1. As soon as the plants begin to flower in the spring, the inhabitants of the hive put themselves in motion. The greater part of the labourers take wing, and disperse themselves through the neighbourhood, in search of honey and wax; the former of which is a sweet limpid juice found in the nectaries of flowers, and the latter is made by the bees, from. the dust contained within the anthers of blossoms.

2. These different materials are brought to the hive; and the labourers in waiting, take the wax and form it into those little hexag'onal cells, which serve as store-houses for the honey, or

nests for their young. The honey is partly distributed for present food to the inhabitants, and the remainder laid up against winter.

3. While the labourers àre thus engaged, the queen begins to deposit her eggs, to the number of about two hundred each day, in the empty cells. Each of the eggs is soon hatched into a little white grub which increases the employment of the labourers, to whom is allotted the task of feeding it with the purest honey.

4. When the grub has attained its full size, the mouth of its habitation is closed up with wax, it becomes a chrysalis, and in a few days breaks through its waxen covering, being changed into a perfect bee, and instantly quits the hive in search of honey for the public store.

LESSON XXIII.

THE HARE.

1. Ha! what is there among the shrubs? I can see only its eyes. It has very large full eyes. It is a Hare. It is in its form, squatting down among the bushes to hide itself, for it is very fearful.

2. The hare is very innocent and gentle. Its colour is brown; but in countries which are very cold, it turns as white as snow. It has a short

bushy tail; its lip is parted and very hairy; and it always moves its lips.

3. Its hind legs are very long, that it may run the better. The hare feeds upon herbs and roots, and the bark of young trees, and green corn and sometimes it will creep through the hedges, and steal into the gardens, to eat pinks and parsley.

4. It loves to play and skip about by moonlight, and to bite the tender grass, when the dew is on it; but in the daytime it sleeps. When it hears the least noise it starts and pricks up its large ears.

5. And when the poor harmless animal hears the dogs coming, it runs away very swiftly, and leaves them all behind. But the dogs pursue her, and she grows tired, and cannot run so fast as at first.

6. Then she doubles, and turns back to her form, that the hounds may not find her, but they run with their noses to the ground smelling till they have found her out. So when she has run five or six miles, she stops and pants for breath, and can run no further.

7. Then the hounds come up, and tear her, and kill her. And her little limbs, which moved so fast, grow stiff and cannot move at all; its poor little heart that beat so quick, is quite still and cold; its round, full eyes are dull and dim, and its soft furry skin is torn and bloody.

LESSON XXIV.

THE FLOWER.

1. Pretty flower, tell me why
All your leaves do open wide,
Every morning, when on high
The noble sun begins to ride.

2. This is why, my lady fair,

If you would the reason know, For, betimes, the pleasant air Very cheerfully does blow.

3. And the birds on every tree Sing a merry, merry tune; And the busy honey-bee

Comes to suck my sugar soon.

4. This is all the reason why
I my little leaves undo;
Little miss, come wake, and try
If I have not told you true.

LESSON XXV.

THE DAY OF MISFORTUNES.

"Many a cloudy morning turns out a fine day.”

1. "Are you getting up so soon?" said Rosamond to her sister, "it seems to be a cold morning; it is very disagreeable to get up from one's warm bed in cold weather; I will not get up yet."

2. So Rosamond, who was covered up warmly, lay quite still, looking at Laura, who was dressing herself as quickly as she could.

3. "It is a cold morning, indeed," said Laura, "therefore I'll make haste that I may go down and warm myself at the fire."

4. When Laura was about half dressed, she called again to Rosamond, and told her that it was late, and that she was afraid she would not be ready for breakfast.

5. But Rosamond answered-"I shall be ready, I shall be ready, for you know when I make a great deal of haste I can dress very quickly indeed.

6. "Yesterday morning I did not begin to dress till you were combing the last curl of your hair, and I was ready almost as soon as you