be twelve inches deep from front to back, and sixteen | laughable as the qualities which recommend the English inches broad; the entrance hole should not be oppo-pouter to public favour. This bird, which is a cross be site the centre of the cell, but at a side, so that the pigeons may build their nest a little out of sight. In front of each cell there should be a slip of wood to rest and coo upon; but as different pairs incessantly quarrel about the right of walking on these slips, and are apt to fight for the possession of cells, it is best to separate the slips with upright partitions; and it would be an improvement to have two or three small cots instead of one large one. The cot, of whatever size or form, should be elevated on a wall facing the south-east, or otherwise placed at such a height as will be out of the reach of cats and other vermin. The cot should be painted white, as the pigeon is attracted by that colour. Gravel should be strewed on the ground in front of the dove-cot, the birds being fond of picking it; and a little straw or hay is necessary for the nests. Cleanliness is indispensable to the health of the birds, and a scouring out of the cot should therefore take place regularly. The quantity of dung produced in the nests is very great, and its removal to the compost heap will amply repay the trouble of cleaning.

In commencing to keep pigeons, a pair or two should be procured which have not flown, and they should be shut up for a time, and well fed. Their chief food is grain, and the kind which they prefer to all others is dried tares. Small horse-beans are another favourite article of diet, and very nutritious to them. Wheat, barley, oats, and peas, with rape, hemp, and canary seeds, are also prized by them, but should not be made constant articles of food under any circumstances.

The house-dove or common pigeon, as is well known, begins to breed about the age of nine months, and breeds every month. During breeding time, they associate in pairs, and pay court to each other with their bills; the female lays two eggs, and the young ones that are produced are for the most part a male and female. When the eggs are laid, the female, in the space of fifteen days, not including the three days during which she is employed in laying, continues to hatch, relieved at intervals by the male. From three or four o'clock in the evening, till nine the next day, the female continues to sit; she is then relieved by the male, who takes his place from ten till three, while his mate is feeding abroad. In this manner they sit alternately till the young come out. Kept with ordinary care, a pair will give to the breeder nine pairs or so in a year, and will continue to do this for four years. The bird lives for eight years, but is useless for breeding long before attaining that age. On the whole, the cottager who keeps a few pairs may have a palatable addition to his diet frequently during the year with very little trouble.

tween a horseman and a cropper, possesses the remarkable property of blowing out its breast or crop to such an extent that it rises to a level with its beak, and the bird appears to look over the top of an inflated bladder. Carrier Pigeons.-Pigeons have been put to the remarkable purpose of acting as carriers for letters or other light objects. A particular species, larger than common, is trained for the purpose, and in some coun tries the rearing of them forms a lucrative employment. The instinct which has rendered the carrier pigeon so serviceable, is the strong desire manifested by all pigeons to return to the place of its ordinary residence; and man has adopted various precautionary measures in order to make its return on particular occasions more certain. A male and female are usually kept together and treated well; and one of these, when taken elsewhere, is supposed to have the greater inducement to come back. It is even considered necessary by some that the bird should have left eggs in the process of incubation, or unfledged young ones, at home, in order to make the return cer tain; but probably these are superfluous precautions. It is obvious that the carrier-pigeon can only be put to use in conformity with some contemplated plan, for which the proper preparations have been made. 1 must have been taken from a place to which it is wishe that it should return, and it must, at the moment when its services are wanted, be temporarily at the pace from which the intelligence is to be conveyed. It a usually taken to that place hoodwinked, or in a covered basket: the instinct by which it finds its way back upea its own wings, must of course be independent of knowledge of the intermediate localities. When the moment for employing it has arrived, the individual requiring its services writes a small billet upon the paper, which is placed lengthwise under the wing, a fastened by a pin to one of the feathers, with some precautions to prevent the pin from pricking, and the paper from filling with air. On being released, the carrier ascends to a great height, takes one or t turns in the air, and then commences its forward career, at the rate of forty miles in the hour, or about a thousand a-day.

GOLD FISH.

These beautiful little creatures, which now form p of the drawing-room, being originally from a war climate, require to be kept in apartments of a geal temperature. They are usually kept in a crystal ge which stands on a table, and the water should b changed daily. The water must not be given in a ca state, but allowed to stand in a warm room for an host before being put into the globe: this precaution may With regard to the best breeds of the common not be necessary in summer. The food given maye domesticated pigeon, it is difficult to give any useful sist of small crumbs of bread, and small flies; the sh instructions. They have been cultivated to a great ex- are fond of the blows of the blue-bottle fly; a lim tent, and many distinct varieties have been formed, but duckweed may be offered on the surface of the wat the differences rest chiefly in colours, and the special Gold fish breed freely in ponds or tanks in pleasers value of each lies in the taste of the fancier. The lead-grounds, but they require to be removed during seve. ing varieties of fancy pigeons are known by the names weather in winter. They thrive well in all seasons i of the English Pouter, the Dutch Cropper, the Horse- ponds into which a little warm water is constant y man, the Unloper, the Dragoon, the Tumbler, the Leg-flowing. In the beautiful work of Yarrel on Bris horn and Spanish Runt, the Trumpeter, the Nun, the Fishes, the author speaks on gold fish as follows :-~ Fan-tail, and the Capuchin. The peculiarities of some is well known, that in manufacturing districts, wher of these breeds are very odd. The tumbler, for instance, there is an inadequate supply of cold water for derives its name from a practice of tumbling in the air condensation of the steam-engines, recourse is had while on the wing. Instead of pursuing a steady what are called engine-dams, or ponds, into which straightforward flight, it turns over, or casts somersets water from the steam engine (or condensed stear) backward, whirling round heels over head as expertly thrown for the purpose of being cooled. In these dars as a first-rate rope-dancer does when he makes the back the average temperature of which is about eighty © spring. The fan-tail derives its name from the circum-grees, it is common to keep gold fish; and it is a w stance of its having a remarkably broad tail, which it has the power of spreading out like the tail of a turkeycock. The prime quality of the bird consists in its ability to make its tail touch its head, and surround it with a wide glory of feathers. If it cannot do this, it is valueless to the fancier, no matter how excellent are its other properties. Amusing as this absurdity is, it is not so

rious fact, that they multiply in these situations ma more rapidly than in ponds of lower temperature ex posed to the variations of the climate. Gold fish ar by no means useless inhabitants of these dams; the consume the refuse grease, which would other impede the cooling of the water by accumulating a its surface."

a cup of fresh water may be placed in the cage daily. | the best food for parrots is simply the crumbs of whee In the moulting season, it is recommended to put a nail into the water they drink, in order to strengthen the system by the slight infusion of iron matter.

The breeding of canaries requires additional accommodations. The breeder must have a large cage, into which the pair of birds is put about the middle of April. At the upper part of the cage, at one end, boxes for the nests are placed, with holes to go out and in by; and in the centre of the cage, near a perch, a net-work bag is hung filled with cotton, wool, moss, hair, and other soft materials, for the birds to use for their nests. The female only builds; and in about ten days after pairing, she lays the first egg. She ordinarily lays six eggs, one every day; but each egg is to be taken away as laid, leaving an ivory one only; and when done laying, replace all the six. The period of incubation is thirteen days. When the young are hatched, finely minced egg and bread are placed at the feeding-trough, to enable the parents to carry suitable food to their young.

Blackbirds.

The male blackbird is a handsome creature, lively in manner, and possessing some sweet "wood-notes wild," which sound most agreeably from a garden or the outside of a window. The bird requires a large wicker cage, which, whenever weather permits, ought to be hung in the open air. In a state of nature, the blackbird eats berries, seeds, insects, larvæ, and worms. It loves to run about a grass-plot in the spring mornings, and pick up any stray worm which is straggling from its hole. This habit suggests the propriety of giving it, when in confinement, both vegetable and animal food. The universal paste will answer; but if too heating, which it is liable to be, give bits of bread, flies, cockchaffers, worms; and failing these, chopped raw meat. A rough bone from the table will also not be inappropriate. A short experience will show upon which kinds of food the creature thrives best, and let that be adhered to. Give also plenty of pure water to drink; and once a-week, when the sun shines, set a basin of water in the cage for it to bathe in and clean itself. Let the cage be carefully and regularly cleaned.

Parrots.

Under this head may be classed a number of beaked birds of similar character, as parrots, parrakeets, cockatoos, and maccaws, all possessing beautiful plumage of green, yellow, or greyish tints. They are chiefly from South America, and require the warmth of a dwelling-house to keep them alive in this country. All possess harsh voices, and would on that account be considered a positive nuisance by most persons, except for the oddity of their being able to repeat certain words; but this is a quality possessed by some in greater perfection than others. Each kind of these birds may be treated much in the same manner. They are allowed a large cage formed of strong wires, with thick round bars to perch upon, and a ring at top to swing from by their hooked beak. All the parts must be of tin, for they would soon pick wood to pieces. In the Zoological Gardens, they are usually seen perched on a cross-bar of tin at the top of a staff, but chained by the leg to prevent their escape.

bread, well baked, without salt, soaked in water, and then slightly squeezed in the hand. But though t appears to agree with them pretty well, it is, however, certain that now and then something else ought to le added. I have observed, indeed, that parrots which are thus fed are very thin, have hardly strength t bear moulting, and sometimes even do not moult at all; in that case they become asthmatic, and die of con sumption. It is clear that feeding them only on th food, which has very little if any moisture in it, is Ex sufficient to nourish them properly, at least during the moulting season, and while the feathers are growing again. I never saw a parrot in better health than o which belonged to a lady, who fed it on white bress soaked in boiled milk, having more milk than the bread would absorb, which the parrot drank with appare: pleasure; there was also put into the drawer of its cage some sea biscuit, or white bread soaked in bolg water; it was also given fruit when in season. It necessary to be very careful that the milk is not sour

Some young maccaws are fed on hemp-seed, which must always be of the year before, as the new would be too warm and dangerous. Yet they must not be !! entirely on this food, but there must be added white bread soaked in milk or water, as has already been mentioned, some fruit and nuts, but never bitter almonds, as they will infallibly kill all young animas, In all cases the excrements of the bird will indicate the state of its health, and whether the food ought to be changed or not.

Although maccaws rarely want to drink, as the food is very moist, yet they must not be left without water, which is generally placed in one of the divisions of their tin drawer. It is also a good thing to ent them to bathe; nothing is more favourable to the health, or better facilitates the painful operation of moulting, or keeps their feathers in better order. A little attention to these favourites, deprived of their liberty, their natural climate, and food, cannot be to much trouble to amiable persons who are fond of them, and to whom these pretty birds become greatly st tached."

The cockatoo is generally esteemed as of milder temper than the parrot. Of this species, Buffon ca serves" Cockatoos, which may be known by the tuft, are not easily taught to speak; and there is ne species which does not speak at all; but this is some measure compensated for by the great faciaty with which they are tamed; in some parts of India the are even so far domesticated that they will build their nests on the roofs of the houses: this facility of educa tion is owing to their intelligence, which is very supe rior to that of other parrots. They listen, understand and obey; but it is in vain that they make the sam efforts to repeat what is said to them; they seem t wish to make up for it by other expressions of feeling and by affectionate caresses. There is a mildness an grace in all their movements, which greatly add 5. their beauty. In March 1775, there were two, a măand female, at the fair of St Germain, in Paris, wh obeyed with great docility the orders given them, eise: to spread out their tuft, or salute people with a bend the head, or to touch different objects with their b The food offered to parrots, maccaws, &c., is chiefly and tongue, or to reply to questions from their mas bread steeped in milk, nuts, or any other simple article. with a mark of assent, which clearly expressed a silma Care must be taken never to give them any thing with yes: they also showed by repeated signs the number salt or pepper. On the subject of feeding them, Bech-persons in the room, the hour of day, the colour stein makes the following observations:-" In its native country, the fruit of the palm-tree is its principal food; our fruit it also likes, but white bread soaked in milk agrees with it better; biscuit does not hurt it; but meat, sweetmeats, and other niceties, are very injurious; and though at first it does not appear to be injured, it becomes unhealthy, its feathers stand up separate, it ks and tears them, above all those on the first joint pinion, and it even makes holes in different parts dy. It drinks little-this is perhaps occasioned ting nothing dry. Many bird-fanciers say that

clothes, &c.; they kissed one another by touching the
beaks, and even caressed each other; this showed a
wish to pair, and the master affirms that they often
so even in our climates. Though the cockatoos, a
other parrots, use their bill in ascending and descen
ing, yet they have not their heavy disagreeable stem
on the contrary, they are very active, and hop about
very nimbly."

Printed and published by W. and R. CHAMBERs, Edinburgh
Sold also by W. S. Onn and Co., Londen.

it is chiefly by means of these it builds its combs, feeds | the young, fills the honey-cells, and performs the other operations of the hive. Bees also use the same instruments for the recognition of one another.

called the first stomach, though digestion never tais place there, is an enlargement of the gullet into a pr sized bag, pointed in front, with two pouches behi In this receptacle is lodged the fluid or saccharine pr The mouth of the bee is a very complex structure, and tion of the bee's gatherings, and by the muscularity one wonderfully fitted for its duties. Its most important the coats it can be regurgitated to fill the honey-era parts are the mandibles, the tongue, the proboscis, and of the hive. A short passage leads to the second i labial feelers. The mandibles are merely the two sides true stomach, which receives the food for the nours! of the upper jaw, split vertically, and moveable to such ment of the bee, and also the saccharine matter fr a degree as to enable the insect to break down food which the wax is secreted. The small intestines rebetwixt them, to manipulate wax, and use them other-ceive the digested food from the stomach, and fro: wise as serviceable tools. They are furnished with them it appears to be absorbed for the purposes i teeth at their ends, two in number. The tongue of the nutrition. Wax, it was once thought, was pollen ebee is extremely small, and indeed is scarcely admitted borated in the stomach and ejected by the mouth; i by some naturalists to exist at all, the proboscis being it is entirely derived, it is now known, from the hote often signified by that name. Many of the usual func- or saccharine matter consumed by the insect; and J.: tions of such an instrument are indeed performed by Hunter discovered two small pouches in the lower po the proboscis, a long slender projection, composed of of the abdomen, from vessels on the surface of wi about forty cartilaginous rings, fringed with fine hairs. it is secreted. After accumulating for a time in the From the base of this, on each side, rise the labial pouches, scales of it appear externally below one : feelers, instruments also fringed or feathered interiorly; other of the four medial rings of the abdomen, and 1and outside of these are the lower jaws, similarly pro- withdrawn by the bee itself or those around it. vided with hairs. When the feelers and jaws close in to the stomach is found the last important organ f on the proboscis, they form a sheath or defence to it. the abdomen, the sting. Much beautiful mechan Naturalists used to term the proboscis a tube; but they is observed on a microscopical examination of the now know that it acts by rolling about and lapping up, weapon, so powerful in comparison to its bulk. It by means of the fringes around it, every thing to which sists of two long darts, adhering longitudinally, a it is applied. The gathered material is then conveyed strongly protected by one principal sheath. This shes into the gullet at its base, whence it passes into the in- is supposed to be first thrust out in stinging, and a ternal organs. Thus we find the mandibles of the power to pierce may be conjectured from the fact tha upper jaw ready to break and prepare the food for the when viewed through a glass which magnifies sweeping-up apparatus of the lower parts. While per- needle-point to the breadth of a quarter of an inch, fect in action in an expanded state, the whole, more- extremity of the sheath ends so finely as to be invis over, can be so folded together as to form one strong The sheath once inserted, then the two still finer dar well-protected instrument. follow, and make a further puncture. The use of ti is to receive the poison, which is conducted to the en of the sheath in a groove; and in order that the r joined darts may not be withdrawn too soon for t purpose, they have each nine or ten barbs at the p to retain them. When the weapon is withdrawn, .poison is thus left with a cavity to enter, causing a deeper festering. The insect ejects the poison t means of a muscle encircling the bag at the base the sting, in which bag the venom is secreted. T chemical composition of the poison has not been c covered, though it has so far the nature of an ami u to redden the vegetable blues. Altogether, Paley fully justified in pointing to the defensive weapo the bee as a wondrous union of mechanical and chezcal perfection.

To the trunk or thorax of the bee exteriorly are attached the muscles of the wings and legs. The wings consist of two pairs of unequal size, which are hooked to one another, in order to act in concord and steady the movements in flying. The bee has three pairs of legs, of which the anterior pair are the shortest and the posterior the longest. All of them are formed upon the same principle as the limbs of man, having articulations for the thigh, leg, and foot, with some minor joints in the latter part. The hind legs are marked by a special and beautiful provision. This is a cup-like cavity on the tibia or fore-leg, intended for the important purpose of receiving the kneaded pollen which the bee collects in its wanderings. The legs are all thickly studded with hairs, and more particularly the cavity mentioned, in which the materials require to be retained securely. Another provision of the bee's limbs consists in a pair of hooks attached to each foot, by means of which the animal suspends itself from the roof of the hive or any similar position. Beneath or behind the wings the spiracles or air-openings are found, which admit air for the purpose of permeating the chest, and probably the whole body, for the oxygenation of the circulating system. Huber completely proved both that respiration is essentially necessary to bees, and that the spiracles are the instruments by which it is effected. He found that they die in an exhausted receiver, and become asphyxiated when shut up in numbers in close bottles. They perish in water only if the spiracles are under the surface; and the use of these apertures is then made apparent by the bubbles which escape from them under water. As will be shown, also, bees carefully ventilate their hives. Therefore, though no blood has been detected in bees or other insects, these tiny spiracles are of no slight consequence in the physical economy of the insect, oxygen being apparently ess necessary to the vitality of its circulating fluids ⚫hose of warm-blooded animals.

s these appendages and contents of the chest,
on is traversed by the esophagus or gullet, on
o the digestive and other organs situated in
nen. These organs consist of the honey-bag,
ich, the war-pockets, and the intestines, with
m-bag and sting. The honey-bag, sometimes

The manner in which the bee collects the food wh." forms the various secretions alluded to, is worthy note. The hairs with which its body and feet are vered, are the main instruments used for this end. E means of the hairs on the feet, the insect usually beg its collection of the pollen in the corolla which sta entered, and, after kneading the dust into balls, fina...' places it in the baskets of the hind legs. But the co ture is not content with the product of this process Rolling its body round and round, it brushes of : · pollen still more cleanly, gathers it into two heaps its active brushes, and loads its baskets to the bra Even afterwards, they sometimes fly home like dust millers, and brush their jackets when unloaded. T pollen is understood to be brought home by the w ing-bees more peculiarly as food for the young. T fluid secretions contained in the nectarea of flower and honey-dew, which is a deposition of certain aphats on plants, serve as other natural varieties of the bet food; and the insect also drinks large quantities water.

The senses of bees have been in part touched upril already. The means of vision bestowed on them, it wil mentioned, consist of the many-lensed eyes in free and the supplementary organ above. Inquirers ha been staggered by the seeming contradictions connect with the vision of the bee. After collecting its str of food, its first movement is to rise aloft in the air, a look for the site of its home. Having determined t