NATURAL HISTORY. 211 



took a bucket of water, and weighed that ; and 

 when he dropped the fish in the bucket, he 

 found that it increased the weight of the whole, 

 precisely as many pounds as the fish had 

 weighed out of the water ; so he found out 

 that there was no reason why a fish weighed 

 more in the water than he did out of it, be- 

 cause it was not true : his weight was the 

 same either in or out of it." 



" Ah, Uncle Philip, that is a pleasant story: 

 he was a sensible old gentleman." 



" Yes, boys, he was ; and it was sensible in 

 you to ask first whether the starling did use 

 silk and thread before Europeans came here ; 

 and after that is answered, it is time enough to 

 ask where he got such things. Now the truth 

 is, that he did not use them until after Eu- 

 ropeans brought them here ; because there 

 were no such things in this country : for the 

 Indians who lived here could not make thread, 

 I think ; and I am sure they could not spin 

 silk : but I will tell you, boys, what it shows 

 us ; and it is that I wish you to notice." 



" What is it, Uncle Philip ?" 



" It is the wisdom of this bird in taking ad- 

 vantage of circumstances. No doubt he built 

 very good nests long before silk and thread 



