for itself a warm house, and a few foxes and wolves, only, roam over the dreary snow. It is worthy of remark here, that in the most northerly parts alone, of the Old and New World, are the same species of animals found, thus the polar bear, and the arctic fox, inhabit the whole of the icy regions extending from Spitzbergen and Siberia to arctic America. The fauna, a group of animals met with in Australia, are mostly peculiar to that region, and include some of very singular forms. Among these are the various species of oppossum, and kangaroo, which belong to the order of mammalia called Mursupialia, or pouched animals, (marsupium being the Latin word for a pouch,) as having a tegumentary pouch, in which the young animal is protected during the completion of its development. Birds, like other animals, have their natural geographical limits, and though some have a very wide range, others are confined to a particular region; thus the birds of Paradise are found only in New Guinea, and some adjacent islands, the ostrich in Africa and Arabia, the cassowary in Java and New Holland, the humming-bird in America, the condor in the chain of the Cordilleras of Mexicoand Peru, and the great eagle among the ridges of the Alps. The powers of flight possessed by most birds, and the migratory instinct, which leads some species of birds to remove their quarters at the change of season, cause them to have a very wide range, and to enjoy at all times a climate especially adapted to their wants. O'er Afric's sand the tawny Lion stalks, On Phasis1 banks the graceful Pheasant walks; And Seals and spouting Whales sport in the Northern Main. Compiled. 1 Phasis (modern name Rhion) a river of Asiatic Russia, flowing W. into the Black Sea. The European pheasant (gallus phaseanus) derives its name from having been originally imported from the banks of this stream, and it still frequents an island at its mouth. 2 St. Kilda, the most remote island of the Hebrides, 82 miles W. of Harris. Pop. 100 people, who all live in a village near the S. E., occupied in rearing a few cattle and sheep, and taking wild fowl and eggs. 3 Ancient Mauritania, comprehended the N. portion of Morocco, and W. part of Algiers, that is the N. W. portion of Africa. 1. Compare the Old and New Worlds as to the animal and vegetable kingdom. 2. Name animals peculiar to the Old World. 3. What animals are peculiar to the New World? 4. Where are the greatest number of species, both of animals and vegetables, found? 5. How do matters go as we proceed towards the poles? 6. Give soine information about the /animals in the tropics, and name some of them. 7. What of the animals inhabiting the sea there? 8. What about the whale tribe? 9. Are fishes distributed any other way than geographically? 10. In what other way? 11. Where do the more useful quadrupeds thrive best? 12. Name the chief beasts of prey in the temperate zone. 13. Describe matters as to animals in the polar regions. 14. What about the polar bear and arctic fox? 15. Mention the peculiarity of the animals of Australia. 16. Are birds also restricted to certain regions? 17. Where find we the bird of paradise, ostrich, cassowary, humming-bird, condor, great eagle? 18. How have birds a wider range than most other animals? 19. Repeat to me the lines of poetry. 20. What know you of Phasis, Kilda, Mauritania? 21. Now say, must not the numbers of living beings be immense? 22. Who feeds them all? 23. Who will repeat to me the 15th and 16th verses of the 145th Psalm, the second version? 24. What does Christ say about the sparrows in Matthew, chap. x? 25. Should we not always look up to God in Christ? On the 29th we arrived at a small village of Bakalahari. The evening passed away cheerfully. Soon after it was dark we heard elephants breaking the trees in the forest across the river, and once or twice I strode away into the darkness some distance from the fireside, to stand and listen to them. I little, at that moment, dreamed of the imminent peril to which I was exposing my life, nor thought that a bloodthirsty man-eater lion was crouching near, and only watch 1 The lion, divided into several varieties, is at present confined to Africa, Arabia, India, Persia, and the borders of the Euphrates. This ferocious animal was once common in the east of Europe. During the day he usually slumbers in his retreat, rousing up from his lair as night sets in, and prowling during the hours of darkness in quest of prey. The lion belongs to the Feline or cat species, (Lat. felis, a cat.) ing his opportunity to spring into the kraal, and consign one of us to a most horrible death. About three hours after the sun went down, I called to my men to come and take their coffee and supper, which was ready for them at my fire; and after supper three of them returned before their comrades to their own fireside, and lay down; these were John Stofolus, Hendrick, and Ruyter. In a few minutes an ox came out by the gate of the kraal, and walked round the back of it. Hendrick got up and drove him in again, and then went back to his fireside and lay down. Hendrick and Ruyter lay on one side of the fire under one blanket, and John Stofolus lay on the other. At this moment I was sitting taking some barley-broth, our fire was very small, and the night was pitch-dark and windy. Owing to our proximity to the native village the wood was very scarce, the Bakalahari having burnt it all in their fires. Suddenly the appalling and murderous voice of an angry, blood-thirsty lion burst upon mine ear, within a few yards of us, followed by the shrieking of the Hottentots. Again and again the murderous roar of attack was repeated. We heard John and Ruyter shriek "The lion! the lion!" still, for a few moments, we thought he was but chasing one of the dogs round the kraal; but, next instant, John Stofolus rushed into the midst of us, almost speechless with fear and terror, his eyes bursting from their sockets, shrieked out, " The lion! the lion-he has got Hendrick-he dragged him away from the fire beside me. I struck him with the burning brand upon his head, but he would not let go his hold. Hendrick is dead! Oh, God! Hendrick is dead! Let us take fire and seek him." The rest of my people rushed about, shrieking and yelling as if they were mad. I was at once angry with them for their folly, and told them that if they did not stand still and keep quiet, the lion would have another of us, and that very likely there was a troop of them. I ordered the dogs, which were nearly all fast, to be made loose, and the fire to be increased as far as could be. I then shouted Hendrick's name, but all was still. I told my men that Hendrick was dead, and that a regiment of soldiers could not now help him, and, hunting my dogs forward, I had every thing brought within the cattle-kraal, when we lighted our fire, and closed the entrance as well as we could. My terrified people sat round the fire with guns in their hands till the day broke, still fancying, that every moment the lion would return, and spring into the midst of us. Next day I took John and Carey as after-riders, armed, and a party of the natives followed up the spoor, and led the dogs. The lion had dragged the remains of poor Hendrick along a native footpath that led up the river side. We found fragments of his coat all along the spoor, and at last the mangled coat itself. About six hundred yards from our camp, a dry river-course joined the Limpopo. At this spot was much shade, cover, and heaps of dry reeds and trees, deposited by the Limpopo in some great flood. The lion had left the footpath, and entered this secluded spot. I at once felt convinced that we were upon him, and ordered the natives to make loose the dogs. These walked suspiciously forward on the spoor, and next minute began to spring about, barking angrily, with all their hair bristling on their backs: a crash from the dry reeds immediately followed-it was the lion bounding away. On beholding him, my blood boiled with rage. I wished that I could take him alive and torture him, and, setting my teeth, I dashed my steed forward within thirty yards of him, and shouted, "your time is up, old fellow." I halted my horse, and, placing my rifle to my shoulder, I waited for a broadside. This, the next moment, he exposed, when I sent a bullet through his shoulder and dropped him on the spot. He rose, however, again, when I finished him with a second in the breast. The Bakalahari now came up in wonder and delight. I ordered John to cut off his head and forepaws, and bring them to the waggons, and, mounting my horse, I galloped home, having been absent about fifteen minutes. When the Bakalahari women heard that the man-eater was dead, they all commenced dancing about with joy, calling me their father.-Cumming's Hunter's Life in Africa. 1. What induced Mr. Cumming to stop at this village? 2. How did the evening pass away? 3. What danger did he run while listening to the elephants in the forest? 4. Name the three men who lay down together at their own fire. 5. What brought Hendrick out of the kraal or temporary enclosure? 6. Tell me how the three men were lying. 7. Why had they but a small fire? heard? 9. Who came rushing in terror into the midst of Mr. Cumming's party? 10. What did he cry? 11. How did the rest of the men act? 12. What did Mr. Cumming say to them? 13. Whom took he with him as afterriders? 14. Who followed up the spoor or track of the lion? 15. What found they all along the spoor? 16. Name the river here mentioned. THE buffalo herds, which appear in tens of thousands on the prairie lands, are invaluable to the Indians. Their flesh forms their chief food, the skins are made into clothing, and the ingenuity of these wanderers converts the horns, hoofs, and bones into utensils of hunting and instruments of war. The buffalo itself is a most frightful-looking animal, and, when excited to resistance, is an exceedingly formidable enemy. When it is determined to attack a herd, the hunters pre 1 The term Buffalo, is applied in N. America to the Bison. The Bison, or cow with the hump, has a great mane, and is a very formidable-looking animal. They go in herds of thousands together. 2 The term Prairie, first applied by the French settlers to the plains of N. America, signifies a meadow. The interior of N. America, between the Rocky Mountains and the Alleghanies, is a vast plain, estimated by Humboldt at 2 millions square miles. S. America is naturally divided into three sections, the plains of the Orinoco, termed Llanos; those of the Amazon, called, Selvas, or forest plains, and those of the La Plata, called Pampas. |