Animals and Nature

Trembling in her soft and chilly nest.

Rara avis in terris nigroque simillima cycno.

When I observed he was a fine cat, saying,

Johnson had said that he could repeat a complete chapter of ‘The Natural History of Iceland’, from the Danish of Horrebow, the whole of which was exactly thus:—‘ CHAP. Lxxii. Concerning snakes. There are no snakes to be met with throughout the whole island.’

Sir, we are a nest of singing birds.

A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing.

Oats. A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.

Cats and monkeys—monkeys and cats—all human life is there!

… With a sudden sharp hot stink of fox,

It took the whole of Creation

Naturam expelles furca, tamen usque recurret.

My heart in hiding

What would the world be, once bereft

Very like leaves

This is the weather the cuckoo likes,

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

The man recovered of the bite,

Man is Nature’s sole mistake!

On a tree by a river a little tom-tit

I often think it’s comical

My apple trees will never get across

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not been discovered.

The nightingales are singing near

At whatever time the deed took place— MACAVITY WASN’T THERE!