4. It is a steam-boat, having the paddle hidden beneath the water. The steam is its own will, which works the paddles without noise. How beautifully it glides over the smooth water, the reflection showing another swan beneath it!

"The swans on still St. Mary's Lake
Float double-swan and shadow."

5. The other principal aquatic birds are the goose and the duck. Though not so graceful as the swan, these are very interesting birds. Among the goose-family the most striking in its habits is the common wild-goose of America.

6. Almost every child has seen flocks of these birds winging their way through the air. At the approach of winter they fly to the warm regions of the south. As summer approaches they return northward. Some suppose they go no farther than the great lakes. But at the great lakes their journey northward is only commencing.

7. On and on they fly, possibly to the very pole itself to regions from which man has been shut out by eternal barriers of ice. There, where they have uninterrupted day, they lay their eggs and hatch. When winter approaches they fly back to the south with their young.

8. The flight of the wild-geese is generally in a straight line; or in two lines coming to a point, like the letter V. They have as captain an old gander, who advances at the head of the company.

9. This captain continually repeats his word of command, "Honk!" which may be equivalent to "Forward march!" He is usually answered by one of the company, perhaps to show that the order has been heard.

10. Wild-geese have been frequently domesticated. In the spring however, these geese show great uneasiness, frequently looking up into the air, and attempting to go off. Some, whose wings have been closely cut, have traveled on foot in a northern direction several miles from home.

11. Some that have flown away from their homes in the spring, have been known to return in autumn. A respectable farmer on Long Island, having wounded a wild-goose in the wing, caught it and took it home. It was put with a flock of common geese, and soon became quite tame and familiar, and its wing was entirely healed.

12. In the following spring a flock of wild-geese passed over the farmer's barn-yard. The leader happening to sound his honk, this goose, remembering the well-known sound, spread its wings, rose into the air, joined the travelers, and disappeared.

13. In the following autumn the farmer happened to be standing in his yard when a flock of wild-geese passed directly over his barn.

At that instant he saw three geese detach themselves from the rest. They wheeled around several times, and then alighted in the yard.

14. Imagine his surprise and pleasure when, by certain marks, he recognized in one of the three his long-lost fugitive. It was she indeed! She had traveled to the frigid zone; had there hatched and reared her offspring, and had now returned with her little family.

LESSON

AN-TAG'O-NIST, an adversary.
CHANT I-CLEER, (French chanter, to
sing, and clear,) a cock, so called from
the loud clearness of his voice.
DUCK'LING, a young duck. The termi-

C.

nation ling is a diminutive, or word used to express a little thing of the kind. Thus, gosling means a little or young goose; darling, little dear. PLU'MAGE, the feathers that cover a bird.

PRONUNCIATION.- Ar-rive' 1, amus'ing 16, un-due' 16, fi'nal·ly 3a, chil'dren 11,

in no-cent 2d.

AQUATIC BIRDS.-CONTINUED.

1. AMONG wild ducks there are some clothed with very beautiful plumage. Like the wild-geese they are migratory. The canvasback duck is highly esteemed for the delicacy of its flesh. It arrives in the United States about the middle of October.

2. It is found chiefly in the waters around Chesapeake Bay. Here grows its food, which is sometimes called wild-celery. This plant grows in the water, and the ducks dive down for the roots.

3. The tame duck is too well known to need description. The manner in which she fights the rooster is highly amusing. It frequently happens while other fowls are feeding that the duck runs among them, and with her larger beak gobbles up an undue share of the provisions.

4. This the cock resents by a peck. The duck takes no notice, but gets behind him, deals him a hard bite, and looks innocent. The indignant fowl jumps round, but sees nothing.

5. Presently another hard bite comes, and again the fowl jumps round in a fury. He sees nothing near him but a duck, gobbling up food as innocently as if she had never done any thing else.

6. A third bite comes. This time, however, Chanticleer sees his enemy, and rushes at her furiously. Down squats the duck on the ground, and lets her antagonist pass over her back.

7. After running over her once or twice, and then jumping on her, he is persuaded that his enemy is quite dead, and puts on an air of triumph. Presently the duck, opening one eye and then the other, gets up, and quietly pecks her foe again.

8. Again he dashes at his enemy, as if to tear her to pieces.

Again the duck squats down. Again he jumps on her, thinks he has killed her, and struts off only to receive another peck. Finally the duck wins the fight, and her foe retires from the field.

9. The following verses, which show forth the greediness, as well as other characteristics of the duck, may serve to amuse the young reader. One of these fowls has just hatched a brood of young ones.

10. Then, rising from her nest, she said, "Now, children, look at me, A well-bred duck should waddle thus, from side to side, you see!" "Yes," said the little ones; and then she went on to explain :"A well-bred duck turns in its toes as I do- try again."

11. "Yes," said the ducklings, waddling on.

mother;

"That's better," said their

"But well-bred ducks walk in a row, straight, one behind the other." "Yes," said the little ducks again, all waddling in a row.

"Now to the pond," said old Dame Duck-splash, splash, and in they go.

12. "Let me swim first," said old Dame Duck; "to this side, now to that; There, snap at those great brown-winged flies; they make young ducklings fat.

Now, when you reach the poultry-yard, our mistress, Molly Head,
Will feed you, with the other fowls, on bran and mashed-up bread.

13. The hens will peck and fight; but mind, I hope that all of you
Will gobble up the food as fast as well-bred ducks should do.
You had better get into the dish, unless it is too small;
In that case, I should use my foot, and overturn it all."

14. The ducklings did as they were bid, and found the plan so good, That from that day the other fowls got hardly any food.

LESSON CI.

VOCAL GYMNASTICS.

REFER to CAUTION 16.-The perversion of the long u into oo is a most vulgar fault. It is especially liable to occur when u follows the letters d, t, or n. How often do we hear duke prounounced dook, &c. Take great care to avoid this fault.

(1.) It is your duty to avoid the dew. (2.) He has a new suit of clothes. (3.) The mute muser upon the news. (4.) He was accused of usury. (5.) He made futile efforts to remove the nuisance. (6.) The universe is a huge volume, which it is our duty to study. (7.) On Tuesday the deputy and the tribune resume the argument. (8.) The credulous duke renews his useless feuds. (9.) Men and money are the sinews of war. (10.) Nude rhymes with feud, but not with brood. (11.) Duty with beauty rhymes, but not with booty. (12.) The nuisance, if renewed, must produce an ague.

LESSON CII.

BE REFT', deprived, made destitute.
BLITHE, gay, merry, joyous.

CASE MENT. a portion of a window-sash
hung on hinges.

FRAGILE, easily broken, weak, frail.

LAY, song, warblings.

PAR'A-DISE, a pleasure-garden, the gar-
den of Eden.

SORE LY, greatly, violently.
WAR'BLER, a singer, a songster.

PRONUNCIATION.-Heard 33, list'en er 21, mu'sic 16, frag'ale 5a, cheer 22, tears 22, clear 22.

1. SPARE, spare the gentle bird, nor do the warbler wrong;
In the green wood is heard its sweet and gentle song;
Its song so clear and loud each listener's heart hath stirred;
And none, however sad, but blessed that happy bird.

2. And when at early day the farmer trod the dew

It met him on the way with welcome blithe and true;
So when at early eve he homeward turned his way;
And sorely would he grieve to miss the well-loved lay.
3. The mother, who had kept watch o'er her wakeful child,
Smiled as the baby slept, soothed by its wood-notes wild;
And gladly had she flung the casement open, free,
As the dear warbler sung from out the household tree.

4. The sick man on his bed forgets his weariness,
And turns his feeble head to list its songs, that bless
His spirit like a dream of music floating by,
Or like a gracious stream of mercy from on high.

5. Oh! laugh not at my words, that warn your childhood's hours;
Cherish the gentle birds; cherish the fragile flowers;
For since man was bereft of paradise in tears,

God the sweet things hath left to cheer our eyes and ears.

DR. BETHUNE.

LESSON CIII.

AR TIF'I-CER, an artist, skillful mechan-
ic, manufacturer.
CHER'U-BIM, (the Hebrew plural of
cherub, the termination im in Hebrew
having the same force as the termina-
tion s in English,) the second order of
angels. There were carved figures of
them in Solomon's temple.

FORGE, a furnace in which iron is heat- |

ed in order to be hammered into form. DIS-MAYED', deprived of courage, terrified, daunted.

FES'TAL, used for feastings.
MYS TE-RY, something secret or obscure,
a trade or art requiring knowledge
peculiar to those who carry
on, and
therefore secret to others.
WROTH, excited by wrath, angry.

PRONUNCIATION.-Pre-pare' 1, un-bid'den 4d, in-vit'ed 1, pro-claimed' 2d, ce'dar 9, mys'te-ry 36, swallowed 6, hew'edst 29, form'edst 29.

KING SOLOMON'S BLACKSMITH.

1. AND it came to pass when Solomon, the son of David, had finished the Temple of Jerusalem, that he called together the officers who were over the work, the master-builders, the cunning workmen in silver and gold, and in wood and brass and stone, in purple and crimson and blue.

2. And he said unto them, "Sit ye down at my table; I have prepared a feast to honor all my chief workmen and cunning artificers- -stretch forth your hands, therefore, and eat and drink and be merry."

3. And when Solomon and the chief workmen were seated, and the fatness of the land and the oil thereof were set upon the table, there came one who knocked loudly at the door, and forced himself into the festal chamber. Then Solomon, the king, was wroth, and said unto him, "Who art thou that comest hither unbidden?"

4. And the man answered and said, "When men wish to honor me they call me Son of the Forge; but, when they desire to mock me they call me Blacksmith; and seeing that the toil of working in fire covers me with sweat and smut, the latter name, O king, is not unfit; and, in truth, thy servant desireth no better."

5. Then said Solomon unto him, "Why camest thou thus rudely and unbidden to the feast, to which none save the chief workmen of the Temple are invited?”

6. Then answered the man, "I came rudely, O king, because thy servant obliged me to force my way; but I came not unbidden. Was it not proclaimed that the chief workmen of the Temple were invited to dine with the king of Israel?"

m