House Cricket (Acheta domestica). Winter Gnat (Trichocera hiemalis). The Bay-shouldered Button-moth (Peronea spadiceana). and some other flowers are in bloom before the end of the month. If the weather is open, many things omitted in November may now be done in the garden. C Roses, Honeysuckles, Clematis, and other creepers, hitherto neglected, should be neatly trained. Delicate plants need particular care at this time. Unless they are properly protected, they are more in danger of being touched by frost now that the sun has greater power, though they are less likely to be injured by damp. Any bulbs still unplanted, such as tulip, narcissus, &c., should be put into the ground during the first open weather in this month. If bulbs planted in October are now showing above ground, let the most valuable sorts be sheltered from frost and from heavy rain by layers of fern leaves. Sow early peas and beans in sheltered borders, if the weather permits. Timber is felled.-Cattle and sheep are sheltered and fed. Bees are fed, if the weight of the hives show that they require it. In open weather trees are planted, fields ploughed, springwheat sown, and hop plantations trenched. FEBRUARY. THE frost had set in again the last week in January, and continued till the middle of February. George and Harry had many slides, and took some lessons in skating, and they had the usual midday walks. They were often delighted with the beauty of the hoar frost, which made the woods and hedges look as if they were hung with crystal flowers and wreaths of fretted silver, sparkling in the sun. They were admiring this lovely frostwork on the trees in a fir plantation, when George exclaimed, "Oh, look at that curious bird, with the points of his upper and under mandible crossed one over the other! what is he doing?-What bright red feathers he has, too!" "Ah, that is a Crossbill," said Mrs. Leslie. "Do you not see that he is picking the seeds from the hard fir-cones of the pines; a work for which his curious beak is well fitted? You see how he keeps the cones steady with the claws of one foot, while with his curved beak he searches every scale of the cone, and if there is a seed, picks it out." "O yes," cried Harry, "I can count twelve -fifteen-and I dare say there are some I cannot 66 Depend on it, Harry, they will not leave those cones, till they have eaten all the seeds." Arthur now came up and exclaimed, 66 They gather the fir-cones, and the peck out the seeds. Here is one just fallen, and I am sure one of those smart fellows threw it down." "That is only an accident, Arthur. A cone may fall from over-ripeness while they are pecking at it, but they are too wise to risk their own safety by searching for the seeds after the cone is on the ground. As it is, I fear they would not have much chance of escape if a keen sportsman were to pass this way. They have, however, been seen to snap off a cone from the under-side of a bough, and fly off with it in their beaks to some part of the tree more convenient for feeding on the seeds. They make great use of these beaks of theirs. If any one should presume to catch them and shut them up in a cage, he would soon find what a powerful instrument these birds carry with them. -They begin directly to work at the wires till they have fairly drawn them out and set themselves free. "A gentleman who had caught several crossbills, and wished to watch their habits, found them so troublesome in this way that he was obliged to set them at liberty." "I like them the better for that," said Arthur; "why should they be kept in prison when they have the power to let themselves out?" "What a strange chuckling noise they make when they fly off to a fresh branch or another tree,' said Miss Elmer. "Do listen; it is just as if they were talking, and when they settle on a branch they utter one or two loud notes, as if they wished to let their neighbours know that all is right—and then they feed in silence." Emily had picked up two or three of the fallen cones to carry home to little Augusta, and a bright red feather which had dropped from one of |