mies. duced?

A. For

Q. For what was oak used before mahogany timber was introA. For making furniture. Q. What is it now chiefly used for? A. Ship-building. Q. What is this tree remarkable for? A. For the slowness of its growth. Q. For what more? A. For the the great length of time it lives. Q. For what beside ? great size it grows to. Q. Is not the bark of the oak very useful? A. Yes; it is used in the tanning of leather. Q. What important use is made of the leaves of the white mulberry? A. It is the principal food of silk worms. Q. Where is the bread-fruit tree cultivated? A. In the Sandwich Islands. Q. Where are they situated? A. In the South Seas, Q. Where is the bread-fruit tree also found? A. In many islands of the West Indies. Q. Of what size is this tree? A. About the size of a middling oak. Q. Of what size is the fruit? A. About the size and shape of a child's head. Q. What kind of rind has it? A. Thick and hard. Q. When ripe, is the fruit good to eat? A. Yes. Q. How is it usually used? A. It is gathered when green, baked in an oven, and the outside black crust being scraped off, there remains a soft slender crust, but the inside is soft and white, and tastes something like bread. Q. What other useful property has this tree? A. The inner rind of the young bark is made into a kind of cloth, which is worn by the natives. Q. Describe the cork tree. A. It grows in Spain and Portugal, and is a species of oak. A. The Q. What part of it makes the useful substance we call cork? outside part. Q. What is cork used for? A. For stopping bottles, and other purposes. Q. What is the most abundant tribe of this order? A. Probably the fir trees, for they appear to cover the greatest extent of surface. Q. What fruits belong to this class? A. The gourd, the cucumber, and the melon.

CLASS TWENTY-TWO.-DIECIA. (STAMENS AND PISTILS DISTINCT UPON DIFFERENT PLANTS.)

As an example of this class, the round leafed willow may be taken, which is a most remarkable and singular plant. Its leaves are smooth, entire, and egg-shaped; the upper surface is green and wrinkled, the under one bluish, and covered with a net-work of veins, which are at first red, but afterwards become green. It is a low shrub, and produces both flowers and leaves, from the same bud. Amongst the plants belonging to this class which are well known to us, may be mentioned the The mistletoe is called parasitical mistletoe, the yew tree, and hemp.

parasitical, because it grows upon another, instead of rooting and growing in the earth; it fixes itself into the branches of a tree, where it roots, and forms a bush. It is commonly found on apple trees, producing a number of white berries, of a sweetish taste. This plant was regarded with superstitious reverence by the ancient Britons, and was always held sacred by them; but now it only retains a place at Christmas, to ornament our houses and enliven the cheerless season of winter.

The yew tree is not of much use now, but in former times the greatness of England depended upon it; for of it was manufactured the bows which were used by the soldiers, before gunpowder was introduced. The English archers, or bowmen, were considered the best in Europe, and many great battles were gained by them, in consequence of their skill. Many of them could strike a thin wand with their arrows from a great distance; and as they carried each twelve arrows in their belts, it was commonly said at that time, so sure was their aim, that they carried the lives of twelve of their enemies in their belts. The battle of Cressy, which was fought in the reign of King Edward III., 500 years ago, against the French, was gained principally by the skill of the English archers.

The nutmeg, a fine spice, belongs to this class; it grows in the Asiatic Islands; also many valuable fruits, of which the most remarkable is the date-palm, which forms the principal food of the people in the sandy parts of Northern Africa, and the adjoining parts of Asia.

Questions and Answers.

Q. Gfve an example of some plant comprehended in this class. A. The round leafed willow. Q. What is it remarkable for? A For

its singularity. Q. Describe its leaves.

A.

They are smooth, entire, and wrinkled, the under veins, which are at first

and egg-shaped; the upper surface is green one bluish, and covered with a net-work of red, but afterwards become green. Q. What sort of shrub is it? A. A low shrub, and it produces both flowers and leaves from the same bud. Q. What remarkable plant should we also notice, belonging to this class? A. The mistletoe. Q. Describe it. A. It does not root and grow in the ground, but grows upon another tree. Q. What is it called, for this reason? A. Parasitical. Q. Q. By whom was this plant regarded with superstitious reverence? A. By the Ancient Britons. A. For making bows, before gunpowder was invented. Q. What fine spice belongs to

Q. What was the yew tree formerly much used for?

this class? A. The nutmeg. Asiatic Islands.

Q. Where does it grow? A. In the Q. What useful fruit is comprised in this class?

A.

A.

The date palm. Q. What people use it as their principal food? The inhabitants of the sandy parts of Northern Africa, and the adjoining parts of Asia.

CLASS TWENTY-THREE. -POLYGAMIA. (STAMENS AND PISTILS VARIOUSLY SITUATED.)

The plantain tree is the most remarkable plant of this class; it grows to the height of about twenty feet, with several leaves on the summit, many of which are eight feet long and two feet broad, but very thin and tender. The fruit is of a pale yellow colour, and is produced in bunches so large as to weigh about forty pounds, and this fruit is, to the negroes, what bread is to us. Amongst the other important plants belonging to this class may be mentioned the fig-tree, the beautiful acacias, some of which furnish gum-arabic, the maples, the mimosas, including the sensitive plant, and a number of others. Very few of this class are natives of Britain; they are chiefly found in warm countries.

Questions and Answers.

Q. What is the most remarkable plant of this class? A. The plantain tree. Q. What height does it grow? A. About twenty feet. Q. Where are its leaves? A. At the summit. Q. Describe them. A. Many of them are eight feet long, and two broad, but remarkably thin and tender. Q. Describe the fruit. A. It is of a pale colour, and produced in large bunches. Q. Of what use is it? A. It forms a very important part of the food of the negro. Q. Are there any other important plants in this class? A. Yes; the fig-tree, the acacias, some of which furnish gum-arabic, the maples, the mimosas, including the sensitive plant, and a number of others. Q. Are many of this order natives of Britain? A. Very few, they are chiefly natives of

warm countries.

CLASS TWENTY-FOUR.-CRYPTOGAMIA, (FLOWERS OBSCURE).

We have now come to the last class, which comprehends all plants in which the flowers are not easily seen, such as mosses, ferns, fungi, and, among the latter, mushrooms are, of course, included. The common mushroom is a fungus, consisting of a white stalk, and a convex

cover, of white or brownish colour, which has, beneath, an irregular arrangement of gills, of a pink hue when young, but afterwards of a dark liver colour; when it first appears above the ground, a mushroom is smooth, and nearly globular, and in this state is called a button. Great caution should be observed in gathering mushrooms, for though several are good to eat, some are highly poisonous.

The rein-deer moss belongs to this class. This is an invaluable plant to the poor Laplanders, because it not only is the sole food of their favourite animals, the reindeer, to which they owe almost all their comforts, but they also use it as a soft bed for their new-born infants. Many of these plants are good for food. The Iceland moss, when boiled, forms an excellent jelly.

Questions and Anwsers.

Q.

Q. What are comprehended in this class? A. All plants in which the flowers are not easily seen, such as mosses, ferns, and fungi. What are included amongst the latter? A. Mushrooms. Q. Are they good to eat? A. Some kinds are, but ous. Q. What should we learn from this?

others are highly poison

A. To use great caution

in gathering them. Q. What very useful plant belongs to this class? A. The reindeer moss. Q. To what people is it useful? A. To the Laplanders. Q. For what reason? A. Because it not only forms the food of the reindeer, but they also make beds of it for their little children. Q. Could the Laplander live without that useful animal, the reindeer ? A. No; it supplies him with all his comforts. Q. What moss, belonging to this class, makes, when boiled, an excellent jelly ? A. The Iceland moss.

ZOOLOGY.

In giving lessons on zoology we have thought it best to follow the simple classification of the most amusing author on this science,-Goldsmith ; and from his work we have also drawn much of the informa. tion contained in the following lessons. We have also endeavoured, as far as we have gone on this subject, to make it so plain and simple that teachers may give lessons upon it with as little trouble to themselves as possible. In order that they may understand the method we wish them to adopt, we have given a series of simple questions on each lesson, with the answer which should be obtained attached, and we have

endeavoured to give the whole an amusing tendency, that the young mind may be instructed, and still not forced to learn by any other medium than a thirst for, and love of, knowledge.

We begin with quadrupeds; giving a lesson to illustrate each class.

CLASS ONE.-ANIMALS OF THE HORSE KIND.

This class contains the horse, the ass, and the zebra. The native country of the horse cannot, with certainty, be traced; he has been found, varying materially in size and in utility, in all the temperate, in most of the very warm, and in many of the northern regions of the old world, which means Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the Holy Bible we are told that, so early as 1650 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the horse had been domesticated by the Egyptians. You may remember reading, in the book of Genesis, i. 9, that when Joseph carried his father's dead body from Egypt to Canaan, "there went up with him both chariots and horsemen." One hundred and fifty years afterwards, the horse constituted the principal strength of the Egyptian army; for in Exodus xiv. 7, we read that Pharaoh pursued the Israelites with "six hundred chosen chariots, and with all the chariots of Egypt." We have, therefore, sufficient evidence that the horse was, at a very early period, subjected to the dominion of man, and, unfortunately, for a very bad purpose, the business of war.

Troops of wild horses are still found in the plains of Great Tartary, and also in several parts of South America; in neither, however, can we recognise the original race. The horses of Tartary, and those of South America, are both the descendants of those who escaped, at some distant time, from the dominion of man. The horse was not known in America until he was introduced by the Spaniards, and the wild horses of Tartary are the descendants of some that were turned loose at the siege of Azoph, in the year 1657. In the countries of La Plata and Patagonia, in South America, numerous droves of wild horses are seen,-sometimes many thousands in number; they appear to be under the command of a leader, whom they obey; and they know, by the instinct that God gives them, that their safety consists in union, and obedience to their leader. The lion, the tiger, and the leopard are their principal enemies; in the attack, the leader is the first to face the danger, and when he thinks it necessary to retreat, they all follow him.

The most beautiful breeds of horses are the barb, from Barbary, and