Page:Lives of British Physicians.djvu/283

JENNER. 261 Though June, the air is cold and chill ; The mellow blackbird's voice is still. The glow-worms, numerous and bright, Illumed the dewy dell last night ; At dusk the squalid toad was seen, Hopping, crawling, o'er the greeii. The frog has lost his yellow vest. And in a dingy suit is dress'd. The leech, disturb' d, is newly risen Quite to the summit of his prison. The whirling winds the dust obeys, And in the rapid eddy plays. My dog, so alter' d in his taste, Quits mutton-bones, on grass to feast ; And see yon rooks, how odd their flight ! They imitate the gliding kite ; Or seem precipitate to fall. As if they felt the piercing ball, 'Twill surely rain ; — I see, with sorrow. Our jaunt must be put off to-morrow. In March, 1788, lie added greatly to his happi- ness by marrying Miss Catharine Kingscote, a lady of elegant manners, accomplished mind, and vigorous understanding ; in her counsel and sym- pathy he found support in many of the future trials of his life. About this time, his curious paper on the Cuckoo was read at the Royal Society, and printed in the Trajisactioiis. He had bestowed great care in collecting the facts, and in reporting them with fidelity. It explained the habits of the cuckoo with much clearness, and its account has been adopted by every succeeding naturalist. The cuckoo does not itself hatch the six eggs which it lays, from time to time, in the spring, but places them singly in the nest of the hedge-sparrow, water-wagtail, &c. ; the office of incubation being