presentation of the species called the Orang Outang, and is a very clever and cunning animal, as you will say after you have read the story I am going to tell you A gentleman in India, who kept one of these creatures, had it fastened by a ring and chain, to a tree which grew on his estate; so that while the monkey had liberty to move about and climb the tree, it could not get away. It had its food brought to it by the servants, who used to put it on the ground at a little distance from the tree. On these occasions, the crows who were flying round and round, and watching for an opportunity to steal some of the animal's food, would sometimes dart down and manage to take it away. This made the ape very vexed. He drove them off as well as he could, but as often as he did so, they would fly a little distance, and then when they saw he had given over watching come down and try to steal again. Often when driven off, they would fly cawing round the ape, as if mocking and making fun of him; they did this all the more as they saw he was chained, and could not get at them. One day, when these erows had been very busy in picking up his food, and mocking him with a very loud noise, the ape stretched himself on the ground and pretended to be asleep. He kept very still for some time; and presently one crow flew gently past, and alighting near his food, began to walk very cautiously up to it. The ape kept quite still, although he saw what was going on; and soon there came another crow, then another but the ape did not move; at last, when a great many were gathered round his dish, and all of them very busy eating his food, he jumped up, much to their surprise, and caught one of the crows with his hand. He did not kill it at once, but walking away with it to the foot of the tree, he

go,

sat down and began to pull its feathers out while it was alive. The poor crow cawed and cawed away, but the monkey only grinned, and still kept on plucking out feather after feather, as if he quite enjoyed his mischief. Meanwhile all the other crows kept flying round as if they wished to see what the ape was doing, especially as they heard the poor crow he had caught keep making a very piteous noise. However, the ape took no notice of them, but still kept on picking away until he had completely plucked the poor bird. He then let it and it went hopping about quite naked, without a feather upon its back, shivering with cold, and cawing loudly to its companions for assistance; it tried to fly but could not, its feathers were all gone; and so it was left to hop about, which it did a little time; but it soon died. Now when the other crows saw what the monkey had done to the thief he had caught, they thought it would be best to let his food alone for the future, lest if he caught any more of them he should serve them in the same way. So they kept away from him ever afterwards, and left him to enjoy his meals in peace and quietness. Do you not think it was a very cunning trick? It was cunning, but cruel; a thing that we may laugh at in a monkey, but should find fault with in a man. Cruelty is one of the worst vices that can be found in our characters; so that by all means let us try to avoid it; let us take for our motto "Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

THE Chamber of Deputies is the French House of Commons, where the members of parliament sit to make laws for the whole nation. It is delightfully situate on the banks of the river Seine, and is, as you see, a very fine building. The interior, or

chamber, is a grand hall of a semicircular form, about 125 feet in width, and 58 in depth, having five rows of seats for the deputies, and a dais, or raised floor for the president. The deputies do not speak from their seats, as our members of parliament do, but ascend a tribunal or gallery, from which the orator addresses the house.

If you look on the map and find France, which lies nearly opposite to England on the right hand side, you will soon discover Paris, which is the principal city. It is nearly as large as London, and contains about a million inhabitants. There are a great many handsome buildings, churches, palaces, bridges and houses, as well as several fine public walks in Paris. I shall from time to time give you views of some of the remarkable places in our own and other cities.

MOUNT VESUVIU S.

HIS remarkable volcano is situated in Italy, nearly Naples. A volcano is a burning mountain, which frequently throws up huge flames and showers of pummice-stone, producing great mischief and destruction. Whole towns and gardens are destroyed occasionally by its violence; and many years ago a large city called Pompeii was swallowed up and ruined by an eruption of this mountain. The city remained covered up for a great length of time, and was at last discovered while digging for the foundation of some houses. When they uncovered the

city it was found in just the same state in which it was before the eruption. In some houses the materials for meals, &c. were still upon the tables, and in others the furniture and trimmings were scarcely injured at all. It is still to be seen, though many of the curious things have been carried away. In the British Museum are a great many articles which were found at Pompeii, such as vases, coins, pictures, furniture, &c. Valetta, an Italian historian, describes an eruption of Vesuvius, which occurred in 1707. Towards the latter end of the summer, the mountain began to groan and murmur in the most frightful manner; at first there was little to be seen by day but smoke and flames, but in a short time, showers of stones, accompanied by a noise like thunder, were falling all around; and the flames shot up so high, that at night the surrounding country was lighted up. Then a torrent of burning matter rolled down the sides of the mountain, destroying everything it came near; and flashes as of lightning shot from the crater, or mouth of the mountain, and the falling stones and flames were awful to behold. The city of Naples was in a state of darkness and terror, only lighted now and then by the fitful glare of the flames. Many persons as well as cattle were killed, and the greatest terror was felt by the inhabitants. This continued for several days, when the torrent of melted lava became less and less, and the volcano in a short time assumed its usual appearance.

Ought we not to thank God that we are not exposed to any such dreadful visitations of His power? There are many other volcanic mountains in the world. There is one in the island of Iceland, which is continually burning, as well as Etna in Sicily, and several in America.