sufficiently to penetrate the bird's feathers. I perceived, however, by its manner of flying, that it was wounded, and it was with apparent difficulty that it reached another rock, about five hundred yards distant on the sea shore; I therefore charged again with ball, and hit the bird under the throat, which made it mine. I accordingly ran up to seize it; but even in death it was terrible, and defended itself on its back with its claws extended against me, so that I could scarcely devise the means of seizing it with security. Had it not been mortally wounded, I might have found this a dangerous enterprise; but having at last dragged it down from the rock, with the assistance of a seaman, I carried it to my tent to make a coloured drawing.

"The wings of this bird, which I measured very exactly, were twelve feet three inches, English measure, from tip to tip; the great feathers were about two feet four inches long, of a beautiful shining black colour. The thickness of the beak was proportionable to the rest of the body, the length about four inches, the point crooked downwards, and white at the extremity, but in every other part black as jet. A short brown coloured down covered the head. The eyes were black, and surrounded with a circle of reddish brown. The feathers on the neck, breast, and wings, were of a light brown; and those on the back rather darker. The thighs were covered with brown feathers down to the knee; the thigh bone was ten inches long, the leg five inches: the toes were three before and one behind; that behind was an inch and a half long, and the claw with which it was armed was black, and occupied one half of the length. The other claws were in the same proportion, and both the legs

and thighs were covered with black scales; but in the last the scales were larger.

"These birds usually keep in the mountains, where they find their prey; they never descend to the sea shore but in the rainy season, for as they are very sensible of cold they retire there for additional warmth. Though these mountains they inhabit are situated in the torrid zone, the cold is often extremely severe, and they are covered with snow during a great part of the year.

"The small quantity of nourishment which these birds find on the sea coast, except when the tempest drives in some great fish, obliges them to continue there but a short time. They usually reach the coast at the approach of evening, stay there during the night, and retire to the mountains in the morning."-Dict. of Nat. Hist.

Exercises on Words having the Same Pronunciation but Different Meanings.

He took great pleasure in walking on deck. Her desire for finery is so excessive, that if she had plenty of money she would deck herself extravagantly.

If he is rewarded according to his desert, he will obtain promotion. The ungrateful man will desert his best friends.

The patient is so ill that he is expected to die. The die with which that coin was struck is made of the. hardest steel. The word die is the singular of dice.

His diet is spare, and he is temperate in drinking. The German Diet consists of representatives from the different states.

A horse can draw a heavier load than several men. The steward desired the butler to draw wine from a cask that had been long in the cellar. If you practice much you will soon learn to draw well.

The horse on which he commonly rides is of a dun

colour, but as he has not paid it yet he is in perpetual fear of a dun from the person that sold it to him.

The path is straight and even. It is pleasant to walk on a summer's even. I would not consent to go along with him even though his offer was very inviting.

The traveller gave an exact account of all that he had seen in foreign countries. The rules of the society are very strict, and exact implicit obedience from all the members.

He was so overjoyed that he could not express his feelings in words. Those who are employed in making wine express all the juice that can be obtained from the grapes. That picture is an express likeness of the original. All the members were in attendance when the express reached the House.

We generally expect to have fair weather in autumn. The lady of whom you speak is as virtuous as she is fair. A fair dealer will not exact an unjust price from his customers. The fair was well attended, and goods of every description sold well.

When his fare was asked, he was surprised to find the charge so reasonable. He lives on wholesome fare, and enjoys excellent health.

That fellow has little regard to the dictates of conscience, for he does not scruple to make lies on almost every occasion. This glove is so like the one I have, that it appears to be its fellow. "A fellow-feeling makes one wondrous kind."

The student is attentive and diligent, and may one day make a figure as a scholar. His handsome figure and genteel address will readily introduce him to good society. The marble statue which you see is of great antiquity, and is the figure of a Grecian hero. The simile is a figure of speech, by which one thing is compared to another. In writing down accounts, we should be careful to make every figure and letter as well as possible.

That ancient building exhibits a fine specimen of the Corinthian order. The rules of the society impose a fine on every kind of delinquency. In fine means lastly.

The fleet is made up of a great variety of vessels. The deer is an animal that is remarkably fleet.

The veteran was amply rewarded for all his toils, for he received a handsome pension for life.

It is not known who was the founder of the celebrated Egyptian Labyrinth, which is said to consist of three thousand apartments. In such tempestuous weather, it is feared that the ship may founder at sea. His trade is that of a brass-founder.

The ground is saturated with rain. He seems to ground his argument on mere conjecture. If you lay on a good ground, you may afterwards, by proper touches, form a fine picture. This diamond is considered a good one, and was ground by a skilful lapidary. Some substances are friable, and may easily be ground to powder.

The habit of rising early tends much to promote health and longevity. Her habit is elegant, but not extravagantly costly. He is of a very full habit, and naturally predisposed to apoplexy.

Hail is formed by the freezing of rain during its descent. We hail with pleasure the approach of a messenger of good.

The hide of a rhinoceros is so strong as to be scarcely penetrable by a musket-ball. He is a most ingenious person that can hide all his failings.

The hind legs of the cameleopard are much shorter than the fore ones. We saw a stag and a hind leap over a high fence. The hind said that the crop in general was likely to be good.

Our hopes are often blasted at the very instant when we expect to realize them. He was instant in his entreaties, and succeeded beyond his expectation.

Jet is a mineral substance of the nature of coal. Water, under a strong pressure, will jet to a consider

able distance.

The lake has lately been quite drained, and its bottom is now covered with fruitful fields. The principal colours called Lake, are Carmine, Florence, and Madder, and are made by precipitating various colouring matters by certain earths and oxides.

Shoes are formed on a piece of wood called a last. A last of corn is equal to two hundred and seventythree stones. The Pyramids of Egypt, which are more than three thousand years old, may yet last for many thousand years. Thomas was the last boy that entered the school.

Exercises on Antonymes or Words having Opposite

Meanings.

7.

Innocent, guilty; poverty, opulence; wrong, right; Hide, discover; ignorance, knowledge; best, worst; Danger, safety; jest, earnest; small, great; Niggardly, prodigal; light, weighty; trivial, impor

tant.

Innocent poverty is preferable to guilty opulence.

No men are so often in the wrong as those who pretend to be always in the right.

It is as great a point of wisdom to hide ignorance, as to discover knowledge.

Let a man do his best, and the world may do its

worst.

Men are often in the greatest danger when they fancy themselves in complete safety.

He that shoots an arrow in jest, may kill a man in

earnest.

He that contemns a small fault may commit a great

one.

Riches commonly make men either niggardly or prodigal.

As a river sustains objects that are light, and overwhelms those that are weighty; so fame often celebrates trivial achievements, and allows important ones to sink into obscurity.

8.

Soothed, alarmed; exalted, depressed; joy, sorrow; Diffidence, assurance; winter, summer; cold, heat;