"On the 10th of May, 1762, I observed a pair of goldfinches beginning to make their nest in my garden: they had formed the ground-work with moss, grass, &c. as usual; but, on my scattering small parcels of wool in different parts of the garden, they in a great measure left off the use of their own stuff, and employed the wool; afterwards, I gave them cotton, on which they rejected the wool, and proceeded with the cotton; the third day I supplied them with fine down, on which they forsook both the other, and finished their work with this last article."

In this instance we can scarcely admit the law of necessity, which is said to be the very principle of what is termed instinct. These beautiful little architects appear before us in the light of free-agents, exercising the prerogative of choice; to determine in which implies a reasoning faculty; since a calculation of the different qualities of the materials to be used, and their effects, must necessarily be made, before those which are best fitted for the work could be selected.

There is a very interesting anecdote, written by a Mr. Simpson, of New York, which is inserted in the Medical Repository, an American work that displays considerable ability. It has since been republished in the Philosophical Magazine of this country. It is as follows:

During my residence at Wilton, early one morning I heard a noise from a couple of martins, who were jumping from tree to tree adjoining my dwelling. They made several attempts to get into a box, or cage, fixed against the house, which they had before occupied; but they always appeared to fly from it with the greatest dread, repeating those loud cries which first drew my attention. Curiosity led me to watch their motions. After some time a small wren came from the box, and perched on a tree near it, when her shrill notes seemed to amaze her antagonists. After a short time, the wren flew away. The martins took this opportunity of returning to their

* Vol. v. p. 101.

cage: but their stay was short. Their di minutive adversary returned, and made them fly with the utmost precipitation. They continued manoeuvring in this way the whole day, and I believe the wren kept possession during the night. The following morning, on the wren's quitting the cage, the martins immediately returned, took possession of their mansion, broke up their own nest, which consisted of twigs of different sizes; and, setting to work with more ingenuity and industry than I supposed they possessed, they soon barricaded their doors. The wren returned again, but could not re-enter. She made attempts to storm the works, but did not succeed. I will not presume to say that the martins followed our modern maxim, and carried with them a sufficiency of food to maintain a siege, or that they made use of the abstinence which necessity sometimes, during a long and bad storm, might probably occasion; but they persevered, for near two days, to defend the entrance within the barricado: and the wren, finding she could not

force an entry, raised the siege, quitted her intentions, and left the martins in quiet possession, without further molestation."

In this instance both invention and foresight are eminently conspicuous, and the faculties of judgement and reason, so clearly manifested by the birds themselves, and not reflected from the mind of the observer; that no doubts can be entertained on the subject. There is no transference of motives here, for we behold an act that could never have been taught by any education, but which arose out of the peculiarity of the circumstances, under which the little sagacious pair were placed for the first time in their lives; and, having never been under the control of man, they could not profit by any of his lessons. This was clearly a voluntary act dictated by a principle of uncommon intelligence.

The charming Naturalist of Selborne, whose elegant writings are now well known and justly appreciated, has related a very pleasing anecdote of a certain willow-wren, which is also beautifully illustrative of fore

F

sight, and a reasoning faculty, in one of the most diminutive of British birds*. "A farther instance I once saw of notable sagacity in a willow-wren, which had built in a bank in my fields. This bird a friend and myself had observed as she sat in her nest; but were particularly careful not to disturb her, though we saw she eyed us with some degree of jealousy. Some days after, as we passed that way, we were desirous of remarking how this brood went on; but no nest could be found, till I happened to take up a large bundle of long green moss, as it were, carelessly thrown over the nest, in order to dodge the eye of any impertinent intruder +."

I should have hesitated to mention the following remarkable proofs of more than instinctive sagacity in the common fox, from the worthy and eccentric PONTOPPI DAN, had I not known several instances of

* In the 14th Letter to the Hon. Daines Barrington.

In the same letter in which this little anecdote is introduced, are several other instances of remarkable sagacity in inferior animals.