322 NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



learnt in her infancy if we resolve her conduct in- 

 to institution. 



Unless we will rather suppose that she remem- 

 bers her own escape from the egg — had atten- 

 tively observed the conformation of the nest in 

 which she was nurtured — and had treasured up 

 her remarks for future imitation; which is not only 

 extremely improbable (for who that sees a brood 

 of callow birds in their nest can believe that they 

 are taking a plan of their habitation ?) but leaves 

 unaccounted for one principal part of the difficulty, 

 " the preparation of the nest before the laying of 

 the egg." This she could not gain from observa- 

 tion in her infancy. 



It is remarkable also, that the hen sits upon 

 eggs which she has laid without any communica- 

 tion with the male, and which are therefore ne- 

 cessarily unfruitful. That secret she is not let into. 

 Yet if incubation had been a subject of instruction 

 or of tradition, it should seem that this distinction 

 would have formed part of the lesson ; whereas 

 the instinct of nature is calculated for a state of 

 nature — the exception here alluded to taking place 

 chiefly, if not solely, amongst domesticated fowls, 

 in which nature is forced out of her course. 



There is another case of oviparous economy, 

 which is still less likely to be the eftect of educa- 

 tion than it is even in birds, namely, that of moths 

 and butterflies, which deposit their eggs in the pre- 

 cise substance — that of a cabbage, for example 

 — from which, not the butterfly herself, but the 



