proof of this, mentioned by Mr. Pringle, in his African Sketches. "A few days," says he, "before my arrival at Enon, a troop of elephants came down one dark and rainy night to the village. The missionaries heard them bellowing, but, as it is dangerous to encounter them in the night, kept close till daybreak, when they soon discovered the cause of the uproar. There was a ditch, six feet wide, and twelve deep, without water, into which one of the elephants had fallen. The marks of his feet were on the bottom, and the impress of its huge body on the sides. By his own unaided efforts it seemed almost impossible for such an animal to escape. On examining the spot, there could be little doubt but that his companions had assisted him; for I found the edges of the ditch deeply indented with numerous footsteps, just as if the other elephants had, on either side, some kneeling, and others standing, hoisted their unfortunate companion from the pit." But it is time that we should notice the last tribe in this order.

It is that of the MORSE. They have two tusks in

the upper jaw, double lips, and their legs form a kind of fins. They live on the land or in the water; and seem to form one of the great links between the land and sea animals. There are several varieties of them.

Can you mention them?

There is the Arctic Walrus, the whale-tailed Manati, and the round-tailed Manati.

A whale-tailed morse has been taken twenty-eight feet long, and weighing eight thousand pounds; the round-tailed morse is about six feet long, and three or four round. The walrus* is the most remarkable animal of this tribe. Its tusks, which are used as a coarser ivory, weigh from ten to thirty pounds each; with these they defend themselves against bears and sharks, and climb to the tops of the ice mountains. Here they lie and sleep in herds of hundreds and thousands, placing sentinels to watch. If disturbed, they hasten into the ocean.

Are they very large?

They are often eighteen feet long, and ten or

* Trichecus rosmarus.

twelve feet in circumference, and weigh from fifteen hundred to two thousand pounds.

And are they of any use?

Great quantities of oil and glue are extracted from their blubber; and a strong leather is manufactured from their skin. But our long walk is closed, as we have reached our home; and we will resume the subject another time.

WALK II.

GENERAL REMARKS-SOUND-THE MOON-LA PLACE-PLANTS-OXYGEN GAS -SALT-CHARCOAL-SEALS DOGS-WOLVES HYENAS JACKALLS

FOXES-LIONS-TIGERS-LEOPARDS-LYNXES-CATS-WEASELS-OTTERS

-BEARS-OPOSSUMS-KANGAROOS-MOLES.

EDWARD. The evening is likely to be very fine, Father: shall we take our walk?

Mr. PERCY. Yes, if you wish to do so.

And will you tell me what is in the Bridgwater Treatises which you have been reading lately.

Why, this will be difficult, and will occupy more than the time we have to spare; besides, you wished me to go through the Linnean arrangement of the works of God; and we have not advanced as yet very

far in it. You shall, when you are a little older, read these interesting volumes.

But will you tell me some few things which you may recollect?

Well, I will do so, before we enter on our regular subject. Mr. Whewell says that if a tree be thirtythree feet high, the pressure must be fifteen pounds on every square inch on the vessels of the bottom, merely to support the sap.

He says of sound, the waves of it are spherical; the point where the sound is produced being the centre of a sphere. Sound is communicated upwards and downwards, and in all intermediate directions, as well as horizontally.

How wonderful are the works of God! never tired of hearing you discourse of them.

I am

Whewell remarks that the eccentricity of the orbit of the earth has been diminishing from the earliest observations to our time. The moon has been moving quicker and quicker, from the time of the first recorded eclipses, and is now in advance by about four