194 JSTATURAL HISTORY 



were usually hatched, and sometimes grew 

 to-half their size, yet none ever arrived at 

 maturity. I myself have seen these found- 

 lings in their nest displaying a strange 

 ferocity of nature, so as scarcely to bear to 

 be looked at, and snapping with their 

 bills by way of menace. In short, they 

 always died, perhaps for want of proper 

 sustenance : but the owner thought that 

 by their fierce and wild demeanor they 

 frighted their foster-mothers, and so were 

 starved. 



Virgil, as a familiar occurrence, by way 

 of simile, describes a dove haunting the 

 cavern of a rock, in such engaging numbers, 

 that I cannot refrain from quoting the pas- 

 sage : and John Dryden has rendered it 

 so happily in our language, that without 

 further excuse I shall add his translation 

 also. 



. " Quails spelunca subito commota Columba, 

 r'" Cui domuSj et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi, 

 " Fertiir in arva volans, plausumque exterrita pennis 

 *^ Dat tecto ingentem — mox aere lapsa quieto, 

 Radit iler liquidum, celeris neque commovet alas/' 



