone, on the top of the beak, (which 

 was put there for the purpose, and drops off in a few days,) 

 soon cracks the shell, while they are struggling, and then we 

 help them out. 



And furthermore, my younglings are just as innocently 

 silly as your younglings, or any other young geese, and will 

 run into the water, or into the fire just as soon as others, 

 until they have burnt their toes, or got themselves half- 

 drowned for their curiosity, and then, as this is not pleasant, 

 they are satisfied to keep themselves out of such scrapes. 



Do I not go with them all the summer, keeping them out 

 of difficulties, coaxing and scolding, learning them how to 

 fly, how to catch bugs, chase butterflies, find caterpillars, to 

 hide from their enemies, plume themselves, and sing ; and 

 can't you understand, that yet, though I cannot speak He- 

 brew or English, I speak the Oriole tongue, and learn them 

 to speak and comprehend it, that I may teach them the morals 

 and religion of the Orioles ! 



Faugh ! instinct indeed ! Don't you perceive they are reg- 

 ularly educated? If you great, stupid, clumsy animals, only 

 had feathers on, there might be a faint hope of your learning 

 something ! 



We think this will be recognized as a very unctuous and 

 edifying discourse of our Parson's ; such are his more didatic 

 teachings ; of the others you have heard. 



But we must confess that the Parson, with all our respect 



