THE SCOOPING AVOCET. 227 



balance, outsum all number, and outsoar and wholly confound 

 and bewilder imagination itself. When we think of those 

 energies, we are forcibly reminded of that sublime challenge 

 that most forcible of all rebukes to human vanity, which 

 the inspired writer addresses to the Patriarch as from the 

 mouth of the Almighty himself : " Who is this that darkeneth 

 counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy 

 loins like a man ; for I will demand of thee, and answer 

 thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of 

 the earth ? declare if thou hast understanding. Who hath 

 laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest ? Or who hath 

 stretched out the line upon it ? Whereupon are the founda- 

 tions thereof fastened ? or who laid the corner-stone thereof ? 

 when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of 

 God shouted for joy." 



Such are the conclusions to which, when followed out 

 aright, the contemplation of nature leads ; and when, in the 

 proper frame and temper of mind, we get even such glimpses 

 of what there is to be known, as the imperfections of the 

 mortal part of our frame enable us to take, we feel the 

 ardent desire and the exulting hope, of that time when we 

 shall quaff the stream of knowledge the river of the water 

 of life pure, fresh, and full, at the eternal fountain, and 

 uncontaminated by pitchers of clay, when the train of our 

 contemplation shall not be interrupted by the dimness of 

 eyes, or the deafness of ears ; and, inspired and inspirited by 

 that glorious hope, we feel all the paths of life becoming 

 smooth and easy, and all the little rubs and obstacles of this 

 world as no more hindrance to our course, than gossamer is 

 to the bound of the lion, or the lightest rack of the summer 

 sky to the wing of the eagle. But we must, for a little, 

 leave those heights, and return to the avocet, beside the 

 still waters. 



The avocet is always an interesting bird from the peculiarities 



Q2 



