lizard, spider, and bird fell to the ground. There was a short struggle between the first two, but the spider was no match for the lizard, who in a few moments had ground off his legs, and killed him by thrusting his sharp teeth into the spider's skull. From the moment the lizard sprang upon his prey all his bright colours had returned— if possible, brighter than before. And now the lizard began dragging the body of the spider across the grass, when suddenly, from a tree close by, out of a dark round hole, some twenty feet from the ground, a red head and brown shoulders were visible. It was moving from side to side, watching the ground below, and evidently preparing to come down. Lucien, when he saw the red head, olive-brown body, and fierce dark eyes, knew it for a scorpion-lizard.

[Write from dictation]

The opportunity of watching these curious creatures would have been lost had not the boys approached cautiously, concealing themselves behind the trees. Distinguished men who have spent their lives inquiring into nature's secrets, have been thus watchful and cautious, and in this way have learned many strange and interesting facts.

THE CHAIN OF DESTRUCTION.-Concluded.

[Spell and write]

separated, attitudes, operation, southern, occupied, ensued, adversary, species, shoulder.

The little green lizard, rustling over the dead-leaves with the spider, caught the scorpion's attention, and he resolved to deprive him of the prey. But the green lizard was brave, and turned to fight-his throat swelled out, and looked brighter than ever.

After a while, they sprang at each other open-jawed

wriggled over the ground, their tails flying in the air; then separated, and again assumed defiant attitudes, their forked tongues shot forth, and their sparkling eyes glittering in the sun.

The weakest part of the green lizard lies in his tail. So tender is it, that the slightest blow will separate it from the body. Its foe evidently knew this, and tried to attack the tail; but the lizard carefully faced him whichever way he turned. For several minutes they fought, and then the bright colours of the green lizard grew paler; the scorpion rushed forward, threw the other on his back, and before he could recover himself, bit off his tail. The poor little fellow, feeling he had lost more than half his length, ran off, and hid among the logs.

It was well for him that he did so; and it would have been better for the scorpion had he stayed in his hole, for a new enemy had drawn near while the battle was raging. From the leafy spreading branches of a mulberry-tree, a red snake, about the thickness of a walking-cane, was hanging down, a full yard of it, out from the trees. Just as the lizard ran off without its tail, the scorpion perceived the long red body of the serpent dangling above him, and knowing it was a terrible enemy, ran off to hide himself. But instead of taking to a tree, where he might have escaped, he ran out, in his fright, to the open ground. The snake dropped down, overtook him in a moment, and killed him on the spot. Snakes do not chew their food, but swallow it whole, sucking it gradually down their throats. This the red snake began to do with the scorpion-lizard-it was a curious operation, and the boys watched it with much interest.

But other eyes were bent upon the reptile. A dark shadow was seen moving over the ground; and on looking

up, the boys saw a large bird, with snow-white head and breast, wheeling in the air. It was the great southern kite; and beautiful it was to see him sailing in circles with his wide-spread tapering wings.

Nearer and nearer he came, till the boys could see the red gleam of his eyes; and now for the first time the snake caught sight of him too. It had hitherto been closely occupied with its prey, which it had just swallowed. When it looked up and saw the kite, its red colour turned pale, and it struck its head into the grass, as if to hide itself. It was too late. The kite swooped gently down; and when it rose again, the reptile was seen wriggling in his talons!

But as the kite rose, it was evident, from the flapping of his wings, that his flight was impeded. The cause soon appeared. The snake was no longer hanging from his talons, it had twined itself round his body. All at once the kite began to flutter, and both bird and serpent fell heavily to the ground. A violent struggle ensuedthe bird trying to free himself from the folds of the snake, while the snake tried to squeeze the kite to death. How was it to end? The kite could not free itself from the snake. The snake dared not let go the kite, for it would have been seized by the head, and have lost its power. So, though both would gladly have been parted, neither could let the other go.

At length the kite got his beak close to the head of the serpent, then seized the reptile's lower jaw in his mouth; the serpent tried to bite, without effect, and now the kite had the best of it-planting his talons round his adversary's throat, he held him as in a vice. reptile were seen to loose and fall off.

its body lay along the grass motionless.

The coils of the In a few moments

The kite raised his head, extended his wings to make sure he was free; then, with a scream of triumph, rose upward, the long body of the serpent trailing after him like a train.

At this moment another scream reached the ears of the young hunters. It might have passed for the echo of the first, but its tones were wilder and louder. All eyes were turned in the direction whence it came. The boys knew very well that it was the white-headed eagle. The kite had heard the cry too, and at once tried to rise higher into the air, resolved to hold on to his hardearned plunder. Birds of his species will sometimes outfly and escape the eagle. Up rose the kite, straining every pinion of his pointed wings; and upward goes the pursuing eagle. Closer and closer they appear to come. Soon both disappear beyond the reach of vision. there is a sound like the whirling of a rocket-something has fallen on the tree-top. It is the kite-dead, and the blood spurting from a wound in his shoulder!

Hark!

And now the eagle has shot down with the snake in her talons, gliding slowly over the tops of the trees, and alighted on the summit of a dead magnolia.

Basil seized his rifle, sprung on his horse, and rode off among the bushes. He had been gone but a few minutes, when a sharp crack was heard, and the eagle was seen tumbling from her perch.

This was the last link in the Chain of Destruction.

Abridged from Howitt's Boy Hunters.

[Write from dictation]

Separated by the leafy southern foliage from the different species of animals that occupied their attention, the boys watched in silence each operation, and the result that ensued when a new adversary appeared; their attitudes, as they knelt, shoulder to shoulder, with outstretched necks, alone revealing their intense interest in the scene passing before their eyes.

political, beguile, solitude, conversation, occupation, responsible, amusement, interesting, delicacy, remembrance, conscientiously.

The Count, who is in prison for a political cause, and is not allowed books or paper to beguile his solitude, has found one little green plant growing up between the paving-stones of the prison-yard in which he is allowed to walk. He watches it from day to day, marks the opening of the leaves and buds, and soon loves it as a friend. In dread lest the jailer, who seems a rough man, should crush it with his foot, he resolves to ask him to be careful of it, and this is the conversation they have on the subject:

As to your gillyflower'

'Is it a gillyflower?' said the Count.