Islands, and in various parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. It is a splendid bird in point of size, for a full-grown female measures about three feet six inches in length, and the expanse of her wings is about nine feet. The male is less by about six inches.

In England the golden eagle has long been extinct, but it is still found in some parts of the Highlands of Scotland and Ireland, where it is. observed to frequent certain favourite haunts, and to breed regularly in the same spot for a long series of years. The nest is almost always made upon some elevated spot, generally upon a ledge of a rock, and is constructed of sticks, which are thrown apparently at random, and rudely arranged for the purpose of containing the eggs and the young. A neighbouring ledge is generally reserved for a larder, where the parent eagles store up the food, which they bring from the plains below. The contents of this larder consist of hares, partridges and game of all kinds, lambs, rabbits, young pigs, fish, and other similar articles of food.

In hunting for their prey, the eagle and his mate mutually assist each other. As the rabbits and hares are generally under cover during the day, the eagle is forced to drive them from their place of concealment, and manages the matter in a very clever manner. One of the eagles conceals itself near the cover which is to be beaten, and its companion then dashes among the bushes, scream

ing and making such a disturbance that the terrified inmates rush out in hopes of escape, and are immediately pounced upon by the watchful confederate.

The prey is at once taken to the nest, and distributed to the young, if there should be any eaglets in the lofty cradle. Eagles always feed their young by tearing the prey in pieces, and giving it to them in morsels.

When in pursuit of its prey, it is a most daring bird, having been seen to carry off a hare from before the noses of the hounds. It is a keen fisher, catching and securing salmon and various sea-fish with singular skill. Sometimes it has met with more than its match, and has seized upon a fish that was too heavy for its powers, thus falling a victim to its sporting propensities. Several instances are known where eagles have been drowned by pouncing upon large pike, which carried their assailants under water and fairly drowned them.

It is a terrible fighter when wounded or attacked. An eagle was at one time captured in County Meath, in Ireland, by a gamekeeper, who, surprising the bird sleeping after a surfeit on a dead sheep, conceived the idea of taking him alive; and for that purpose approached the bird noiselessly, and clasped him in his arms. The eagle recovering, and unable to use his wings, clutched with his talons, one of which entered the man's chest, the

B

hind claw meeting the others underneath the flesh. The man, unable to disengage the claw, strangled the bird; but the talons were yet too firmly clutched to open. Taking out his knife, he severed the leg from the body, and walked with the penetrating member to the village dispensary to have it removed.

A golden eagle had been captured in Scotland, and, being very tame, always accompanied the family to which it belonged in all their journeys. For some time it lived in the south-west of England, where it passed its existence fastened to a post by a tolerably long chain that allowed it a reasonable freedom of motion. Like other tame eagles, it would persist in killing cats, if they came within reach, although its ordinary food was fowls, rabbits, and other similar articles of diet. On one occasion a sickly, pining chicken, which seemed in a very bad state of health, was given to the eagle. The royal bird, however, refused to eat it; but seemed to be struck with pity at its miserable state, and took it under its protection. She even made it sit under her wing, which she extended as a shield; and once when a man endeavoured to take it away, the eagle attacked him fiercely, injuring his leg severely, and drove him fairly off her premises.

The eagle is supposed to be a long-lived bird, and is thought to live a hundred years when at liberty and unrestrained in its native haunts. Even

in captivity it has been known to attain a good old age, one of these birds, which lived at Vienna, being rather more than a hundred years old when it died.

QUESTIONS:-1. In what parts of the world is the golden eagle found? 2. What is its usual size? 3. In what part of Britain is the bird still found? 4. What is meant by "frequenting favourite haunts"? 5. Where does it build its nest? 6. Of what is the nest made? 7. How is the nest built? 8. What is generally found near the nest? 9. What may be found in the eagle's larder? 10. How do the eagles hunt for hares and rabbits? 11. How do eagles feed their young? 12. How do birds generally feed their young? 13. How does the eagle catch fish? 14. What sometimes happens to the eagle when fishing? 15. Tell the story of the eagle and the gamekeeper. 16. Give an instance of the affection of the eagle. 17. How long is the eagle supposed to live?

18. From what word is various formed? 19. How is it formed? 20. What is the meaning of -ous? 21. Give six words having the same termination. 22. What is the opposite of Highlands? 23. Give the word that expresses those counties which are in the centre of a country. 24. Point out all the words in the lesson which end in -ly, and tell which of them are adjectives, and which adverbs. 25. What is meant by "eaglets"? 26. Show how this word is formed. 27. Give other words formed in the same way. 28. What name do you give to the syllable "-let"?

ON a frail little stem in the garden hangs the opening rose. Go, ask why it hangs there! "I hang there," says the beautiful flower, "to sweeten the air which man breathes, to open my beauties to kindle emotion in his eye, to show

him the hand of his God, who pencilled each leaf, and laid them thus on my bosom. And, whether you find me here to greet him every morning, or whether you find me on the lone mountain-side, with the bare possibility that he will throw me one passing glance, my end is the same. I live not to myself."

Beside yon highway stands an aged tree, solitary and alone. You see no living thing near it, and you say, surely that must stand for itself alone. "No," says the tree, "God never made me for a purpose so small. For more than a hundred years I have stood here. In summer, I have spread out my arms, and sheltered the panting flocks which hastened to my shade; in my bosom I have concealed and protected the brood of young birds, as they lay and rocked in their nests; in the storm I have more than once received in my body the lightning's bolt, which had else destroyed the traveller; the acorns which I have matured from year to year, have been carried far and wide; and groves of forest oaks can claim me as their parent.

"I have lived for the eagle, which has perched. on my top; for the humming-bird, that has paused and refreshed its giddy wings ere it danced away again like a blossom of the air; for the insect that has found a home within the folds of my bark; and, when I am to stand no longer, I shall fall by the hand of man, and I will go to