2 



RENNIe's MONTAGU. 



The errors it contains can only be accounted for on 

 the score that our professor, like many other natu- 

 ralists of high note and consideration, has spent 

 more of his time in books than in bogs. His de- 

 ficiency in bog-education is to be lamented; for 

 such an education would have been a great help to 

 him in his ornithological writings. For my own 

 part, I must own, that I have been more in bogs 

 than amongst books ; and have for years wandered 

 " per loca senta situ," where, it is easy for the 

 reader to imagine, that I must have had many cor- 

 poral misadventures, and at the same time acquired 

 some mental improvement. 



After this statement, I trust that the professor 

 will not take it amiss if I do not agree with him 

 in all his notions on waterfowl incubation. Many 

 writers on natural historj^, on account of their situ- 

 ation in life, can only attempt to clear up doubts by 

 means of theory. Others, again, who have had 

 practice, have it in their power to adduce facts. 

 Truth is the great object which all strive to reach. 



Omnes eodem cogimur." 



Let us now go to the marsh, and find a water- 

 fowl's nest, with the old bird sitting on eggs con- 

 taining embryo chicks. We will drive the bird 

 gently off the nest, and we will stay full two hours 

 near the place, to prevent the return of the bird. 

 At the end of the two hours we will go away, and 

 I will engage that the old bird will come back to 

 her nest, and hatch the eggs which have been left 

 uncovered all this time. This being the case, how 

 stands the professor s speculation, that the vicinity 



