Studies of nature, tr. by H. Hunter

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Page 364 - Gobelins*, a but. terfly of the colour 6f brick, repofing with expanded wings on a tuft of grafs. On my approaching him, he flew off. He alighted, at fome paces diftance, on the ground, which, at that place, was of the fame colour with himfelf. I approached him a fecond time ; he took a fecond flight, and perched again on a fimilar...
Page 365 - ... on which he is designed to pass his life. But, in the age of weakness and inexperience, nature confounds the colour of the harmless animals with that of the ground, on which they inhabit, without committing to them the power of choice. The young of pigeons, and of most granivorous fowls, are clothed with a greenish shaggy coat, resembling the mosses of the nest. Caterpillars are blind, and have the complexion of the foliage, and of the barks, which they devour.
Page 10 - The quails which annually take their departure from Europe on their way to Africa have such a perfect knowledge of the autumnal Equinox, that the day of their arrival in Malta, where they rest for twentyfour hours, is marked on the almanacks of that island about the 23d of September, and varies every year as the Equinox.
Page 158 - As the turpentine tree I stretched out my branches, And my branches are the branches of honour and grace.
Page 158 - I dwelt in high places, and my throne is in a cloudy pillar. I alone compassed the circuit of heaven, and walked, in the bottom of the deep.
Page 360 - ... out of the moifture, of a foot deep, a little hillock of mud, a foot and a half high, He makes a hole in the fummit of this little hillock ; in this the hen...
Page 175 - ... enchanting, from the disposition of the valleys, of the waters, of the woods, of the animals. Man alone deranges the plans of Nature : he diverts the current from the fountain ; he digs into the side of the hill ; he sets the forest on fire ; he massacres without mercy every thing that breathes ; everywhere he degrades the earth, which could do very well without him. The harmony of this globe would be partially destroyed, perhaps entirely so, were but the smallest genus of plants to be suppressed...
Page 360 - The pelican, or wide throat, is a bird white and brown, provided with a large bag under it's beak, which is of exceffive length.
Page 175 - Many iflands have been difcovered without inhabitants, which prefented abodes the moll enchanting, from the difpofition of the valleys, of the waters, of the woods, of the animals. Man alone deranges the plans of Nature : he diverts the current from the fountain ; he digs into the fide of the hill ; he fets the foreft on fire...
Page 364 - I approached him a fecond time ; he took a fecond flight, and perched again on a fimilar ftripe of earth. In a word, i found it was not in my power to oblige him to alight on the grafs, though 1 made frequent attempts to that effect, and though the fpaces of earth which fcparated the turfy foil were narrow, and few in number.

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