turn. We give a figure of the animal, surrounded by ants' nests, with one of the insects on which it feeds. M. THE FIXED STARS. are carefully avoided, to prevent an over- | into black on the limbs. The body is of This hardness is, perhaps, owing an elongated form, the tail being long and rather to the nature of the soil than to a tapering. Total length of our specimen, different species of insect. The height of four feet six inches. the hillocks was generally from two to three feet, but higher were not unfrequently seen. Their structure was irregularly cellular, not unlike a volcanic honey-comb stone; or, rather, consisted of perforations, or passages, opening into each other, without any apparently methodical plan. Such is the solid and firm work of these little architects, which the aardvark spends its life in assaulting for the sake of the builders and inmates, which it devours by wholesale. Not, however, that it completely demolishes the domes of compact earth; it suffices to make a breach, out of which as the terrified population emerge, they fall into the power of their foe. The dwelling of the ant-eater itself is a burrow, at a little distance beneath the surface of the ground, out of which it comes forth only during the night; for in its habits it is completely nocturnal; hence, during the day, it is seldom to be seen, but may be observed as the dusk approaches, creeping from its hole intent upon its prey." The talented traveller, from whom we have already quoted, details an instance in which one of his wagons had been nearly overturned by the sinking of one of the wheels in the burrow of an aardvark. This name he goes on to say is the colonial appellation of the animal, and is justified by its general similarity in outward figure to a hog, though its habits are very different. "With its fore-feet, which are admirably formed for that use, it digs a deep hole, wherein it lies concealed the whole of the day, never venturing out but at night, when it repairs to feed at the ant-hills, which abound in many parts of the country. Scratching a hole on one side of them, it disturbs the little community; on which the insects, running about in confusion, are easily drawn into the animal's mouth, by the long slender tongue with which nature has provided it for this purpose. Without tusks, or any efficient teeth, this animal is quite defenceless, and depends for its safety solely on concealment, in which it so completely succeeds, that no animal is so seldom seen; and from its power of burrowing, with incredible rapidity, away from those who endeavour to dig it out of its retreat, few are more difficult to be obtained. Its flesh is wholesome and well-tasted." The general colour of the Cape anteater is a dark or blackish brown, passing We attempted to show, in a former paper, the great distances at which some of the planets of our system are placed from the sun. Every one who is possessed of even a moderate acquaintance with astronomy, is aware that the distances of the fixed stars far exceed even the most remote of the planets yet discovered in the solar system. Indeed, so great is the disproportion between them, that the distance of Herschel, contrasted with the distance of the nearest of the fixed stars, sinks almost into absolute insignificance. They are considered by all modern astronomers as suns, shining by their own native light, and most probably the centres of other systems. The nearest of the fixed stars yet observed, is supposed, on good grounds, to be not less than 41,040,000,000,000 (or forty-one billions) of miles distant. The reader may perhaps be ready to ask how this can be ascertained; we answer, By means of their annual parallax, which we will endeavour to explain. As the earth revolves round the sun, at the distance of 95,000,000 miles, its orbit (which differs but little, comparatively, from a circle) must be 190,000,000 miles in diameter; consequently, whatever part of her orbit the earth may occupy at any given time, she will. in half a revolution, answering to half a year, be 190,000,000 miles distant from the spot she occupied before. This, it is natural to suppose, causes the fixed stars to be viewed at different angles to the plane of the earth's orbit, at different times of the year: this angle is called the parallax, and as whatever changes of position a star may make, will all be gone through in the course of a year, this is called their annual parallax. It necessarily follows that the greater the distance of any star, the less will be its annual parallax. Modern astronomers, amongst whom Dr. Bradley may be mentioned, have endeavoured to ascertain what this parallax might amount to. The star y in Draco was selected for this purpose, as, from its being situated near the zenith, it was the less liable to error arising from refraction. A series of most careful and accurate observa- | E B may If Let A B C represent an equilateral triangle, and upon the same base A c, draw the triangle A D c, making the side c D double the length of c B, by continuing the line C B to D. Then whatever may be the width of the angle at B, the angle at D will exactly equal one half of the angle at B. the triangle A B C be equilateral, then the angle at B will be sixty degrees, and the angle at D thirty degrees. In like manner, if we draw another triangle A E C upon the same base A c by continuing the line C D to E, and making c E just double the length of c D, then the angle at E will be just one half of the angle at D, or fifteen degrees. Now it is easy to find out by calculation, how many times the length of the base a C of the triangle must be repeated, in order to make an angle of one second at its apex. As sixty seconds make one minute, and sixty minutes one degree, we have only to take the cube of sixty, which is 216,000: the number of times the base of an equilateral triangle must be repeated to form an angle of one second at its apex. If we conceive the circle in the preceding figure to denote the earth's orbit, and a c, the base of the triangle, its diameter, then it is plain that we have only to multiply a c, the diameter of the earth's orbit, or 190,000,000 miles, by 216,000, to find the distance of a star whose parallax is one second. This will amount to 41,040,000,000,000 of miles! as we stated before. A distance so great that even light itself, travelling as it does at the rate of twelve million miles a minute, would not traverse in less time than six years and a half! Indeed, it has been thought by some astronomers, that some of the fixed stars are so distant that their light has not reached us yet, supposing 6000 years to have elapsed since they were created. All the researches of astronomers since Dr. Bradley's time, have tended to corroborate his opinion; and there is but little doubt that the allowance of even one second parallax to any of the fixed stars, is greater than the truth, and that consequently their absolute distance must be considerably greater than we have stated. How astonishing, how overwhelming are numbers and distances like these! The human mind is not formed to grasp them, and hardly, perhaps, can any finite intellects conceive them. All the seconds of time that have elapsed since the creation of the world until now, would not exceed the fifth part of one billion! Surely it becomes us to exclaim with the psalmist, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him?" BOTANY. No. V. RANUNCULACEÆ. E. THIS order embraces the various species of ranunculus, or crow-foot, hellebore, columbine, larkspur, clematis, and several other field and garden flowers, which are pretty generally known to all classes of readers. The leading characters which are common to all the members of this order, consist in the presence of a calyx, or outer cup, composed of several distinct leaves, and a corolla of several petals, which may each of them be separated without disturbing the rest. Another characteristic of still more importance than the last-mentioned, is founded in the number and situation of the stamens. These are always more than twenty in number, and are seated upon the receptacle below the seed vessels. If the attentive reader will take a flower of the common buttercup, and pull off the calyx leaves and petals, one by one, he will find that all the stamens are left behind. This is what we mean by saying that the stamens are seated upon the receptacle, intending by the receptacle that point upon which the seedvessels or fruit are immediately placed. If, for the sake of mutual comparison, he will in the next place take a rose, and follow the same proceeding, in plucking off the leaves of the calyx and the petals one by one, he will perceive that very few, if any, of the stamens are left behind. For, in this last instance, they are seated upon the calyx, and consequently were removed with it. Simple as the fact elicited by this experiment may appear, its interpretation is of the highest importance; for the stamens, by remaining after the calyx is removed, indicate, almost without exception, that the plant is poisonous; but by following the calyx in its departure, they inform us, that the fruit, when ripe, will certainly be harmless, and not only harmless, but grateful and friendly to man. This proves beyond a question, that, however dry and uninteresting botanical details may sometimes be thought, they are not without their practical consequences. We cannot, therefore, sufficiently admire the goodness of the Almighty Creator, who has inscribed a caution on one hand, and an invitation on the other, if men would be at the pains to read and understand it. We have somewhere read that a person in Sweden, having eaten some of the fresh leaves of the common garden Monkshood, became maniacal. But the surgeon who was called to his assistance, being informed the cause of the unfortunate person's ravings, declared that the plant could not occasion them, and to convince the bystanders, as he thought, that they were mistaken, he ate himself very freely of the same fresh leaves, and, sad to tell, he soon after expired, in the greatest agonies. Now, had he been acquainted with this poison-mark which we have pointed out, he would not have been so rash as to encounter such a terrible risk. From the stamens, the student should next direct his attention to the seed-vessels, which are generally numerous, and are gathered into a cluster upon the little central pillar, as in the crow-foot, anemone, and the clematis. The petals of this order, when present, are objects of curiosity, and will always repay the trouble of a closer examination. Few things, perhaps, are better known than the flower of the buttercup; but there is a piece of information about the petals of this familiar plant, which will be new to our readers, who have not turned their minds to this subject. At the base of each petal there is a small cavity, easily seen when the eye is in search of it, which secretes a small quantity of pure honey. The species of the ranunculus or buttercup, natives of this country, amount to fifteen; but in every one of them is this little honied pore, as it is called, to be found, and thus furnishes a ready and unerring character of the genus. The drop of honey lodged in this cavity is, in a singular manner, contrasted with the poisonous plant which produces it. How it magnifies the wisdom of the contrivance, when we see a drop of sweetness, encompassed by poison of a most fatal and acrid character. For the poisonous qualities of these plants are not confined to one part, but the flowers, leaves, stem, and root, have been found to be equally full of the same pernicious juices. What an emblem of all earthly pleasure, without religion, is this little drop of honey, presented in its poisonous cup! the eye sees the honey and longs to obtain it, but it is so small, that it cannot be tasted without tasting the poison also. The petals in the hellebore, figured on p. 157, in which they consist of a minute tube, with a two-lipped mouth or opening; in the columbine, (aquilegia vulgaris) they resemble little horns or cornets. various other plants belonging to this order, a curious diversity is noticed in the shape of the petals, which diversity or singularity of shape is connected with, and indicative of another fact-the secretion of honey. It generally happens, not only among these, but in all plants, where any odd appearance is noticed in the conformation of its blossoms, that honey will be found in some little obscure nook or corner. In The first genus to which we shall call the attention of our readers, is the ranunculus, which is, as we have described, readily distinguished from similar plants, as the marsh marigold, for example, by the presence of the honied pore. All plants of this genus are poisonous, and the bruised leaves may be used in raising blisters instead of the Spanish fly, which gives the biting effect to blister-salve. Care should be taken in examining these plants, that they do not come in contact with a sore or cut upon the hand, for they will certainly create an inflammation in the part. Some botanists have had their hands inflamed by merely carrying them home, but this was perhaps owing to some peculiar state of the skin, for we have often handled them without any ill effects from it. As these plants are poisonous, they ought to be known, that we may be on our guard against them; we will therefore describe the common species by such marks as cannot fail of distinguishing them from each other; while the student, with a little care and a pair of gloves, will find a very interesting and instructive employment in tracing their respective differences. R. Flammula, Less Spear-wort.-Leaves narrow, flowers small and yellow, in boggy places. Hampstead Heath, plentiful. R.Sceleratus, Round-leaved Water-crowfoot.-Lower leaves pale shining green, round, like the palm of the hand, upper ones resembling two or three fingers laid together. R. Aquatilis, Water-crowfoot.-Flowers white, floating on the surface of the water. Leaves of two sorts, one round and floating, the other hair-like, and under water. Seen almost in every pond. R. Acris, Buttercups.-Leaves divided into many sharp segments. Pastures and road sides. Our readers will be, perhaps, a little surprised when we tell them that some of those terrible sores which, upon the legs and feet of beggars, have excited their pity, are kept in that frightful state by the application of this plant. R. Bulbosus, Bulbous-rooted Crow-foot. -Pull up the plant, and the large bulbous swelling upon it will show to what species it belongs. R. Repens, Creeping Crow-foot.-Stem lying upon the ground, and shooting out roots at its joints. Caltha.-Distinguished from the ranunculus by the absence of the honied pore. C. Palustris, Marsh Marigold.-Easily known from all other plants by its large conspicuous yellow flowers, and its broad viridis, or green hellebore, where b directs the eye to three of them. The reader who has a relish for botanical pursuits, will find entertainment in attentively surveying these curiously formed organs: their tubular structure, like a little sack ending in a twolipped opening, which to a fanciful eye resembles a mouth, with the drop of honey lodged in their bottom: a a are the leaves of calyx, which in this species are green, whence the name. The green hellebore is a native of this country, and is found in woods. We found it some years ago under a bank by the roadside, whence it was conveyed, planted in a garden, and seemed to flourish well in its new situation. H. Niger, Black hellebore or Christmas dose.-Common in our gardens. It is a native of Austria and Italy, and was first cultivated in this country by Gerarde, in 1596. This appears to be the plant of antiquity, which was so famous for repairing the lost wits of distracted people. It grew at two places, both called Anticyra, in Greece. Hence it was customary, instead of telling a man to go to bedlam, to propose a voyage to Anticyra, which might be construed as only a gentle recommendation to travel for the benefit of his health. The wisdom-restoring virtues of this weed admit of an easy explanation. The mind affects the stomach, and the stomach in its turn affects the mind. If the digestive organs are out of order, the mind is troubled. Now, when the stomach was burdened, the active properties of the hellebore afforded relief, and consequently removed the cause that had disordered the wits. Clematis. Several species of this genus are cultivated in our gardens, where they are distinguished by a climbing habit, and a copious display of white flowers. The clematis vitalba, or traveller's joy, is a native of this country, and in autumn forms a conspicuous object in our hedges, by its polished green leaves, and the fine hackled threads which form a tail-like appendage to the seed. The following cut b represents the flower and its parts: a is one of the calyx leaves, c the central bundle of filaments, each of which terminates the seed, and is finally expanded into the feathered tail d. At the bottom is the seed, which is conveyed to a distance by the elegant appendage just described: 6 points to one cell of the anther, which is placed upon the outside of the filament, and at a distance from the other cell. In many plants these cells are placed like a pair of tubes, side by side, but in the ranunculaceae they are distinct, and lie upon the back of the filament. This distinction is minute, but important, and if the garden clematis be examined just before the flower opens, this peculiarity will be obvious. If the clematis be not at hand, a bud, just ready to bloom, of the buttercup, will furnish stamens to exemplify this characteristic of the present order. character of a child of God when he says of himself, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man." That description suits no unregenerate person. The law of God is so holy, spiritual, and good, and so opposed to the bias of fallen man's corruptions, that the natural man cannot look up to the heart-searching God, and say with sincerity and truth, "I delight in thy law, O God, after the inward man." On the contrary, he heartily hates that law, wishes it were less holy, or even that there were no law of God at all. Is it not so? When in your ungodly state, was there not a desire that the law of God did not thwart you, that there were no account to be given hereafter, that you might be left to live as you list? But if there were no law, there were no God. For the law is the copy of God's will: if God is, he must have a will; if he is holy, his will, and therefore his law, must be holy. Perhaps, you thought it not, but in fact you used to wish, either that there were no God, or that he were an unholy being. Oh, what an atheist's wish in the former case! What a heathen's wish in the latter! In either case, how full of ignorance, presumption, and guilt! May God, who knew it, forgive thee, for Christ's sake, that thought of thy heart! This then, I maintain, that although there is in all men a natural conscience, which confesses a distinction between good and evil; although there is in virtue a majesty, which often commands the respect even of the vicious; yet there is nothing in an unregenerate soul, which corresponds with this principle of delighting in the law of God after the inward man. No, brethren, no: the charmer may charm ever so wisely, but in vain; the minstrel may exert his utmost skill, and pour forth strains sweet as the melodies of heaven, but there is no chord which vibrates to his touch when he appeals to sinners, dead in trespasses and sins, in praise of the beauty of holiness and the loveliness of spiritual religion. Listen, for instance, to the sweet singer of Israel, and see whether any carnal heart rejoices to echo his sentiments: "I will delight myself in thy statutes," Psalm cxix. 16. "Thy testimonies are my delight, and my counsellors," Psalm cxix. 24. "I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved," Psalm cxix. 47. "The law of thy mouth is better unto me than |