CHAP. VIII.

A Walk in a Wood, with a Visit to the old House once inhabited by Jenny Crawley.

WHEN the hay was got in and safely lodged in a small rick well thatched with straw near the barn, Mr. Dalben took Henry one afternoon to visit a wood about a mile distant, to which he had promised to take him as soon as he was able to walk so far.

As they were going along, he talked to him about the six classes of animals, of which he had spoken to him before, viz. the animals of the first class, which are known by their feeding their young ones with their milk; the second class, which consists of birds; the third class, which are called amphibia, creatures which live half on land and half in water; the fourth class, which are fishes; the fifth, which consists of insects; and the sixth, which are worms: "And now, Henry," he said,

you shall point out to me one of each sort as we go along. Let us see who will first discover an animal of the first class."

The first part of Mr. Dalben's and Henry's

way to the wood lay through a lane inclosed on each side by a high hedge; here Henry saw many birds, and found several snail-shells, some of which shells had snails in them; and therefore Mr. Dalben would not allow him to meddle with them; but neither birds nor snails would do for their first class, because birds and snails do not feed their young ones with milk: at length, on the lane taking a turn, Henry being a few steps before his uncle, cried out, "I am first, I am first; I have found it-a donkey, a donkey, a donkey." Henry had reason to rejoice; there was just before him a poor little gray donkey feeding on the side of the lane.

Mr. Dalben smiled, and said, "You are right, Henry: the poor donkey belongs to the first class, a specimen of which we are looking for, and you have seen him first; and I hope you feel yourself much obliged to him for coming to eat his thistles in this lane.

"There are many naughty boys, Henry," continued Mr. Dalben, "who are very cruel to these poor animals, and use them very ill; but I trust that you will never fall into the dreadful practice of being cruel to any animal. It is sometimes necessary that animals should be killed, but it should always be done as speedily as possible, in order that they may be in pain a very short time.

ears.

« Behold that poor little donkey, how meek and humble he looks with his rough coat and long There is no creature in the world, how ever, more useful to men: he does not travel so fast as a horse when he is on the road, but he goes straight forward, and will go on a long time without being tired; he will carry great burdens, considering his size; and is contented with the coarsest food: hard-hearted people despise and use him ill, but a good man is merciful to his beast. And now, Henry, let us look for an animal of the second class."

"The second class?" said Henry: "oh! those are birds; I have seen a great number since I came out, but now I cannot see one. How tiresome! oh, there is one in the hedge: no, it is not one: it is only a leaf shaking. Well, this is provoking, when there were so many just now, and now I cannot see one." Why so impatient, Henry ?" said Mr. Dalben. "If you were a king or a prince now, and had power, you would do some very rash thing, because you cannot see a bird the very moment you desire to do so; is this right, Henry?"

cr

Henry looked ashamed, and remained silent a moment, till at length a bird did actually rise out of the hedge, and fly before him.

"There, uncle, there," said Henry, "there is one of the second class.”

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Very well, Henry," said Mr. Dalben; “you have found a creature of the first class, and one also of the second; we must now find a specimen of the third."

"The third class ?" said Henry: "oh, those are creatures which live on land sometimes, and sometimes in water; what do you call them, Sir ?"

Mr. Dalben replied, " Amphibia."

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Amphibia, Sir," said Henry; "what kind of creatures are those ?"

Mr. Dalben answered, "Tortoises, and frogs, and toads, and lizards, and serpents."

"Oh!" said Henry, "these are all ugly things. I think, uncle, I will leave it to you to find one of these."

"They are ugly," said Mr. Dalben, “as you say, Henry, and some of them very hurtful. These animals have cold blood, and generally naked bodies; their colours are often dark and disgusting; and some of them have an unpleasant smell."

"Are there any in this lane, uncle ?" said Henry.

"A little farther on," said Mr. Dalben, "is a green ditch; and perhaps, if we mind what we are about, we may find some frogs in it. Come on, Henry; there it is a little before us."

Mr. Dalben and Henry hastened on, till coming into a wider part of the lane, they saw a green stagnant puddle on one side, and in this green puddle they saw a number of little animals, about two inches or more in length, having no legs and long tails.

"What are these creatures?" said Henry.

They are young frogs," said Mr. Dalben ; when they are about six weeks old their tails will fall off, and they will have legs: these creatures belong to the third class of animals, namely, the amphibia; and we have now found an example of three classes."

"I found two, uncle, and you have found one," said Henry; " and now it is my turn to look again. Will you tell me, uncle, once more, what

is the fourth class ?"

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"The fourth class, Henry," said Mr. Dalben, are fish; they breathe in a different manner to what we do, and the bodies of most of them are covered with scales."

"Oh! uncle," said Henry impatiently, "I wish I could find one."

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Henry Milner, Henry Milner," said Mr. Dalben smiling, "command yourself, my boy: for if you give way to impatience, as you did when looking for a bird, I fear you will be quite out of your senses before you find a fish in this