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SEA-STARS. IV.

THE COMMON CROSS-FISH (Uraster rubens). THE best known of all Star-Fishes, is doubtless the species above represented, called the Common CrossFish. This animal is abundant on most parts of our shores. We have found it in considerable numbers on

the Hampshire coast; and it is said to range in greater or less profusion from Devonshire to Zetland.

This animal has generally five rays; but it is sometimes found with one more, or one less than the ordinary number. The rays are grooved beneath, and in each of the avenues thus formed are four rows of suckers. "In consequence of the great number of these singular organs," says Professor Forbes, "the under surface of a living crossfish presents a sight truly curious and wonderful. Hundreds of worm-like suckers, extending and contracting, coiling and feeling about, give the idea rather of an assemblage of polypi than of being essential parts of one animal. Sensitive in the extreme, if we touch one of those singular tubes, when outstretched, all those in its neighbourhood are thrown into a state of agitation; and when it shrinks from our touch, changing from a lengthy fibre to a little shrunk tubercle, some of its neighbours, as if partaking of its fears, contract themselves in like manner. If we cut one off, however long it may have been at the moment of injury, all its power of extension is instantly gone, and in an inconceivably short time it changes its form, contracting into a little knob-like mass."

The variation in the number of rays, among the starfish, frequently arises from some injury which the animal has received, and has not yet been able to repair. The common cross-fish has often been met with under such considerable variations of form, that many imaginary species have been formed, which the later researches have swept away. An instance has been given in which no less than four of the rays had been broken off, and partially reproduced, giving from their small development "a most strange and unradiate appearance to the creature, converting it from a star into a comet." This being the case, it is not to be wondered at. that naturalists have sometimes failed to detect this species, n the distorted and singular shapes which it has assumed. From what has been said, it is evident that this animal has the power of reproducing the limbs it has lost,

and fishermen believe that it is in its battles with them that it so frequently loses its limbs. This fancy is founded on an erroneous idea of the manner in which the star-fish takes its prey. When shell-fish come within the grasp of this animal, it completely enfolds them in its arms, and appears to suck them from their shells by means of its mouth: whereas, according to the fisherman's belief, it insinuates an arm into the oyster's gape, and while seeking to dislodge its enemy, is sometimes caught in the trap, and unable to withdraw the limb; thus being driven to choose between death and the amputation of an important member. But the real mode in which the cross-fish takes its prey has been noted by several observers; and it is affirmed that the animal has the power of projecting the central part of its stomach, in the manner of a proboscis. One of these cross-fish was once perceived to be embracing a Mactra stultorum, which was pierced with a hole, through which the cross-fish was quietly devouring its prey. Another observer, when the tide was out, and two or three inches of water only remained on the sand, saw balls of these star-fish rolling about. There were five or six in a ball, with their arms interlacing, and in the centres of the balls were Mactre stultarum, in various states of destruction, but always unable to close their valves, and apparently dead. "Does not the starfish, in such cases," enquires Professor Forbes, "destroy its food by a poisonous secretion, and thus master the shellacrid fluid from its skin, which burns the skin of those who fish? Uraster rubens has long been believed to secrete an handle it. This story is repeated in works of natural history to the present day; yet I have handled hundreds without having felt any such sensation, and I never met any person who had felt it. Pliny tells us star-fishes can burn all they touch; also Aldrovandus and Albertus, who said their nature was so hot, that they cooked everything they meddled with. Link thought that their eggs had been mistaken for cooked food; and Luid, who was an out-door naturalist, denied the notion altogether. Possibly it arose from confounding them with the stinging meduse, which are also called sea-stars by many, and confounded by the vulgar with star-fishes."

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There are varieties of colour as well as of form, in the common cross-fish. Though generally yellow or orange, they are sometimes purple or red. In one variety the upper surface is of a deep purple colour, the under surface yellow; the arms are in this instance broader than usual, and the skin of a more leathery texture. The larger specimens of the common crossfish measure about a foot across, but the ordinary size is scarcely nine inches. The eyes of this animal are situated at the extremity of each ray, and are surrounded by a circle of moveable spines. The mouth is also protected by spines of a similar nature.

The cross-fish is reckoned a great enemy to oysters;

Under the name of "cross-fish" and "five-fingers," the Uraster rubens is commonly known on the British coast. In Cornwall, however, it is called Clam, or Cramp, It is in Ireland an object of superstitious dislike, and at Bangor is known by the name of "devil's fingers," or "devil's hand." The children there have a great dread of touching them. Once when a naturalist was engaged drying some star-fishes in his garden, he heard children on the other side of the hedge, asking each other, "What's the gentleman doing with the bad man's hand? Is he ganging to eat the bad man's hands, do ye think?"

The popular idea of the great destruction of oysters committed by this fish, may have had much to do in originating the fear and dislike with which it is viewed. In many places there are regulations prohibiting the dredgers to throw back these animals alive into the sea. At an early period our own Admiralty Court laid penalties on those engaged in the oyster fishery, who did not "tread under their feet, or throw upon the shore, a fish which they call five-fingers, resembling a spur-rowel, because that fish gets into the oysters when they gape, and sucks them out."

The astonishing power possessed by this animal, of throwing off its limbs, is more than equalled by some other star-fishes arranged in the genus Luidia. These have the power not only to cast away their arms entire, but to break them voluntarily into little pieces with great rapidity, whenever they are so disposed. "The first time I ever took one of these creatures," says Professor Forbes, "I succeeded in getting it into the boat entire. Never having seen one before, and quite unconscious of its suicidal powers, I spread it out on a rowing-bench, the better to admire its form and colours. On attempting to ment, I found only an assemblage of rejected members. 1emove it for preservation, to my horror and disappoint

My conservative endeavours were all neutralized by its destructive exertions, and it is now badly represented in my cabinet by an armless disk, and a diskless arm. Next time I went to dredge on the same spot, determined not to be cheated out of a specimen in such a way a second time, I brought with me a bucket of cold fresh water, to which article star-fishes have a great antipathy. As I expected, a Luidia came up in the dredge, a most gorgeous specimen. As it does not generally break up before it is raised above the surface of the sea, I sunk my bucket to a level with the dredge's mouth, and proceeded in the most gentle manner to introduce Luidia to the element. Whether purer

the cold air was too much for him, or the sight of the bucket too terrific, I know not, but in a moment he proceeded to dissolve his corporation, and at every mesh of the dredge his fragments were seen escaping. In despair I grasped at the largest, and brought up the extremity of an arm with the terminating eye, the spinous eyelid of which opened and closed with something exceedingly like a wink

of derision."

The common cross-fish is much less brittle than this, although able, when occasion requires, to lay aside its limbs, and produce new ones. These star-fishes seem to have the power of inhabiting various depths of water, appearing on the shores more abundantly in spring, but retiring to deeper water in summer. They have a very wide geographical distribution, having been seen as far north as Greenland, and also in the Mediterranean, and on the south-western shores of Europe. At a remote period these animals were used in medicine, in the form of a decoction with wine. They were supposed to be useful in hysterical and other diseases, and to prevent epilepsy. The old prescriptions for the use of this animal are to be found in Link's work, already spoken of, but the author neither recommends them as food or medicine, but says that they are useful to man in feeding the fishes which are to feed him.

Without entering into the anatomy of the star-fishes, it may be interesting to state that in many of the species, there exists a multitude of singular organs covering the body, the use of which has not been discovered. Each of these organs consists of a soft stem, bearing on its summit, or (when branched) at the point of each branch, a sort of forceps, not unlike a crab's claw, except that the two blades are equal and similar. When the point of a fine needle is introduced between the blades, which are for the most part open, they instantly close and grasp it with considerable force. These organs cover the surface generally, and form dense groups round the spines. By Muller they were termed Pedicellariæ. When the star-fish is alive, these organs are in constant motion, opening and shutting with great activity, but when cut off they seem to lose that power. Respecting these extraordinary organs the author of the History of British Star-Fishes remarks, "If they be not distinct animals, as Muller fancied, for what purpose can they serve in the economy of the star-fish? If they be parasites, to what class and order do they belong? What is their nature, what their food? Truly these are puzzling questions. These organs, or creatures, have been known for many years, have been examined and admired by many naturalists and anatomists, have been carefully studied and accurately delineated, and yet we know not what they are. This is but one of the many mysteries of natural history-one of those unaccountable things which we know and know not of those many facts in nature which teach us how little is man's knowledge, and how wondrous and unsearchable is God's wisdom."

BENEFICENCE is a duty. He who frequently practices it,

and sees his benevolent intentions realized, at length comes really to love him to whom he has done good. When theref re, it is said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," it is not meant, that thou shalt love him first, and do good to him in consequence of that love, but thou shalt do good to thy neighbour, and this thy beneficence will engender in thee that love to mankind which is the fulness and consummation of the inclination to do good,

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN INDIA.

I.

AT the close of the fifteenth century, when the Portuguese first reached India by the voyage round the Cape of Good Hope, they were much surprised to find a body of Christians, to the number of 200,000, who had been established from the times of the Apostles, in a country which they supposed wholly abandoned to the darkest idolatry. The Portuguese admiral, Pedro Alvares Cabral, in his contests with the sovereign of the country, saw many of these Christians, who naturally expected important benefits from the influence of their fellow Christians, as they were persuaded that those who had braved the dangers, and suffered the privations of a long and perilous voyage, in order to extend, as they professed to do, the empire of their faith, could not be other these native Christians superior to the other natives, Cabral found wise than pious and benevolent men. both in arts and arms: their soldiers preceded the native nobles in their processions, and although they acknowledge the supremacy of a Hindu prince, they were virtually independent, and governed in all matters. by their metropolitan, the Bishop of Angamale, who derived his authority from the Patriarch of Antioch, and exercised spiritual jurisdiction over 1500 churches. When about to return to Portugul, Cabral induced two of these Christians, who were brothers, named MatMatthias, the elder, resided until his death. thias and Joseph, to accompany him to Lisbon, where afterwards to Venice, where an account of the Indian younger brother proceeded from Lisbon to Rome, and church was published, from information which he furnished.

The

The discovery of an ancient church in such a remote region naturally excited much attention in Europe; but, unhappily, the superior purity of the Indian doctrine,

which, however erroneous, was more free from error than that of the established forms of Europe, produced far more hatred than sympathy in the Christians under the see of Rome, and the newly-discovered body suffered a century of persecutions, which reduced themselves to a state of poverty and humiliation from which they have not yet recovered, exposed the faith of Christ to the contempt of the Hindus, and was terminated only with the forcible expulsion of the Jesuits by the Dutch in 1665.

The Christians of India at the coming of the Portuguese, were a united body under one bishop, using the Syrian ritual, and calling themselves Christians of St. Thomas. An account of their doctrines is given by an Augustinian monk, who was professor of divinity at Goa: he says they did not adore images; they acknowledged but three sacraments, and not seven, like the Roman Catholics; they abhorred auricular confession; they held enormous errors concerning the eucharist, insomuch that he suspects that the Protestant heretics, who had revived so many forgotten errors, had received their doctrines from them; and they approved the marriage of priests.

Their state at this time is described by La Croze, whose language we shall give as quoted in the Memoirs of Captain Swanston, published in the first volume of the Royal Asiatic Society's Journal.

The

"The authority of the Syrian bishops extends to all temporal and spiritual matters. They are the natural judges of all the civil and ecclesiastical causes within their diocese: in virtue of their privileges, which are never contested, the pagan princes and judges have no concern with them, excepting in criminal cases. Syrians, besides the fixed tribute which they pay to their princes, are required only to furnish a certain number of troops during their wars, which are neither frequent nor of long duration. The diocese of the Syrian bishop contains, at present, more than 1500

churches, and as many towns and villages. This great! number must continue to augment, as the priests are not engaged to celibacy, and as there are no monks or nuns amongst them.

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The men always walk armed; some with fusees, of which they know perfectly well the use, others with spears, but the greatest number carry only a naked sword in the right hand, and a shield in the left. They are carefully instructed in the use of arms, from their eighth to their twenty-fifth year, and are excellent hunters and warriors. The more Christians a pagan prince has in his kingdom the more he is feared and esteemed. It is on this account, as well as on that of their fidelity and strict attachment to truth in every thing, that the princes cherish and countenance them so much. In virtue of privileges granted by Sharun Perumal, former emperor of Malabar, the Syrian Christians take precedence of the Nairs, who are the nobility of the country; and they are second in rank only to the Brahmans, for whom the kings themselves manifest an extraordinary veneration. The Christians, pursuant to the laws of the country, are the protectors of the silversmiths, brass-founders, carpenters, and smiths. The pagans who cultivate the palm-trees form a militia under the Christians.

"If a pagan of any of these tribes should receive an insult, he has immediately recourse to the Christians, who procure a suitable satisfaction. The Christians depend directly on the prince or his minister, and not on the provincial governors. If anything is demanded from them contrary to their privileges, the whole unite immediately for general defence. If a pagan strikes one of the Christians, he is put to death on the spot, or forced himself to bear to the church of the place an offering of a gold or silver hand, according to the quality of the person affronted.

"In order to preserve their nobility, the Christians never touch a person of inferior caste, not even a Nair. In the roads or streets they cry out from a distance, in order to receive precedency from passengers; and if any one, even a Nair, should refuse this mark of respect, they are entitled to kill him on the spot. The Nairs, who are the nobility and warriors of Malabar, respect the Syrian Christians very highly, and consider it a great honour to be regarded as their brothers. The privileges of the Syrian Christians are so numerous, that it would be tiresome to describe them all; but a few will be stated, of an important nature, that place them, in some measure, on an equality with their sovereigns. It is permitted only to the Brahmans and to them, to have inclosed porches before their houses; they are authorized to ride and travel on elephants, a distinction accorded only to them and to the heirs of the crown; they sit in presence of the king and his ministers, even on the same carpet, a privilege granted only to ambassadors. The king of Paroor, having wished, during the last century, to extend this privilege to the Nairs, the Christians declared war against him, and obliged him to restore affairs to their former state."

It is not impossible that some little exaggeration may exist in this account, but certainly not so far as to lower the high estimation in which the body was held by the Hindus of the sixteenth century. Their present more humble position affords no point of comparison: so many years of persecution inflicted by Christians had its effect on the Hindu feelings towards Christianity itself. The introduction of many Roman Catholic ceremonies brought divisions into the church, and the conversion of natives of the most abject classes to the same forms, for it went little further, brought a mass of degradation among the Roman Catholics very unfavourable to the whole body; though a marked distinction is to this day maintained between the Syrians and Romans, not only in morals and general character, but in the light in which they are regarded by the pagans.

The history of the Indian church before the arrival of the Portuguese is a matter of great interest, but unfortunately of much uncertainty. Menezes, archbishop of Goa, in the year 1599, procured every book and record of the Syrian Christians to be given up and burned, and marched round the flames chanting hymns of praise to the Virgin Mary for the victory thus gained over heresy. Among other documents, the archives of the metropolitan church of Angamale were destroyed, and with them perished all hope of any other than traditionary or incidental history of the early times of the church.

It is agreed on all hands that the Indian church was founded by an individual named Thomas; but whether by St. Thomas the Apostle, in A.D. 51, or by Thomas the disciple of Manes, in A.D. 277, or finally by a rich Armenian merchant named Thomas Cana or Kenai, placed by various authorities from the fourth to the ninth century, is disputed; that the latter aided essentially in the increase of the church there is every probability; but the testimony of Eusebius that the Gospel of St. Matthew existed at Malabar in the close of the second century, is positive as to the establishment of a church there before the time of the second Thomas. Moreover, the concurrent and universal tradition of antiquity assigns India as a part of the province of St. Thomas the Apostle, and the early and authentic records of the Greek, Latin, and Syrian churches, assert that he preached the Gospel at Meliapore, a place four or five miles south of Madras, and that he suffered martyrdom there. The Indian Christians themselves state that St. Thomas founded their church in the middle of the first century, and they generally concur in the following narrative-That St. Thomas, after preaching in Arabia, proceeded by sea to India, where he landed at Cranganor on the western coast, the seat of the king of the country, and in the neighbourhood of one of those little colonies of Jews, whose descendants still inhabit the same spot that he preached there and converted many; that the faith extended to Parúr, in the interior, where there is still a church, said to be the oldest in India, and dedicated to him; thence to Quilon, the Calliana of Cosmas, who in the beginning of the sixth century found a bishop there ordained in Persia; and to various smaller states in the south. In the whole he is said to have founded seven churches, and to have ordained two priests, converts from Namburi families. They further state that having firmly established his little diocese in the peninsula, St. Thomas crossed to the eastern coast, to Meliapore near Madras, where he preached with much success, and baptized many influential persons, among others, the governor of the place; that this excited the jealousy of the Brahmans, two of whom, more furious than the others, excited the people to such a pitch of rage against the saint, that they overwhelmed him with stones; and that one of these Brahmans, observing some signs of life remaining in his mangled body, drove a lance through it. One account makes St. Thomas first land at Meliapore, then proceed to the western coast, and return at length to die at Meliapore. The origin of this error is likely to have been the similarity of the words Meliapore, and Malabar, the designation of the

western coast.

Some marvellous stories were added to the narrative of the martyrdom by the Portuguese, who, in 1551, built two churches at Meliapore, one called the Church of the Resurrection on "Little Mount," six miles from Madras, over a cave where they say St. Thomas lay hid for three days when sought after by his assassins, and where they show a hollow filled with water which the saint commanded to issue from the dry rock, and the impression of his foot, sixteen inches long, which he made by stamping on the hard stone. The other church, dedicated to "Our Lady of the Mount," was built two miles farther on a larger mount, whither the saint fled from the cave, and where he received the

crown of martyrdom. They also showed a miraculous cross, which used to perform a miracle every year, eight days before Christmas, until it was stopped by the vicinity of the English. These stories have induced many persons to discredit the native tradition, about which there is nothing improbable, but every reason to believe authentic in all essential particulars.

THE ART OF READING. VIII. DESCRIPTION OF THE PHONIC METHOD. (Concluded.)

IN our last article we described the mode of teaching the long vowel sounds to children; the next step in the Phonic method is to introduce the sounds of consonants, beginning with those which are the most easily pronounced. The definition of a consonant has been generally given as "a letter that cannot be sounded without the aid of a vowel," but the teacher on this system must discard that definition as incorrect, and proceed to teach the real sounds (not the names) which belong to consonants, and which are easily separable from vowel sounds. For instance, the real sound of the consonant m is given without opening the lips, and is merely a prolonged tone or murmur, and the sounds of n and are equally simple, and equally easy of combination with Vowels. These three sounds form the first lesson on

consonants, each being illustrated by a picture. In the next lesson these three sounds are combined with the long vowel sounds already learned, and thus a few words are produced without the intervention of a spelling lesson. The previous lessons have not admitted of the formation of reading exercises; but the present lesson affords an opportunity for collecting together a few words which form the subject of the first Wall Tablet. The use of these Wall Tablets is, that after each lesson the class may be at once referred to the words they have just learned, which are arranged, together with those learned in previous lessons, in sentences or paragraphs printed in large type, which on mastering their lesson they will be able to read at sight. The Wall Tablets are only required while the pupils are going through the First Phonic Reading Book. They are then sufficiently advanced to read the longer exercises of the Second Phonic Reading Book, without such help. In private tuition these Wall Tablets may also be dispensed with; as the exercises are printed in full at the end of each lesson.

Lesson V. of the First Phonic Reading Books teaches the sound of the letter r, a sound that is greatly slurred over by most English speakers, and which in some cases, for want of early exercise, persons are wholly unable to pronounce. It also gives the sounds of y and w, when they occur at the beginning of syllables, and consequently have the nature of consonants. The picture of a rope is used in teaching the sound of r, and pictures of a yew tree and of the waves of the sea, illustrate the two other sounds. The further development of the sounds now acquired, and the introduction of exercises on them, occupy two or three succeeding lessons. The ninth lesson closes the course of instruction on what are called tone consonants, and after some recapitulatory exercises, the teacher now brings forward another class of consonants, which if we can examine them without reference to the names of the letters, we find to be little more than hard breathings. The letters h, f, v, s and z, as sounded in the words hoof, file, vine, sole, and zebra, cause little more than a hissing of the breath in utterance, but are sufficiently distinct to be learned as separate sounds. The exercising of children in giving the sound of h, before they know the name of the letter, is one of the best means ever devised for correcting their common fault of omitting the sound of that letter, or giving it in the wrong place.

The combination of the sounds taught in this lesson with those that have gone before, the introduction of one or two other sounds of this class, and the extension of the exercises accordingly, occupy the teacher and his class up to the fifteenth lesson, when the third and last class of consonants is presented. These are p, b, t, d, k, and g, requiring a sudden emission of the breath in utterance, and therefore called bursting sounds. Each sound is illustrated by a picture as before.

It will not be necessary to follow the order of these lessons further as it relates to the First Phonic Reading Book. In the explanatory Notes to that book, we find the following allusion to some of the difficulties attendant on the formation of reading exercises for the early lessons.

The formation of these exercises has been attended with difficulties which can be appreciated only by considering the peculiar arrangement of words under the Phonic method, which, while it is admirably adapted to the advancement of the pupil, renders somewhat arduous the task of forming sentences from the lessons. For example:-the short vowel sounds not being admissible in the First Phonic Reading Book, we are altogether deprived of the use of the verb to have in all its tenses; and also of the most useful parts of the verb to be. We are likewise obliged to dispense ith the prepositions of, with, at, up, in, into, from, on, near, over, above, among, &c., the conjunctions and, but, as, if, then, since, because, lest, unless, yet, either, neither, &c., the pronouns us, your, him, his, her, it, they, theirs, them, which, what, each, every, this, that, some, other, any, such, none, and the useful verbs can, shall, will, must, ought, could, would, should, get, got, let, put, &c.

If therefore we have succeeded in producing sentences which are at least free from inaccuracies, and which afford a competent exercise of the newly-acquired powers of the pupils, we feel that we have accomplished as much as the difficult nature of the task would permit us to expect. A more complete adaptation of the exercises to subjects connected with the progress of the pupils in knowledge may be attained in the subsequent parts of the course.

The expectation to which the closing remark would lead, is not disappointed; for on turning to the Second Phonic Reading Book, we observe a great improvement in the style of the exercises, consequent on the admission of the short vowel sounds, and their union with consonants.

Still the exclusion of all words

in which two consonant sounds follow each other in the same syllable prevents the use of so many common words, that much care must have been bestowed on

these exercises to make them so readable as the following, which occurs among others equally useful, and equally free from the stiffness which might have been little word and must of itself have exercised the patience looked for in fettered language. The absence of the of the framer of these exercises in no small degree.

THE MAGPIE.

The magpie is familiar with any who will feed or notice him.

He is very active as well as very noisy.

If tamed he will imitate the tones of the human voice, chattering merrily to those who feed or notice him. He has a cunning look as well as a chattering tongue. The magpie chooses a very thick bush to live in; but he does not go far out of the village. The note of the magpie is generally a sign that a cottage is nigh.

The magpie feeds on eggs, chickens, leverets, fish, carrion, he discover a sickly animal, he will hover about until it or garbage; nothing seems to come amiss to his appetite. If dies, or he will attack it as it is dying.

The magpie also pilfers anything he can carry, altho' it is not fit for food. He will take up anything that shines or that happens to take his fancy: he has sometimes made off with silver coins or bits of linen or lace. If not ill-used, he comes into the house, making it his business to look about every room or passage: he will pick up anything that is lying about, but he is not so civil as to give it back to its owner. He no sooner gets it within his bill than he takes wing, going to his home in the bush, or perhaps hiding his booty by pushing it into a hole, until it is entirely out of

sight; then he goes back to the house to pilfer something more as soon as he can.

Magpies meet together in companies: their meetings are called by villagers folk-motes. If there is an even number of magpies, it is considered a sign of good luck; but if a solitary magpie is seen sitting alone at the time that the other magpies are met together, it is supposed to be a sign of bad luck to the village or to the house.

The poor magpies, however, have nothing to do with good luck or bad luck. There is no such thing as luck. All things are ordered by God.

In looking through this exercise, it is easy to perceive that the writer would have been glad of the words nest, bird, and, &c, with which he might have improved several of the sentences; but in these words two consonants follow each other in the same syllable, and are both sounded, therefore such words are reserved to a later period in the phonic arrangement. Several words in the above exercise might at first sight be supposed to have been admitted without regard to the rule -for example, the words chattering, sign, chicken, sickly, folk, and others, where two consonants follow each other in the same syllable. But in every case it will be found that these consonants express but one sound. The ch in chatter or chicken, forms only one sound, and has been so taught, in previous lessons: the same may be said of the ck in sickly; and the lk in folk. The only real exception is in the final s in chickens, leverets, &c., and this was long ago admitted in the case of the plural of nouns, and the present tense of verbs, and the use of it explained.

The great advantage of the exercises in these books is that they are so constructed as to dwell upon, and reiterate the words which the pupil has just been learning, and that they do not contain one sound with which he is unacquainted. He does not come to the task as a difficult one in which he has to spell out new words, but as truly an exercise of what he already knows. It is in this sense that we may understand the testimony lately received from a clergyman, who though preferring to begin with the alphabet according to the old plan, yet says, "Independently of the phonic peculiarities, these are the best and most progressive reading books I have ever met with, and as such, they are constantly in use in my family."

To give another instance of the skilful management of the exercises, we quote the following history of leeches, as being, perhaps, not without some information for older readers than those for whom it was designed. The absence of some useful words, especially of the conjunction and, is still observable; but perhaps the result is beneficial rather than otherwise by causing a greater repetition of such words as have been made the subject of recent lessons. With this specimen of the Second Phonic Reading Book we must close our notice of the system, wishing it all due success, and hoping, at some future day, when prejudices shall have gradually died away, to see the tasks of children made less irksome by its means. One word as to the type employed in the Books, Tablets, and Reading Frame, used in this method. It is remarkably beautiful and distinct, and the whole of it has, we understand, been cast expressly for this purpose.

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In winter the leech retires to deep waters, seeking shelter in the mud at the bottom; but in summer it delights in shallow pools, basking in the sun.

The leech makes a case or cocoon for its eggs. This it deposits in the mud of the pool. There are sometimes as many as thirteen leeches in this cocoon.

Men sometimes dig these cocoons out of the muddy pools: then put them in sheets of water. As soon as the leeches come out of the cocoons the men feed them until the animals are of the right size for the market.

But there is another method of taking leeches. The leech-fisher goes into the pool with naked legs. The leeches soon come to fix on his legs or feet as he moves along in the mud. As he feels the bite of these animals he takes them off one by one. He also gathers all that he can meet with among the roots of the bull-rushes or weeds, or under the moss. In this manner he can sometimes get as many as ten dozen leeches in five or six hours. As he takes them he puts them into a bag.

Sometimes the fisher, as he wades about in the pool, lashes the surface of the water with a pole to make the leeches rise up; or he will take them with a net made of

rushes.

Sometimes the leech-fisher is seen with a harpoon depositing food for the leeches in order to get a number of them together. As soon as he sees them all feeding he gathers them into a vessel half full of water.

At the time of thunder leeches seem to be much agitated, rising to the surface of the water; this is therefore considered as a good time for looking after them.

The life of the leech-fisher is an unwholesome one. He bog; he is in the water for many hours together, sometimes is exposed to the noisome fogs that hang over the morass or up to his knees in the pool, or if the leeches are gone to deeper water he wades about with the water up to his chin. No wonder that the leech-fisher has a pale face, or that he is often ill in getting that which is to make others

well.

Leeches are packed up for the market in boxes or tubs or barrels furnished with a canvas cover.

A WINTER'S MORNING. BUT let us leave the warm and cheerful house, To view the bleak and dreary scene without, And mark the dawning of a winter-day. The morning vapour rests upon the heights Lurid and red, while growing gradual shades Of pale and sickly light spread o'er the sky. Then slowly from behind the southern hills Enlarged and ruddy comes the rising Sun, Shooting askance the hoary waste his beams, That gild the brow of every ridgy bank, And deepen every valley with a shade. The crusted window of each scattered cot, The icicles that fringe the thatched roof, The new-swept slide upon the frozen pool, All keenly glance, new kindled with his rays; And even the rugged-faced face of scowling winter Looks somewhat gay. But only for a time He shows his glory to the brightening earth, Then hides his face behind a sullen cloud.

The birds now quit their holes and lurking-sheds, Most mute and melancholy, where through night, All nestling close to keep each other warm, In downy sleep they had forgot their hardships; But not to chant and carol in the air, Or lightly swing upon some waving bough, And merrily return each other's notes. No; silently they hop from bush to bush; Can find no seeds to stop their craving want ; Then bend their flight to the low, smoking cot, Chirp on the roof, or at the window peck, To tell their wants to those who lodge within. The poor lank hare flies homeward to his den, But little burden'd with his nightly meal Of withered coleworts from the farmer's garden; A wretched, scanty portion, snatched in fear: And fearful creatures, forced abroad by hunger, Are now to every enemy a prey.-BAILLIE.

JOHN W. PARKER, PUBLISHER, WEST STRAND, LONDON,

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