sion, the architecture of which is most beautiful, and man in vain attempts to imitate it. Sometimes you see these beautiful little builders with a straw, sometimes with feathers, anything they can weave into their work;-when the house is finished, then the eggs are deposited; for all birds are oviparous; that is, they bring forth their young encased in a shell. At the appointed season, the shell is broken, and the little helpless strangers appear. At first they seem very disproportioned, being almost all mouth: but this is wisely ordered; for so the fond mother and father easily feed them; for both alike foster and nurse their little family with the tenderest care. But a rapid increase soon takes place; feathers grow apace; and in a few weeks the family circle is broken up, and the young birds, fully fledged, provide for themselves; and, as if the sweetest compact of life was gone, the woods are no longer vocal with song, the nightingale ceases to sing to its mate, and all is hushed again until the spring. It is this that makes the solitary song of the sweet little robin-red-breast so valued. Like a true friend, that keeps to us in summer and winter alike, he often pours forth his sweetest strains while all is stormy and cheerless around.

The migration of birds is a subject full of interest. In a former part of my letter, I noticed that the herrings also travel from the polar to the tropical ocean; and now we are called to follow the bird in its flight. Various are the opinions of naturalists on this subject; but the most likely is, that the birds whose food fails in our winter, migrate in the autumn, as the cold increases, to climes more congenial to them; and so other birds, leaving a still colder country than our own, return to us again, when the snow covers our mountains and valleys. Thus the swallow forsakes us in October, and the wild-fowl visits us: and again, in the spring, the swallow returns, and the wild-fowl hastens away to its colder regions.

If one may make a comparison, the feathered tribes seem the most beautiful part of all animated nature; and this comparison is heightened when, as in the case of the cardinal grosbeak and

CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS.

red birds, song and plumage are combined in one.

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The song

of this kind is so full and melodious, that in America it is called "the Virginian Nightingale."

But I will speak of the birds in order. They are arranged generally according to the following simple table:

I. The HAWK FAMILY, which consists of birds of prey. The WOODPECKER FAMILY, including the rook, magpie, etc.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

The GOOSE FAMILY, of web-footed birds.

The BIRDS ON STILTS, consisting of cranes, herons, etc.
The POULTRY FAMILY, including almost all game.

VI. The OSTRICH FAMILY, of the emu, cassowary, etc.
VII. The SPARROW FAMILY, including almost all our song
birds.

VIII. The DOVE FAMILY, of pigeons, etc.

the birds of the heaven, and the most formidable.

Some naturalists say, that its wings are eighteen feet in width. The condor carries off a small deer in its talons. It is a native of South America. The colour of the condor is brown. The wing feathers are enormous-some two feet in length, and the quill half an inch in circumference.

KING VULTURE.

The King of the Vultures.Vultures in general are found in the four quarters of the globe. They are distinguished from the eagles by their heads and necks being naked of feathers, only covered with a fine down. The king vulture is found in America, and is as large as a turkeycock. The whole of this family are most voracious: they follow the armies of battle, and feed upon the slain. (See Rev. xix. 17; Isaiah xxxiv. 15.)

The Eagle.-What the lion is among the beasts of the forest, such is the eagle with the birds of the air. He is emphatically the king of the birds, and we will just consider a few of the species separately.

The Golden Eagle.-This is the noblest of this noble family, the expansion of its wings being seven feet, and its length three feet from its beak to its tail. The body is a dark brown, beautifully shaded. The eagle is frequently referred to in the word of God; and some of the illustrations drawn from it I will mention in my next letter.

The Common Eagle.-This species is found in the northern lands. They seldom come into the low countries, for they love the mountain. The flight of the eagle is supposed to be higher than that of any other bird, and its vision more acute. sense of smell, in the whole of this order, is very delicate.

The

THE EAGLE-THE FALCON.

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This bird has been chosen as our national emblem, and a most beautiful one it is.

The Sea Eagle.-This bird lives near the sea, and is the deadly enemy of the fish that swim near the surface, on which it darts (like the gannet) with the swiftness of lightning.

The Falcon.-Next in importance to the eagle, is the falcon, of which there are several species; as the ger-falcon, the peregrine falcon, etc. Falconry, some centuries ago, was in general use among the nobility, as I have before mentioned; and the

tameness and obedience of these birds were wonderful; for though they were FREE absolutely free when loosed--yet having captured the prize for which they were sent, they returned with it to their owners.

The Sparrow Hawk.-This, though small, is indeed a bird. of prey; and its screech in our woods fills one with very different emotions from the plaintive cooing of the dove, or song of the nightingale. This bird was in high estimation among the Egyptians; and their god Osiris was worshipped under this

emblem.

The Eagle Owl belongs to the varied family which gives it its name; they are all birds of night. The farmer loves to see their white wings skim his fields in the twilight: therefore the owl is not to be despised, but looked upon as the farmer's friend. This bird almost equals the eagle in size. The head and whole body are beautifully varied with lines and spots, black and brown. This principal species is found only in mountainous districts. He scorns mice, or such little prey, and feeds on hares and other game. Sometimes pairs of these will find their way from Canada to various parts of our United States.

The Horned Owl is a very odd and singular branch of the family. Its horns, which distinguish it from all others, it raises or depresses at pleasure. They consist of six feathers in each horn,

about an inch in height, yellow and black. The horned owl is sometimes found in the north of England.

The Barn Owl is the best known of any of this family. It feeds on mice and other small animals, and is of much value to the farmer. At times, it snores and hisses, and often screams dreadfully. It is commonly known as the Screech Owl.

The Butcher Bird is about the size of a blackbird; its bill is about an inch long, and is hooked; its toes are differently