have struck me with wonder. If one looks into the 

 winters on that subject little satisfaction is to be 

 found. Ingenious men wall readily advance plausible 

 arguments to support whatever theory they shall 

 choose to maintain; but then the misfortune is, every 

 one's hypothesis is each as good as another's, since 

 they are all founded on conjecture. The late writers 

 of this sort, in w4iom may be seen all the arguments 

 of those that have gone before, as I remember, stock 

 America from the w^estern coast of Africa and the 

 south of Europe ; and then break down the Isthmus 

 that bridged over the Atlantic. But this is making 

 use of a violent piece of machinery : it is a difficulty 

 worthy of the interposition of a god ! " Incredulus 

 odi." I feel disgusted and disbelieving." 



THE NATURALIST'S SUMMER-EVENING WALK. 



" eqiiidem credo, quia sit diviniUis illis 



Inge)iiii?ny * — ViRG. Georg. i. 415, 416. 



When day declining sheds a milder gleam, 



What time the May-fly haunts the pool or stream ; 



When the still owl skims round the grassy mead, 



What time the timorous hare limps forth to feed : 



Then be the time to steal adown the vale, 



And listen to the vagrant cuckoo's tale ; 



To hear the clamorous curlew f call his mate. 



Or the soft quail his tender pain relate ; 



To see the swallow sweep the dark'ning plain 



Belated, to support her infant train ; 



To mark the swift in rapid giddy ring 



Dash round the steeple, un>ul)(Uied of wing : 



* " I think their instinct is divinely bestowed.' 

 f Charadriiis oedicneinus. 



96 



