AUGUST XXVI. THE FORMATION OF BIRDS. The ; BIRDS may undoubtedly be ranked among the most beautiful creatures in the world. form of their bodies, even in its least parts, is so regular and perfect, that it is enough to convince us of the wisdom of the Creator. They, as well as those animals who give milk, have real bones but they are very differently clothed. Their bodies are covered with feathers fastened into the skins, laid one over another in regular order, and furnished with a soft and warm down. The large feathers are covered again, over and under, with smaller feathers. Each feather has a quill with beards. The quill is hollow at bottom, and from thence the feather receives its nourishment. Towards the top it is full of a sort of marrow. The beards are a range of little thin flat flakes, pressed close to one another on both sides. Instead of the fore legs of the quadruped, the birds have two wings. They are composed of eleven bones, into which are set the feathers intended for flight. These feathers turned back, form a sort of arch, strengthened still more by two rows of smaller feathers, which cover over the root of the large ones. The mechanism of the wings is truly admirable: they do not strike behind like the fins of fish, but they act perpendicularly against the air which is under them, and which assists the flight of the bird greatly. The wings are a little hollow, in order to collect more air; and yet they are so close, that no air can penetrate through them. The body is suspended between the two wings in a perfect balance, and in the manner best adapted for the motions it is to perform. The heads of birds are small, N 2 small, that the weight may not retard the vibration of the wings; and to be more proper to cut the air, and make their way through that element. The principal use of the tail is not to supply the place of a rudder; but it particularly serves to preserve the balance in flying, and to assist the bird in rising into the air, and descending again. The legs, never more than two, are generally so placed, as to keep the body in the centre of gravity. Some birds have them more behind, and can only make use of them in swimming. The legs are composed of the thigh, of the leg, properly speaking, and the claws. The thighs are covered with muscles, and almost always with feathers. As for the legs, they are thin, and generally without feathers. Most birds have four toes, three of which are before, and one behind. At the end of the toes they have nails, which they make use of either to perch, or to seize their prey, and to take up their food. Some birds feed on animals, others on plants and seeds of plants. Those which live on seeds, steep and soften them in their crop; from whence there can pass but little food at a time into the stomach, because in this sort of bird it is but small. Their stomachs are composed of very strong muscles, by means of which, the food is so much the better bruised and ground, as those birds generally swallow sand, and little hard uneven stones, to assist digestion. Birds of prey have much weaker stomachs, but they also have recourse to stones to facilitate its functions. The bodies of birds are formed, throughout the whole, with such art and harmony, as to be perfectly adapted to their way of life, and their different wants. The stork and the heron, which must seek their food chiefly in marshes, have long bills; and are raised high, that they may run into the water without wetting themselves, and yet go very far in to reach their prey. The vulture and eagle, who live only by rapine, are provided with great wings, strong claws, and sharp bills; which are necessary to keep them from starving. The swallow's bill is small and pointed; the mouth large and cut up to the eyes; on one hand, not to miss the insects they meet flying; and, on the other, that they may pierce through them more easily. The swan has in its windpipe, a particular reservoir, from whence it draws air enough to breathe when it puts its head and neck under water to seek food. Several little birds, which flutter and hop among the thick bushes, have a pellicle on their eyes, to guard them. In a word, the formation of each bird is wonderfully adapted to its own way of life. Each species is perfect in its kind; and no limb is useless, superfluous, or deformed. The wisdom observable in this, will appear still more extraordinary, if we consider that every part of a bird, at the same time as it is suited to their uses, also combines to adorn and give them the most beautiful form. What wonderful difference of construction, proportion, colour, and voice, do we not observe between the raven and the swal-low, the partridge and the vulture, the wren and the ostrich, the owl and the peacock, the crow and the nightingale? All these birds are beautiful and regular in their kind; but each has its peculiar beauty and regularity. Thus may the sight of birds become useful and edifying to us, if we accustom ourselves to trace them up to God that created them. Happy for us, if we make this use of his creatures. What an agreeable employment, what pure and celestial pleasures may not such reflections afford! AUGUST XXVII. REFLECTIONS ON THE SKY. WE need only cast our eyes on the sky, to be struck with admiration at the sight of this magnificent work of the Creator. With what lustre shines this rich canopy over our heads, particularly in the night, when millions of stars appear, and when the moon sheds its mild light from far! Who can raise their eyes, and contemplate this beautiful sight, without astonishment, without the sweetest emotion! But we discover still greater wonders, when, with the mind's eye, we traverse that immense space, and make it the subject of reflection. Where are the bounds to this space? Where the beginning or the end of it? Globes without number, and of a prodigious size, rise there one above another, and the human mind that would attempt to follow them in their rapid courses, soon would discover its weakness. A pure etherial air, infinitely subtile, fills that space, supports those prodigious bodies, and traces for them the circles in which they continually run. There are no props or pillars to support this immense. vault. It is not suspended or fastened to any thing, and yet it has supported itself for thousands of years, and will continue to do so for ever. What a number, and how great the size, of those celestial bodies with which the sky is filled! The size of the sun, and of many of the planets moving round And who it, much exceeds that of our earth. knows how many there are of the other stars which may yield to them in nothing, and may even be still more considerable! Their prodigious distance makes them only appear to us as little lights sparkling in the sky. But, in reality, they are so many suns, the immense circumference of which cannot be measured. With the naked eye we behold innumerable celestial bodies, when the absence of the sun in the night permits us to see them shine. How many more do we discover with telescopes! It is also probable, that there are many out of the reach of our best glasses. We may venture to assert, that many millions of suns and worlds roll in the firmament, and that our solar system is but the smallest part of that great multitude ranged above us in such beautiful order. But the heavens present still greater wonders to an attentive mind. Those bodies are in a perpetual motion, which is subject to invariable laws. They all turn round their own axis, and most of them also run immense courses round other globes. One particular path is appointed for each of them, from whence they never deviate. They run their course with a swiftness which passes all imagination. They have a force by which they fly from the centre, and yet an equal force retains them within their orbit. Though so many millions of bodies move in the same space, they never hit against, or incommode one another. Those stars which appear to us confusedly spread in the firmament are, on the contrary, placed in the greatest order and the most perfect harmony. They have risen and set regularly in the same manner these thousands of years, and astronomers can foretell exactly their position and course. What N 4 |