with the most evident satisfaction, and artistically chalking the whirrlies with the greatest care. It gave me a twinge of toothache, I must say.
He then completed his numerical example, saying:
‘At the end o’ a score o’ years the number of rabbits descended frae one doe is
6
N = - (1 + 4)¹⁶⁰
4
= 684 × 10¹¹².’
‘No wonder,’ says my friend to me, who seemed to understand it—‘aiblins,’ ‘hirplin,’ ‘doited,’ and all—‘no wonder the Society for the Protection of Rabbits congratulated themselves; and,’ he added, ‘all the unnatural ways since tried to decrease these rabbits don’t affect the practical result either.’
All the time Macalister’s demonstration had gone on, Mac and I were giving significant nods, and grunting assent to all he said.
‘Noo,’ says Macalister, ‘the children will do a few practical exercises.’