eat greedily. There is also a favourite weed, known here by the name of hog-weed, but as I am uncertain as to the genuine name and character of the plant, I will leave it out of my list of approved herbs; among such a diversity as I have named, there can scarcely be any difficulty at any time or season in procuring both variety and sufficiency of provision. The banks and fields will afford plenty of food, even to those that have not the advantage of a garden.

The rabbit belongs to the same genus as the hare, and is included under the generic name of Lepus; there are some distinguishing characteristics between the hare and the coney, which I shall notice in a future chapter, when I give you the history of the young leverets.

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CHAPTER II.

THE PIGEON-LOCKER-WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF ITS LAST TENANTS.

WHEN my sister Jane and I were quite little girls, we accompanied our eldest sister to the house of a neighbouring farmer, to pay for some fowls mamma had ordered of the farmer's wife. After Mrs. Mills had been paid, she asked my sister if she would like to visit the poultry-yard, which was a nice green enclosure, well furnished with various sorts of domestic fowls, such as turkeys, geese, ducks, and guinea-fowls, beside cocks and hens, and chickens of all sorts and sizes. The object, however, which more particularly attracted our attention, was a white pigeon, of uncommon size and beauty, belonging to that species distin

guished by pigeon-fanciers by the name of powters, from the extreme fulness of the breast and crop, which they possess the power of inflating at will to a great size.

The plumage of this beautiful creature was of a snowy whiteness; his legs and feet. were of a bright red colour, and his head was garnished with a sort of crest. Besides his superior beauty, he was so tame that he readily ate out of the hand of his mistress, flew to her shoulder, or into the basket of dress corn she held in her hand.

We were all so delighted with his gentleness that we had no eyes for any other object present; and great was our indignation on hearing Mrs. Mills avow her intention of killing this amiable creature, to send to market the following week, on the plea that he was a very profitless creature, consuming a great deal of food, without paying her in any way for his keep.

It seemed strange to us that any one could be so hard-hearted as to take away the

life of so gentle and engaging a creature, merely on account of the trifling expence of the few handfuls of refuse corn he daily consumed; and eager to rescue the poor bird from so disastrous a fate, we asked what sum she would take as the price of the white pigeon. On learning that one shilling would perfectly satisfy her demands, Eliza immediately gave her the money, and very generously presented Snowball (for such we named him) to my sister Jane, promising at the same time to purchase a dove as soon as she could meet with one, which she would bestow upon me.

A shoemaker's son in our village hearing we wanted to make such a purchase, not many days after this offered us a small black dove that had lost her mate; this dove Eliza bought, and gave to me. She was so shy and solitary in her habits, that we called her the Widow.

Mrs. Mills had advised us to keep Snowball shut up for a short time, till he should

have grown familiar with his new residence, or he would certainly take the first opportunity that offered to fly home; these birds possessing, in common with many others, a strong attachment to the spot where they have been accustomed to live. Love of place seems inherent in some creatures, more peculiarly so than in others. It is stronger in the cat than in the dog, and is thus distinguished:—in the dog it is attachment to person, in the cat to place; the dog willingly follows his master in all his travels and changes of situation; the cat returns to her home, though it be deserted by her mistress, and readily attaches herself to the new tenant. The love of place in the carrier-pigeon has been too often remarked and made serviceable to man, to require dwelling on here. The swallow, (hirundo,) and various other of the migra tory birds, are considered to possess the same instinct, which is so strong as to guide them across pathless seas and vast tracts of