the present month. We desire also by such facts to remind our readers how many of Nature's choicest scenes-what beautiful and surprising sights are lost to him who prefers the crowded evening party, the ball, or concert, to the sweet fresh evening air, and to the woods and meadows all pranked with leaves and flowers.

The Bombylius, a two-winged fly, which delights in sultry weather, swells merrily the insect chorus that ascends from flowery banks and meadows; and this when sucking honey from every open cup with his long and elegant proboscis; as also many hawk-moths, especially the Sphinx stellatarum, called in reference to this circumstance the humming-bird, and which possesses the faculty of unfolding his long tongue, and extracting their sweets without interrupting his song. The chorus of which we have just spoken, and which serves to increase the universal hymn of joy, is therefore never interrupted; bees, as already noticed, cease their hummings when collecting honey-the numerous family of bombylius, or sphinx, on the contrary, continue their cheerful songs while employed in the same manner.

Sounds are peculiar to different places, and harmonise with the character of each. He who passes through sandy lanes, where the burrowing martin makes her nest, may often hear a very singular and pleasing noise, audible at the distance of ten or twelve yards. This is produced by blue sand-wasps (ammophila cyanea), when occupied in building their nests, although uniformly silent at other times. Small monitors are they, yet teaching by this simple act that true happiness is best attained in doing our allotted duties with cheerfulness.

He also who walks in a solitary grove, where covered ways are made by white ants, may often hear two peculiar yet quiet sounds, seeming to come up from the earth; the one, a small vibrating kind of noise, rather shriller and quicker than the sound of a watch; the other, a somewhat louder hissing, which increases at every step he takes. The first is made by neuters or soldiers among white ants, by means of which they keep the labourers upon the alert, and attentive to their work. The other is the response of the labourers; serving also, when increased, to give an alarm, should a stranger step, or any unwonted sound excite suspicion.

The passions of fear or anger, joy or sorrow, eagerness or surprise, which produce exclamations among ourselves, occasionally elicit from insects certain sounds expressive of their feelings. The caterpillar of the Sphinx atrobus, equally with the perfect insect, draws back rapidly if disturbed, making at the same time a rather loud noise, similar to the crack of an electric spark. Even quiescent pupæ are susceptible to fear, or querulousness. De Geer having made a small incision in the cocoon of a moth, which included that of its parasitic ichneumon (s. cantator), the occupant uttered a little cry resembling that of a small grasshopper, and continued it for some time. The sound was produced most probably by the friction of its tiny body against the elastic and silky substance of its own cocoon; but however produced, was doubtless expressive of its feelings. The common dung-chaffers (scarabæus vernalis, and copris lunaris) show their alarm by emitting a shrill, sibilant, or creaking noise; and one or two of the capricorn tribes (cerambycida), unlike their bro

ther, who seems as if employed in mill-work, produce, when under the excitement of fear, an acute sound-compared by Dumeril to the braying of a pigmy ass, who with panniers dangling on either side, made of acorn cups, and suspended across his back with strong gossamer threads, might be supposed to carry the "needments" of a troop of fairies, when about to picnic on the borders of some green wood by moonlight.

Angry chidings are heard occasionally among flowers. Take for instance the indignant tones of a humble-bee, when lying upon his back on some couch formed of rose petals. If any one presumes to hold a finger towards the little being, he kicks and scolds with all his might. Hivebees, too, though the most cheerful and industrious creatures, and possessing every requisite for happiness, produce when irritated a shrill and peevish sound; and let him who hears it make good his escape, or else the sound will presently become both sharp and angry, and the insect will follow him from field to field with the utmost perseverance and hostility.

Shouts of joy no doubt frequently resound on sunny banks and among flowers; but these it is difficult to distinguish from expressions of far different feelings: pain or pleasure necessarily occasions a difference in the tones of vocal insects, but our organs of hearing are not sufficiently acute to catch the different modulations. Some few are, nevertheless, readily distinguishable when taken in connexion with circumstances that give rise to them: in reference to which, Schirach relates, that having once slightly smoked an hive, in order to oblige the inmates to retire to the top, the queen, very properly displeased with such a liberty, fled away, followed by a few attendants. Perceiving this, those who remained sent forth a most plaintive sound, as if deploring their great calamity; but when the narrator, moved by their distress, sought for and brought back their beloved sovereign, the notes of sorrow were speedily exchanged for a most agreeable hum. Nor less af fecting is the incident mentioned by Huber, who tells us that when all the working-broods were removed from the hive, it seemed as if every mother was struck dumb by the event. They were seen sitting in clusters upon the combs, having lost all their activity; and the queen, stead of depositing her eggs, as became her dignity, in royal combs, dropped them about at random, as if totally unmindful of the nation's weal.

in

Now that the weather continues sultry, and shady wood-walks, or such as lead through lanes, are undesirable, on account of the winged flut terers who congregate together, we recommend our young friends, especially, to walk by the river-side, or on the margin of broad clear streams, and observe the active movements of water insects, with those of their terrestrial brethren, some of which we hope to point out to them in a future

gliding motion; and a few may be seen floating in elegantly constructed boat-like cases; some even walk on the surface of the water, to enjoy the full force of the sunbeams. A considerable number rise continually to the surface, for the sake of respiration; others, by alternate inflections, give to their small bodies the undulating motions of serpents.

The Hydrophili, as the name implies, delight in water. The globose pond-beetle, (h. caraidobes,) though apparently little adapted for a watery location, is often seen in ponds during the summer, when rising to the surface for fresh air; the creature swims well, and occasionally floats on his back, from which position he readily recovers himself by whirling round. He however prefers the shade of water plants, or of trees that droop along the banks, and remains contentedly during the

GLOBOSE POND-BEETLE.

day; but when evening draws in, he ventures forth with his companions, and is frequently found sitting on such plants as grow upon the edge. The float meadow-grass (Poa fluitans) is a frequent resort; but when twilight has deepened into night, he spreads his wings, and may be seen in the clear moon-beams, flying rapidly over the damp meadows. Hydrophili are wondrously constructed for their dissimilar locations. When in water, they conceal their antennæ under the projecting sides of their round heads, and advance their palpi; but when they begin to fly, or to climb the stems of their favourite plants, they immediately

unfold their antennæ.

Larvæ of certain dragon-flies, (aeshna and libellula,) which become developed at different seasons of the year, are extremely curious, and though in general they prefer walking under water among aquatic plants, they are able to swim both well and readily, though in a manner peculiar to themselves. Observe one of these strange beings when standing on the bank of his watery domicile. You will perceive that, in swimming, the body is pushed forward by strokes, between which a brief interval occurs, as if the creature was reflecting on the advantage of making a second movement. His legs meanwhile remain inactive, and are compressed closely against his sides. He, however, moves readily by aid of a most singular apparatus, which enables him to draw in a sufficient quantity of water, and then to expel it as need requires. By looking attentively, you will find that when moving forward, a small current of water is produced by this pumping in a contrary direction, and that consequently as the larva has to draw in a fresh supply between every stroke of his internal piston, a little time must elapse.

The works of creation, ever varied and ever

beautiful, present inexhaustible sources for contemplation and delight. In the depth of solitary woods, by the rushing stream or river brink, on mountains and in valleys, they proclaim the greatness and benevolence of the Deity; while the emotions that are awakened by a closer acquaintance with them, are those of joy and peace, of gratitude and adoration.

THE HOUSEWIFE'S FRIEND.

FOOD FOR AUGUST.

Those Fish, Poultry, Sc. distinguished by Italics are to be had in greater perfection.

Meat.-Beef, grass-lamb, mutton, veal, buck

venison.

Fish.-Barbel, brill, carp, cod, conger-eels, crabs, cray-fish, dabbs, dace, eels, flounders, gurnets, haddocks, herrings, lobsters, mackerel, mullet, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, skate, soles, tench, thornback, turbot, whitings.

Poultry and Game.- Chickens, ducks, fowls, green-geese, grouse (from 12th), leverets, moorgame, pigeons, plovers, rabbits, turkeys, turkeypoults, wheat-ears, wild ducks, wild pigeons, wild rabbits.

Vegetables.-Artichokes, beans, (French, kidney, scarlet, and Windsor,) white-beet, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, cucumbers, endive, finochia, pot-herbs of all sorts, leeks, lettuces, mushrooms, onions, peas, potatoes, purslane, radishes, salad of all sorts, salsify, scorzonera, shallots, spinach, turnips.

For Drying.-Basil, sage, thyme.

For Pickling.-Red cabbage, capsicums, chilies, tomatoes, walnuts.

Fruit.-Apples :-codlin, summer pearmain, summer pippin; cherries, currants, damsons, figs, filberts, gooseberries, grapes, melons, mulberries, nectarines, peaches. Pears: jargonelle, Summer Bon Chretien, Windsor. Plums: green-gages, orleans; raspberries, Alpine strawberries.

COOKERY FOR AUGUST.

SOUPS.

A la Chartre.-Clean three or four sweetbreads

in warm water, then scald in boiling water, and put them into a saucepan with a faggot of parsley, three cloves, four shallots, a few mushrooms, and a quart of good giblet soup (p. 142, vol. ii.); stew all gently over a slow fire, and when done, if requisite, season with pepper and salt, and serve hot with the sweetbread and mushrooms in the tureen, the rest being passed through a sieve.

Ox Cheek.-Break the bones of the cheek, and well wash and clean it. Put two ounces of butter in a large stew-pan, and lay the cheek in with the fleshy side downwards; then add about half a pound of lean ham sliced, with three large onions, two carrots, three or four heads of celery, and one parsnip, all sliced small; set over a moderate fire for a quarter of an hour, then add three blades of mace, and four quarts of water, and simmer gently till it is reduced to two quarts. Strain off the soup, and add the white part of a head of celery

cut in small pieces, with a little browning to colour it. Scald two ounces of vermicelli, and put into the soup; boil for ten minutes, then pour into the tureen, and serve hot. (This soup is seldom made until the latter part of this month, as parsnips do not come in until then, or early in September, but in case it is desired earlier, two potatoes may be substituted for the parsnip. The cheek must be saved for another dish, for which see article "Meat," on this page.)

Scotch Leek.-Take the water that has boiled a leg of mutton, put it into a stew-pan, with as many pea-shells (washed clean) as you can get; simmer gently for a quarter of an hour, strain off the liquor, throw away the pea-shells, and return the liquor to the stew-pan; then add two leeks, chopped fine, to every quart of liquor, and pepper and salt to taste; simmer gently for an hour, then mix some oatmeal, quite smooth, with a little of the soup, add it to the soup, set it over a slow fire and simmer again, but take care that it does not burn. When done, pour into the tureen, and serve hot.

FISH.

Eels, broiled.-Skin and clean them, cut into pieces about three inches long, and boil slowly over a good fire: then serve with melted butter.

Eels, to pot.-Skin and clean the eels, split them, and remove the back-bone, then cut into pieces two or three inches long, and season with pepper, salt, dried sage rubbed fine, and powdered allspice and nutmeg. Place the pieces in a baking-dish in layers, pour in clarified butter until full; cover with paper, and bake in a moderately quick oven for an hour and a half. When cold, remove them, press into pots, and cover with clarified butter.

Perch, to fry.-Clean, cut all the fins close off, open by the belly, dry well, dust with flour, and fry a light brown, in plenty of lard or olive oil. Serve with melted butter, anchovy, soy, or ketchup.

Pike, to bake.-Scale and clean the fish, cut off its fins, and stuff the belly with the puddingmeat given at p. 143, vol. ii.; then place the tail in the mouth, as recommended for stewing, and put it upon its belly in a baking-dish. Flour the fish well all over, cover with a few lumps of butter, and place in an oven, or a Dutch-oven before the fire, taking care to baste it occasionally with some of the fat. When done, remove the pike, place on a clean dish, add a squeeze of lemon, a little soy and melted butter together, mix, and pour into the dish; garnish with sliced lemon, and serve as hot as possible.

Turbot, to boil.-Choose a sufficiently large kettle, pour in sufficient water to cover the fish, add a handful of salt, a table-spoonful of shred horseradish, and two table-spoonfuls of vinegar. Boil until the water has acquired some flavour, and then allow it to become cool. Score the fish just through the skin on the dark side, so as to prevent it cracking on the other, and then place it in the kettle with the dark side downwards, and check the boiling as soon as ebullition takes place; observe also that the scum is removed frequently, and that no blacks fall into the kettle. When done, remove, sprinkle the surface with the dried spawn of a hen lobster, or if it cannot be procured, a little scraped horseradish. Serve with lobster, shrimp, or crab sauce. (A moderate sized turbot requires about half an hour to cook

it well, a large one from three quarters of an hour to an hour, and a thick slice from twenty to twenty-five minutes.) When the fish is done, it should be well drained, and placed upon a napkin or serviette (p. 287, vol. ii.) laid over a fish drainer. POULTRY, ETC.

Grouse, to roast.-Twist the head under the wing, and roast them like fowls, but they must not be too much done. Serve with a rich gravy in the dish, and bread sauce.

Leveret, roasted.-Skin, and truss nicely, then roast on a spit; rub the back over with butter, flour well, and keep before a brisk fire for half an hour at the most, but generally from twenty to twenty-five minutes is sufficient. Serve with hare sauce. They do not require stuffing like hare.

Wheat-ears, to roast.-These are dressed the same as snipes, (p. 143, vol. ii.)

VEGETABLES.

Carrots, to boil.-Scrape them clean, put into a saucepan, and if young, boil for half an hour, if old, they will require more. When done, rub them in a clean cloth, and serve whole, or sliced into the dish with melted butter over them.

Endive, to stew.- Boil in four different salt waters, to extract the bitter taste, and when tender throw it into cold water, squeeze well, and chop fine, then put into a stew-pan with a lump of butter, and a few young onions chopped fine, let it dry, dredge with a dessert-spoonful of flour, add some pepper and salt, a little gravy, two teaspoonfuls of sifted sugar, and stew gently a quar ter of an hour.

MEAT.

Ham, to boil.-Soak the ham in cold water the night before it is to be dressed, scrape it clean, and put it into the boiler with cold water. Skim the liquor while boiling, do not let it boil fast, but sim

mer only, and add a little cold water to check it ocskin carefully, and dust with bread raspings; set casionally. When done, take it up, pull off the before the fire for a few minutes, then garnish with turnips and carrots cut to resemble flowers, or stick with cloves, or garnish with boiled carrots. (We have given the time required to boil a ham of twenty pounds, at p. 117, vol. ii. ; but by an error of transcription, it is there stated to be two hours thirty minutes, instead of six hours thirty minutes.) Some persons glaze them, in which case use the receipt given at p. 143, vol. ii.

Ox Cheek, stewed.-After having prepared the soup as previously directed, remove the cheek as and carrot, cut in square pieces, and some toasted whole as possible, and have ready a boiled turnip, bread cut into dice; add cayenne, and some of round the dish. the soup, then serve hot, with carved sippets

PASTRY.

Batter Pudding.-Take a quart of milk, mix with six table-spoonfuls of flour, six well-beaten eggs, a table-spoonful of powdered ginger, and a tea-spoonful of salt; flour a cloth that has been wet, or butter a basin and put the batter into it, tie tight, and plunge it into boiling water, the bottom upwards. Boil for an hour and a quarter, and serve with plain melted butter, or sweet sauce. If according to taste, half a pound of well-washed currants may be added.

Good Common Cake.-Take six ounces of good

ground rice, and the same quantity of flour, the yolks and whites of nine eggs, half a pound of sugar, and half an ounce of caraway seeds. Mix well together, and bake for an hour in a quick

oven.

Custard Pudding, baked.-Boil a pint of cream, with three blades of mace, or a stick of cinnamon; when cold, take four yolks and two whites of eggs, nutmeg and sugar to taste, beat them well, and stir into the cream, pour into cups, and bake in a quick oven.

Gingerbread, spiced.-Take three quarters of a pound of treacle, one egg, four ounces of moist sugar, an ounce of powdered ginger, and a quarter of an ounce each of mace, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg powdered, a pound of oiled butter, and sufficient flour to make a stiff paste; mix well, and make into thick pieces, which should be brushed over the top with white of egg, and baked for an hour in a moderate oven.

TRUSSING AND CARVING.

YOWLS.

Trussing-Fowls must be picked very clean, and the neck cut off close to the back. Take out the crop, and, with the middle finger, loosen the liver and other parts. Cut off the vent, draw it clean, and beat the breast-bone flat with a rollingpin.

If the fowl is to be boiled, cut off the nails of the feet, and tuck them down close to the legs. Put your finger into the inside, and raise the skin of the legs; then cut a hole in the top of the skin, and put the legs under. Put a skewer in the first joint of the pinion, and bring the middle of the leg close to it; put the skewer through the middle of the leg, and through the body, and then do the same on the other side. Open the gizzard,

remove the contents, and wash well; remove the gall-bladder from the liver. Put the gizzard and the liver in the pinions, turn the points on the back, and tie a string over the tops of the legs, to keep them in their proper places.

If the fowl is to be roasted, put a skewer in the first joint of the pinion, and bring the middle of the leg close to it. Put the skewer through the middle of the leg, and through the body, and do the same on the other side. Put another skewer in the small of the leg, and through the sidesman; do the same on the other side, and then put another through the skin of the feet, which should have the nails cut off.

Carving.-A fowl is cut up in the same way whether roasted or boiled. We have illustrated

the method of carving upon the boiled fowl. Fix the fork in the middle of the breast at 5, take off the wing in the direction 1-2, dividing the joint at 1. Lift up the pinion with your fork, and draw the wing towards the leg, which will separate the fleshy part better than by the knife; and between

Roast Fowl.

the leg and the body at 3 to the bone as far as the joint; then give the knife a sudden twist, and the joint will yield if the bird is young; repeat this on the other side, and then take off the merrythought in the line 2-5-4, by passing the knife under it towards the neck; now remove the neck-bones by passing the knife in at 7 under the long broad part of the bone in the line 7-6; then lifting it up, and breaking off the end of the shorter part of the bone, which cleaves to the breast-bone. Divide the breast from the back, by cutting through the tender ribs on each side, from the neck quite down to the vent; turn up the back, press the point of the knife about half way between the neck and rump, and on raising the lower end it will separate easily. Turn the rump from you, take off the sidesmen by forcing the knife through the rump-bone, in the lines 5-8, and the whole fowl is completely carved.

The prime parts of a fowl, whether roasted or boiled, are the wings, breast, and merry-thought; and next to these, the neck-bones and side-bones; the legs are rather coarse-of a boiled fowl, however, the legs are rather more tender than a roasted one; of the leg of a fowl the thigh is the better part, and therefore when given to any one should be separated from the drum-stick, which is done by passing the knife underneath, in the hollow, and turning the thigh-bone back from the leg-bone.

CHICKEN. Trussing.-Pick and draw them in the same manner as fowls, but, as their skins are very tender, plunge them into scalding water, and remove when the feathers will come off readily.

If they are to be boiled, cut off the nails, notch the sinews on each side of the joint, put the feet in at the vent, and then peel the rump. Draw the skin tight over the legs, put a skewer in the first joint of the pinion, and bring the middle of the legs close. Put the skewer through the middle of the legs, and through the body; and do the same on the other side. Clean the gizzard, and remove the gall from the liver; put them into the pinions, and turn the points on the back.

If for roasting, cut off the feet, put a skewer in the first joint of the pinions, and bring the middle of the leg close. Run the skewer through the middle of the leg and body, and do the same on the other side. Put another skewer into the sidesman, put the legs between the apron and the sidesman, and run the skewer through. Having cleaned the liver and gizzard, put them under the pinions, turn the points on the back, and pull the breast-skin over the neck.

Carving. They are to be cut up the same as a

fowl.

nitrogen, carbon, sulphur, silenium, phosphorus, chlorine, bromine, iodine, fluorine, silicon, boron. Metals. Group 1.-Potassium, sodium, lithium. Group 2.-Barium, strontium, calcium, magnesium.

Group 3.-Aluminum, glucinium, yttrium, erbium, terbium, zinconium, thorium, cerium, lanthanium.

Group 4.-Didymium, manganese, iron, chromium, nickel, cobalt, copper, zinc, cadmium, bismuth, lead.

Group 5.-Uranium, vanadium, tungsten, molybdenum, columbium, niobium, pelopium, titanium, tin, antimony.

Group 6.-Osmium, gold, mercury or quicksilver, silver, platinum, palladium, iridium, ruthenium.

Group 7.-Rhodium.

Intermediate elements.-Arsenic, tellurium.

4. They exist in the air, earth, water, vegetables, and animals, and indeed in everything.

5. As these two gases, carbon and oxygen, are so widely diffused from south to north, and from east to west, they must necessarily be valuable to the whole of creation,-oxygen and carbon being also constituent elements of the bodies of men and animals.

6. Carbon in the form of diamond, which contains from 95 to 97 parts of pure carbon.

7. Smoke, being carbon in an impure and an amorphous state.

8. Oxygen, by decarbonising the blood, or vital fluid that gives life to the fish, renders it florid, and therefore colours it.

9. Carbon in the form of charcoal, or in coal, when ignited, is kept in a state of combustion by the oxygen gas in the atmosphere, which gas is necessary for the support of combustion; therefore both conjoin to cook the fish.

10. Lamp-black is carbon in a comparatively pure state, and is dark. Carbon is light in weight in the form of lamp-black and charcoal, and of light colour in the form of diamond. In the diamond it is beautifully transparent, and a po erful refractor of light; and opaque as charcoal

11. Carbon is sharp in the diamond, which crystallizes in the regular system, in forms which are frequently hemihedral. It is soft as lampblack, firm as the diamond, and brittle as charcoal Carbon, even when diluted with air, and taken into the lungs, soon occasions headache, and other

12. The leaves of the tree inhale carbonic acid. which is decomposed for nutritive purposes The carbon becomes food for the growth and nurture of the tree or plant, the oxygen being given off into the air. Carbon, as it constitutes a large proportion of vegetable structures, must necessarily be the life of the oak-tree, which may be proved by exposing a portion of veg table matter to destructive distillation in a close

vessel, when it will be found that a great part of the carbon will remain associated with the earthy and alkaline matter of the tissue, being in fact charcoal equivalent When united in the proportion of one

of carbon and two of oxygen, they form carbonic acid gas, which cannot be respired by any anima even in moderate proportions, without provi fatal; for when an attempt is made to inspire par carbonic acid, violent spasm of the glottis takes place, which prevents the gas from entering the