devouring the offal that is thrown overboard. And if a sailor falls from his ship, or ventures into the sea, while a shark is in the neighbourhood, he is almost certain to be caught and eaten up by the monster. Sailors, therefore, are great enemies to sharks, and are always pleased when they can catch them with hooks and destroy them. The following is an account of the capture of a white shark :"For more than a week we had observed a white shark, of great size, daring, and voracity, following in the wake of our vessel. He greedily devoured all the offal which was thrown into the sea; and although the ship was sailing rapidly with a fair breeze, he still kept alongside, apparently without any effort,-sometimes sporting round the ship, as if gambolling in play, and now and then showing the entire length of his huge white body on the surface of the water. The sailors consulted together, and determined to attempt to capture him, if the captain would give his consent. At the request of all of the passengers, this consent was readily given.

"The sailors then procured a strong iron hook, much like one of those upon which the butchers hang the bodies of their sheep. This was firmly fastened to a strong rope, about four fathoms in length, and baited with a piece of salt pork.

"It was then flung overboard; and after it had been in the water about half-an-hour, it was perceived that it had attracted the attention of the shark, and two sailors were set to watch it. The animal swam round it, and carefully examined it for more than an hour, as if he suspected that the tempting morsel concealed some treachery. At length he could resist no longer, and turning over on his back, as sharks do when they seize their prey, he swallowed it at a mouthful. The two sailors gave a shout, and began

to haul in the rope; but they were too hasty, for the shark disgorged the bait, and swam off unharmed. Still he could not forget the delicious prize, and was soon seen examining the bait again. A second time it was seized, and a second time disgorged. But the voracious monster would not profit by his experience; so, after spending still more time in examining the piece of pork, he seemed to conclude that all was right, and a third time he bolted the bait. He was this time allowed to make off with it, and then by a sudden jerk given to the rope, the stout hook was fastened in his jaw. The sailors shouted with triumph, and the rope was securely fastened to the capstan. As soon as the shark found himself secured, he dashed about, and lashed the sea in fury with his tail, making the waves white with foam. All hands were called to haul him on board; and as the windlass quickly turned round, he was gradually drawn to the side of the vessel, and at length safely landed on the deck. But he still continued to lash with his tail, with such force, that it seemed he would drive in the timbers of the vessel. At length the cook disabled him with an axe, and his life was soon put an end to by the sailors' knives."

"The

The following sad story is also told of a shark :— son of a passenger was one day playing on deck and fell overboard. He was in danger of being drowned; but a seaman boldly leaped in to his rescue. He succeeded in reaching the child, and was swimming with him safely back to the vessel, when the cry of 'A shark! a shark!' was raised by those on deck, who saw one of these monsters hastening to secure his prey. The seaman's own son, a youth about eighteen years old, having armed himself with a sword, plunged into the water, and swam to his father's rescue. He was an excellent diver, and succeeded in

I

getting beneath the shark, and plunging the sword into the animal's belly, which immediately turned to attack this unexpected foe.

"In the meantime ropes were thrown from the deck, which both father and son succeeded in grasping, and they were rapidly hauled towards the vessel. They had nearly reached the deck, the seaman bearing in his arms the child he had rescued, and already the cry of They are safe! they are safe!' was raised by the anxious spectators; when the shark, enraged at the escape of his victims, suddenly darted from the water, and caught the sailor boy by the middle of his body, and, with his tremendous jaws, bit him quite in two."

These sharks are most common in the warmer parts of the world, and are very seldom seen on the coasts of Great Britain. They are not uncommon, however, on the coasts of New Zealand and Australia. A small variety of the shark, called the dog-fish, is eaten by the natives in these and other countries, and even by the poorer classes of the people in the north of Scotland.

MORNING SONG.

Oн, come! for the lily
Is white on the lea;
Oh, come! for the wood-doves
Are paired on the tree :

The lark sings with dew

On her wings and her feet;
The thrush pours his ditty,

Loud, varied, and sweet:

So, come where the twin-hares 'Mid fragrance have been,

And with flowers I will weave thee A crown like a queen.

Oh, come! hark, the throstle
Invites you aloud;

And wild comes the plover's cry

Down from the cloud: The stream lifts his voice, And yon daisy's begun

To part its red lips

And drink dew in the sun :

The sky laughs in light,

Earth rejoices in green

So, come, and I'll crown thee
With flowers like a queen!

Oh, haste! hark the shepherd
Hath wakened his pipe,
And led out his lambs

Where the blae-berry's ripe :

The bright sun is tasting

The dew on the thyme; Yon glad maiden's lilting An old bridal-rhyme. There's joy in the heaven And gladness on earthSo, come to the sunshine, And mix in the mirth.

THE SEAL.

THE seal and the walrus are called amphibious animals, which means that they can live both on land and in water. They cannot, however, breathe in the water, as fish do, but must come up to the surface in order to take breath; and they are so formed that, instead of taking breath twenty times in a minute, as many animals do, they do not require to breathe more than once in twenty minutes.

The more common seals are from five to ten feet long, but some of the species are much larger, and measure from twenty-five to thirty feet. They are provided with four fin-like paws, called flippers: when in the water they use these paws as paddles, and swim with great rapidity; but on shore the flippers are too short to be of much use to them in walking, and they move along the ground by a sort of jerking leap, or shuffle. The head of the seal often bears a strong resemblance to that of the dog and other land animals; and there are different kinds of seals, which bear the names severally of sea-dog, sea-lion, sea-elephant, and sea-bear. The seal frequents the coast in most temperate and cold parts of the world, but they are most 、 numerous in the polar regions. There they are often to be seen in large flocks, amounting sometimes to many thousands; and they furnish the inhabitants with most of the necessaries of life. Their flesh supplies them with food; their skins, with warm clothing and tents; their sinews, with a strong thread; and the oil which their fat contains, with light and fire.

Seal-fishing is a dangerous, but very profitable trade: one ship has been known to bring home a cargo of 4000 or 5000 seals, yielding more than 100 tons of oil. The