of knowing the will of God, very much may be done to make them moral and useful characters, in after life ;-but let us never forget, it is God alone can make them Christians; and if His Holy Spirit do not enable them to resist temptation, their evil tendencies within, and strong enticements from without, will most probably hurl them from their fancied excellence, and prove, that their nature not being changed, they were only like the sow that was washed, and returned to roll in the mire. However, it is the duty of parents to do what they can, looking to God for a blessing. We must now proceed to talk of the other animals you wish me to tell you of; what comes next, Mary?

?'

'We saw the pigs, next to the cows,

mamma.'

'The pig, or rather the Hog, is, you know, likewise of the class mammalia; that class has seven orders, and the hog is of the sixth order, called

Belluæ; its zoological name is Sus. The male is termed boar, the female, sow, and its young are pigs. The sow has many young, one which lived seventeen years, had three hundred. The domestic hog is a very inoffensive creature, never attempting to hurt any one, and seeming to care for nothing, but to eat and sleep. However, they are much attached to their own kind, and it has been known, that when two have lived together for some time in the same shed, and one has been taken away, the other has pined and died.'

'Ah! the poor things, I shall like them better for that.'

'Pigs are not so foolish as is generally thought; there have been several pigs taught to take up letters laid on the ground, spell words with them, and do several curious tricks.'

Lucy stared at hearing this, seemingly quite astonished at the idea of a pig being able to spell.

6

How surprising mamma,' said Mary, 'I wonder how they could be taught,

aunt.'

'Indeed, my dear, I dare say they suffered both hunger and pain, while teaching; I never like to see poor animals made to do things so much beyond their natural powers, which are, after all, perfectly useless. In our next Geography lesson, I shall show you an island where the hog is used to draw carts, and to plow, yoked together with a cow and horses. The wild boar, from which we have the domestic hog, is a daring and courageous animal, neither fearing, fearing, nor nor attacking an enemy, except when provoked. the hottest parts of Asia the Ethiopian hog is found in great numbers; it is distinguished from the other kind of hog, by having large lumps under the eyes; they dig caverns for themselves to live in, with their nose and

In

tusks; the natives avoid their habitations, as they often rush on them, and tear them with their tusks. A learned man, Doctor Sparrman, who visited Africa, for the purpose of studying the natural history of the country, relates, that he one day pursued some pigs with the old sows, intending to shoot one of them he was disappointed in this hope, but was notwithstanding, highly amused. He observed all at once, the heads of the old sows assume a most curious appearance, growing in an instant very large, and quite shapeless; as he had been riding over a country full of pits and bushes, he had not seen the manner in which this change was brought about; however, after a little, it was discovered that

very sow had taken a pig in its mouth. He remarks that in this action there was a great deal of union and agreement observed, which is likewise re

markable in the tame swine. What is the next animal, about which you wish to be informed?'

'We saw the foals with their mothers in the field, mamma.'

'You know, my dear, the horse is the male of that animal, the female is called a mare, and the zoological name is Equus, it also belongs to the sixth order of the class mammalia. The horse is a very noble animal, and very useful to man; they are to be found over the whole world, except in the regions near the pole, and in some of the islands in the South Sea. I suppose, however, that they will soon be brought to the islands by missionaries, who always, as much as possible, improve the temporal circumstances of those, for whose spiritual welfare they are anxiously solicitous. In our own country, horses are most useful for drawing and carrying burdens, for agriculture and many domestic pur