Indies, having a horn on its nose. Hip-po-pot'a-mus, n. (Gr. hippos, potamos), the river horse, a large animal found in the Nile, and other African rivers. Spe'cies, n. (L. specio), in Nat. Hist. a collection of individuals, whether animals, plants, or minerals, that present the same general appearance to the eye. Ge'nus, n. plu. gen'er-a, (L.) in Nat. Hist. a race or family of beings, comprehending under it not individuals but species or varieties. Re-cede', v. (L. re, cedo), to move back; to withdraw from; to leave. Re-strict', v. (L. re, strictum, see stringo), to confine; to limit. Fau'na, n. (L.) a name given to the entire collection of animals peculiar to a country, just as the name Flora comprises all its plants. Miʼgra-tor-y, adj. (L. migro), passing from one country to another; roving. Meer or mere, n. (Sax.) a pool; a lake. IN the Old World the animal kingdom holds the preponderance over the vegetable, as the vegetable kingdom does over the animal in the New World. The animals of the Old World generally differ in species from those of the New World. The ape and baboon, the hyæna, panther, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, horse, ass, camel, buffalo, crocodile, python, &c., are inhabitants of the Old World; while the puma, (erroneously called the American lion), the jaguar, the sloth, the armadillo, bison, llama, alligator or caiman, boa constrictor, and rattlesnake, are peculiar to the New World. In the animal as well as in the vegetable kingdom, the largest number of species are met with in the warm regions of the globe, the heat, light, and abundance of vegetable food tending to their increase; and a gradual diminution in the number, both of species and genera, takes place as we recede from the equator. The zoophytes, as coral and madrepore, are there abundant, and the shell-fish are large and brilliantly coloured, particularly in the Indian seas. Insects, reptiles, birds, swarm in great numbers, together with herbivorous animals of gigantic size, as the elephant, camelopard, buffalo, tapir, &c.; as also the formidable carnivorous, or flesh-eating beasts, the lion, hyæna, vulture, and condor. The effects of light and heat appear to be extended even to the inhabitants of the ocean; the sharks, and some other fish, are larger, and more ferocious, in the seas of tropical regions, and some species of fish are here adorned with gayer colours, than those in higher latitudes. The flying-fish, and the porcupinefish, are found only in the warm seas. The most enormous of all animals in existence, are the cetacea or whale tribe; they are found more particularly, however, in the cold seas of high latitudes, except the sperm whale, which abounds chiefly in the warm seas. The researches of naturalists have shown that certain fishes are not merely limited in their range according to the laws of geographical distribution, but also have certain depths, to which they are in a great degree restricted. Hence some are most usually found at or near the surface; some are ground feeders, and are taken at considerable depths, and some occupy various intermediate stations. The temperate zones are favourable to all herbivorous quadrupeds, so useful, yea, so indispensable to man, as the horse, ass, ox, deer, sheep; the wolf, lynx, fox, bear, otter, being the chief beasts of prey. Animal life decreases rapidly as we advance to the polar regions. There the larger quadrupeds, and birds, are only summer visitants-as deer, elks. The beaver builds 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 of Australia includes some animals of very singular forms. Among these are the various species of opossum, and kangaroo, which belong to the order of mammalia called Marsupialia, 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 Mexico and 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 Phasis' banks the graceful Pheasant walks; 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. The lonely Eagle builds on Kilda's shore, Dire Serpents hiss o'er Mauritania's2 plain, And Seals and spouting Whales sport in the Northern Main. 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 numbers of species, both of animals and vegetables, found? 5. What takes place as we proceed towards the poles? 6. Give some information about the animals in the tropics, and name some of them. 7. Where do the more useful quadrupeds thrive best? 8. Name the chief beasts of prey in the temperate zone. 9. Mention the peculiarity of the animals of Australia. 10. Where do we find the bird of paradise, ostrich, cassowary, humming-bird, condor, great eagle? 11. How have birds a wider range than most other animals? 12. Who will repeat to me the 15th and 16th verses of the 145th Psalm, the second version? 13. What does Christ say about the sparrows in Matthew, chap. x.? AMUSING ANECDOTES OF THE PARROT. (Goldsmith.) WE are told by Comte de Buffon, that his sister had a parrot which would frequently speak to himself, and seemed to fancy that some one addressed him. He often asked for his paw, and answered by holding it up. Though he liked to hear the voice of children, he seemed to have an antipathy to them, and bit them till he drew blood. He had also his objects of attachment, and though his choice was not very nice, it was constant. He was excessively fond of the cook-maid; followed her every where, sought for her when absent, and seldom missed finding her. If she had been some time out of his sight, the bird climbed with his bill and claws to her shoulders, and lavished on her his caresses. His fondness had all the marks of close and warm friendship. The girl happened to have a sore finger, which was tedious in healing, and so painful as to make her scream. While she uttered her moans, the parrot never left her chamber. The first thing he did every day was to pay her a visit; and this tender condolence lasted the whole time of her confinement, when he returned to his former calm and settled attachment. Yet all this strong predilection for the girl, would seem to 2 Ancient Mauritania, comprehended the N. W. portion of Africa. K have been more directed to her office in the kitchen, than to her person; for when another cook-maid succeeded her, the parrot showed the same degree of fondness to the new comer, the very first day. Willoughby mentions a parrot, which, when a person said to it, "Laugh, Poll, laugh," it laughed accordingly, and immediately after screamed out,-"What a fool; to make me laugh.' A parrot which had grown old with his master, shared with him the infirmities of age. Being accustomed to hear scarcely anything but the words, "I am sick," When a person asked it "How do you do?" "I am sick," it replied with a doleful tone, stretching itself along; "I am sick." A gentleman who resided at Gosport in Hampshire, and had frequent business across the water to Portsmouth, was astonished one day on going to the beach to look for a boat, and finding none, to hear the words distinctly repeated,"Over master? Going over?" (which is the manner that watermen are in the habit of accosting people when they are waiting for passengers). The cry still assailing his ears, he looked earnestly around him, to discover from whence the voice came; when, to his great surprise, he beheld the parrot in a cage, suspended from a public house window on the beach, vociferating the boatman's expressions. The following curious instance of limited loquacity occurred with a brace of parrots in London. A tradesman who had a shop in the Old Bailey, opposite the prison, kept two parrots, for the inconvenience of his neighbours, a green disturber and a gray. The green parrot was taught to speak when there was a knock at the street door-the gray put in his word whenever the bell was rung; but they only knew two short phrases of English a-piece, though they pronounced these very distinctly. The house in which these "Thebans" lived, had a projecting old-fashioned front, so that the first floor could not be seen from the pavement on the same side of the way; and one day when they were left at home by themselves, hanging out of a window, some one knocked at the street door. "Who's there?" said the green parrot-in the exercise of his office. "The man with the leather!" was the reply; to which the bird answered with his further store of language, which was "Oh, ho!" The door not being opened immediately as he expected, the stranger knocked a second time. "Who's there?" said the green parrot again." Away with your who's there," said the man with the leather, "Why don't you come down?" to which the parrot again made the same answer, 66 Oh, ho!" This response so enraged the visitor, that he dropt the knocker, and rang furiously at the house bell; but this proceeding brought the gray parrot, who called out in a new voice, "Go to the gate." "To the gate?" muttered the appellant, who saw no such convenience, and moreover imagined that the servants were bantering him. "What gate?" cried he, getting out into the kennel, that he might have the advantage of seeing his interlocutor. "New-gate," responded the gray parrot-just at the moment when his species was discovered. CURIOUS PARTICULARS ABOUT THE HORSE. Ardour, n. (L. ardeo), great will- In'di-gent, adj, (L. in, egeo), destitute of means; poor; needy. Cours ́er, n. (L. curro), a swift horse; a hunter. Re-sent', v. (L. re, sentio), to feel a THE noblest conquest that man ever made over the brute creation was in taming the horse, and engaging him in his service. He lessens the labour of man, adds to his pleasures, advances or flees, with ardour and swiftness, for attack or defence; shares, with equal docility and cheerfulness, the fatigues of hunting and the dangers of war; and draws with appropriate strength, rapidity, or grace, the heavy ploughs and carts of the husbandman, the light vehicles of the rich, and the stately carriages of the great. The horse is bred now in most parts of the world; those of Arabia, Turkey, and Persia are accounted better proportioned than many others; but the English race-horse may justly claim the precedence over all the European breed, and he is not inferior to the others in point of strength and beauty. The beautiful horses produced in Arabia are in general of a brown colour; their mane and tail very short, and the hair black and tufted. The Arabs, for the most part, use the mares in their ordinary excursions, experience having taught |