ODE TO THE SKYLARK.

EVER singing as you rise

To the realms of joy and light;
Winging upwards to the skies,
Like a wandering minstrel sprite,
Bursting from the gloom of night.

In successive stages thou,
Risest from thy lowly bed,
Singing as thou soars, and now
Higher mounting over head,
As by happy phantom led.

Trembling wings and quivering breast Mark thee as thou soarest higher; Zephyrs are beneath thee prest,

As to Heaven thou dost aspire, Like a sweetly sounding lyre.

Touched by gentle spirit hand,
Vibrating each trembling string;
Thrilling forth a song so grand,
Such as larks alone can sing,
While breathless lists each living thing.

Thon hast vanished from my sight,
Though the sky is free from cloud,
Lost thy form amid the light,

Brilliant sunbeams thee enshroud,
Yet thy notes on my ears crowd.

Louder songs come from

yon grove, Songs of rich and varied tone; Telling tales of joy and love,

Yet they equal not thine own, Livelier, purer is its tone.

What entices thee to soar,
Child of song, and child of air?
Singing ever, ever more,

As thou mounts to regions fair,
Floating on the amber air?

Are the joys of earth too dim?
Satisfy they not thy taste?
That thou shouldst delight to skim
Oe'r the wondrous-brilliant waste,
Where thy course cannot be traced?

And when from aspiring heights,
Thou returnst to earth again;
When thou on the ground alights,

Why shouldst cease thy tuneful strain, As on earth thou dead wast lain?

Is it that the glorious burst

Of the music of the spheres,
Can alone quench thy soul's thirst,
As it thrills upon thine ears,
Chasing all away thy fears?

And when thou again resumes Heavenward, thy wondrous way, Heaven's light streaming on thy plumes, And thou pourest forth thy lay, Mounting to the source of day.

Is it that a distant note,

Though unheard by man's dull sense,
Wandering from those climes remote,
Falls on thine, and lures the hence,
To those realms where thy quick glance

May with joy expatiate,

O'er the glories we but dream, And thou wanders near the gate,

Through which Heaven's glories stream,

Whilst fair angels chant their theme.

A DAY'S DREDGING.

Of late years, the practice and amusement of dredging has been brought into prominent and popular notice; and when we consider the amusing, instructive, and healthful nature of the sport-if we may so term it-we begin to wonder that its value, educational and otherwise, was not sooner appreciated and recognised. In the active prosecution of a dredging excursion we unite the pleasures of boating with those of investigating the treasures of the deep; and it is wonderful to find how even the most uninterested and unscientific members of the company will begin to lend a hand in pulling at the dredge-rope, and to peer over the boat's side in the endeavour to catch a glimpse of the curiosities we snatch from the very varied store in the depths of the sea. And when once the heavily-weighted net has been safely hauled on board, tumbled over, and its contents spread out to view, it is amusing in the highest degree to watch the eager fingers searching out the more prominent objects which meet the gaze; and to hear the many exclamations of surprise and delight, when anything of stranger form than ordinary, has been captured amid the general haul. But to the naturalist, eager to supplement his book-lore by close observation of nature in her every aspect, the dredging excursion is always fraught with interest and delight. From his dredge he procures the specimens in full and in perfection, which his seaside rambles present to him in part or in half-detail only. And from the stores of animal and vegetable life collected from the sea-depths by the dredge, the naturalist recruits his aquarium-stock, and watches in his minature sea, at home the further life and development of his pet forms and organisms. Then, by means of the dredge, we have been made acquainted with many organisms, which, without this mode of iuvestigation, would have been wholly unknown to us. Witness in proof of this, the interesting discovery in deep-sea researches of certain Crinoids or "lily stars"-wondrous forms connecting a curious present with a still more curious past, and which serve to render the story of the geologist still more susceptible of correct interpretation and proof. And think, also, of the new and excee lingly anomalous forms, which, as we write, the dredgers on board H.M.S. "Challenger" in her circuit of the globe, are bringing to light. Wonderful sponges, and still more wonderful crustaceans, and many fishes hitherto unknown to us, besides hosts of lower forms, which make up a considerable

part of the population of the sea depths. Of the marvellous changes in ideas and opinions respecting the distribution of life in space which have recently been wrought, the limits and nature of the present article forbid me to speak; but the scientific reader who may, perchance, here peruse what is intended for the ordinary and nontechnical individual, will fully endorse the truth and import of my remarks.

On the very obvious principle that perfection in any art is not attained without experience and care, a certain amount of caution and knowledge is requisite before one can become a successful dredger. As a rule, the care and management of the boat should be vested in nautical hands; and the naturalist's entire attention should thus be concentrated on the dredge and its working. But where the naturalist and his friends are skilful sailors, and accustomed to the management of the boat, then the services of the unscientific part of the crew may be dispensed with. In any case, however, the acting naturalist in a dredging expedition should confine his attention solely to his own and special work; and whether the boat be manned by sailors or friends, the “ crew should be separate from, but at the same time under the guidance and direction of, the scientific "staff."

The description of boat to be preferred in dredging is a matter dependent on the means, taste, and advantages, or locality of the dredger. If a small steam yacht can be had, then the dredger becomes independent of the petty miseries inflicted upon him by the capricious winds, currents, and des. But in ordinary cases the amateur contents himself with a sailing-boat, and directs his operations so as to secure the favourable influences of the wind and tide. We have found an ordinary fishing yawl, furnished with a lug-sail, or with a mainsail and jib, and manned by two ordinary fishermen, a very convenient boat for dredging. The lug-sail boat is to be preferred, I think; partly on account of its peculiar build and sail, which enables it to sail very close to the wind, and partly because with a lug-sail the dredger has not to submit to the inconvenience of a cumbrous mainsail with its great boom, which will persist in interfering with his comfort in the stern of the boat.

Much of the dredger's success will also depend upon the locality in which he proposes to dredge; but as every naturalist will make himself acquainted with the nature and prospects of the marine fields he intends to visit, I need say nothing further upon this very wide and comprehensive part of the subject.

Dredging is best conducted at low water, and during the ebbflow of the tide. The absence of strong currents, and the easy exploration of the sea-bed, constitute the period as the favourite time for dredging operations. But in certain cases, the dredger

may pursue his work at high water, although his difficulties in the way of getting the dredge to work well, are materially increased.

The kind of dredge now universally employed in scientific dredging is known by the name of " Dr. Ball's Naturalist's Dredge.' The great advantage of this dredge is its capability of adapting itself to its work in whatever position it may touch the ground. The mouth of the dredge is so placed that it is unlikely to foul, to "swallow" its net, or to become otherwise complicated, and so to destroy the dredger's pleasure and peace of mind. The mouth of this dredge is formed by two broad plates of iron, secured together by a transverse bar at either end, and placed so as to open outwards, and at an angle which admits of the sea-bed being conveniently scraped. Attached to the cross or transverse bars of the mouth-piece, we find the highly-important apparatus to which the rope is attached. This latter apparatus consists of two stout iron rods, securely fixed by a moveable joint to the cross bars; and these rods meet in the middle line, where they can be fastened at will by a strong screw, which also secures the swivel-ring, to which the rope is attached. And then, lastly, to the iron scrapers of the dredge-mouth we attach the net, which may either be of stout cord or of cord and copper-wire links-a combination securing strength and stability, and largely employed in the dredging operations of oyster fisheries. The rope should be of a strong, elastic descrip tion; and as upon the quality of the rope the safety of the dredge mainly depends, the dredger will do weil to see that the rope is of first-rate quality. Penuriousness in the matter of the rope, will, in ail likelihood, cost the dredger dear, by causing the loss of his dredge. Precautions are frequently taken to ensure the safety of the dredge, by placing an indiarubber or hempen joint at the point where the iron rod of the dredge joins its mouth. The object of this or similar precautions consists in the fact that, if the dredge is overladen, the indiarubber or other joint will break-its strength being less than that of the dredge-rope, -and the dredge will then tilt over, and empty itself, whilst it can be pulled up by the dredgerope, which, of course, still remains firmly attached to the frame. But I have personally found, that by using ordinary care in preventing undue strain on the dredge-rope, and by using thoroughly good hempen material, the chances of the dredge being lost are reduced to the minimuin. The dredger should have in readiness additional length of rope, and also a spare net, with which to replace the net of the dredge, when it it injured or even torn away altogether.

And next, as to the fitting-out of the naturalist's department. Presuming that it is the object of the dredger to secure live-stock