greater ease than one that is thin, because the fat in his body is lighter than the water, and it helps to buoy

him up.

Cider is the fermented juice of apples, and perry is the fermented juice of pears; Her-e-ford-shire, Worcestershire, and Devonshire, are the most noted counties for the production of these two beverages.

There is too much reason to fear that cannibals, or eaters of human flesh, still exist in some of the uncivilized parts of the world.

The principal duty of a Coroner, is to enquire, by a jury of neighbours, into the causes of sudden death; should it be a case of murder, and any particular person be suspected, he would issue his warrant to take him to prison, where he would remain till the assizes.

LESSON XLV.

THE HERRING. THE WHALE.-THE BEE.

Of all the kinds of fish with which we are acquainted, the herring, as an article of food, is the most important to us; it is said to be a migrating fish, because, at a certain season of the year, it goes from one sea to another.

This useful fish is caught in immense numbers in the summer and autumnal quarters, and, after plentifully supplying our own wants, we largely export them to those countries which the herring never visits.

The herring first visits the Shetland Isles, lying north of Scotland, in the month of June; they come in immense shoals containing hundreds of millions;

they are commonly divided into columns of five or six miles in length, and about four miles in width.

On approaching the Isles, they divide, one part taking the eastern coast, and the other the western, and thus proceeding round the kingdom, they fill every creek and bay with food for the human body.

The pilchard is a species of herring, taken in very large numbers on the coast of Cornwall; in addition to our home consumption, this fish is a considerable article of export, and the taking and curing of it gives profitable employment to a number of hands.

The largest animal known to man is the whale, chiefly found on the coast of Greenland, a very cold country, belonging to Denmark; a full grown one will measure forty yards in length.

Whales are caught by being repeatedly struck with a kind of dart, called a harpoon, to which a small rope is attached, when they come to the surface to breathe; when weakened by the loss of blood, they are attacked with lances till they die.

Whales are chiefly caught for the sake of the oil which their blubber, or fat, yields: a good sized whale will produce oil worth more than five hundred pounds; the whale fishery formerly gave employment to a numerous body of hardy seamen, but within these late years, whales have become much scarcer, and fewer ships have been employed.

Although the whale inhabits the water, and has the appearance of a fish, and, indeed, is considered one, yet, in reality, it belongs to another class of animals.

Two important reasons may be given why this is the case: the first is, the whale is warm blooded, and all fishes are cold blooded; the second is, the whale suckles her young, fishes do not.

According to Linnæ'us, the whale belongs to that class of animals which bring forth their young alive, and suckle and protect them until they can take care of themselves.

The bee teaches us both industry and economy; she does not idle away her time, but flies from flower to flower, sucking up the sweet juices, and when she makes more honey than she wants, she does not squander it away, but lays it up for the winter.

Great regularity is seen in a hive of bees, and in this respect, it has very justly been compared to a wellgoverned kingdom, every bee paying the most strict obedience to the laws, and labouring for the common good.

Bee's-wax is the substance of which the comb, or cells, of bees consist; when this wax is bleached, it is made into candles, by melting it, and pouring it into leaden moulds, in the middle of which a flaxen wick has been fixed.

LESSON XLVI.

THE HONEY POT.-THE HALF-CROWN.

Children, in general, are fond of nice things, but it is not right for them to think of nothing else, and endeavour to acquire them in an improper manner. Now, Lucy Lamb was one of those girls, who are never better pleased than when they can find something to gratify their appetites.

On one occasion, her mother sent her to the storeroom, to fetch some lemons, strictly charging her to touch nothing she saw there; no sooner had she opened

the door, however, than she began her search for sweetmeats, or any other dainty she could find.

Catching a glimpse of a jar, which was, in general, filled with honey, she mounted a chair, in order to reach the shelf on which it stood; the jar being empty, her mother had placed in it a large lobster, which was not yet dead.

Lucy put in her hand, expecting to get some honey, when the lobster seized it with one of its claws, and made her scream lustily for help; her mother, and the servant, hastened to her assistance, and, with some difficulty, released her hand from the grasp of the lobster, but nobody pitied her, and she was told that it was a just punishment.

The affair soon became known to her play-fellows, and many a joke was passed on the "tit-bit" she had found in the jar, and she suffered almost as much from these jokes, as she did from the pinch of the lobster. From the German.

Among the servants of a wealthy farmer, was one named Matthew, who was often in a violent passion about trifles, and was frequently guilty of swearing at those who vexed him: his master was a good man, and he pointed out to him the sin and folly of using profane oaths, and urged him to correct so wicked a habit.

Matthew was ready to allow that passion, and swearing, gave great offence to God, but said that all his efforts to amend were fruitless. "Matthew," said his master to him one morning, "do you see this halfcrown? I will make you a present of it before you go to bed, if you will not utter an oath, or make use of an angry word during the day.'

It is hardly necessary to say that Matthew thanked his master, and made up his mind to win the money;

in vain did his fellow servants employ all their art to put him out of temper; to their great surprise, he kept a strict command over himself, and only smiled at their attempts to ruffle him.

"Do you not blush," said his master, as he gave him the half-crown at bed time-"do you not blush to think that a paltry piece of money could induce you to curb your angry temper, while the fear of God, and the respect which you owe to me, could not produce the same effect."

Matthew felt the reproof to be just, and determined, in his own mind, to use every effort to subdue his evil nature; he did not find this an easy task, but at last his struggle was crowned with success, and he became so much altered, that his master frequently pointed him out to his younger servants, as an example worthy to be followed.-From the German.

LESSON XLVII.

SATURN. URANUS.-NEPTUNE.

The planet that next comes under consideration is Sa'turn, so named after Saturn, in heathen mythology, the god of time, and the father of Jupiter.