AFFECTION OF ANIMALS.

RURAL life-that is, living in the country, among fields, and gardens, and woods-is the most natural and happy in which man can be placed. The cultivation of the earth is one of the most healthful, and useful, and honourable employments. It is also one of the most ancient. It was practised before sin had cursed the world with barrenness. It was the employment of our first parents in Eden. "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it, and to keep it."

Not only on these accounts is rural life desirable, but it affords so many opportunities for observing the habits of various animals. And this, to one who thinks of such things, is a very interesting employment-to observe how the great Creator has given to all his creatures those instincts and habits which teach them how to seek for their own food and provide for their own safety and comfort, making them all subject to man, who is still lord of the creatures in this lower world.

Mr. Jesse, who is surveyor of her Majesty's parks, at Windsor, appears to be a man who delights in noticing such things, and his situation has afforded him many opportunities. In a volume he has lately published are some curious

facts. We give a few. Let the young reader learn to pay more regard to the dumb creatures which God has placed around him. They deserve more than they usually receive.

ONE cold frosty spring morning, a lamb, apparently dead, was brought from the fields into the kitchen of a gentleman by his farming man. On being placed near the fire, it revived, and eventually lived, and became so great a pet in the family, as to form quite a part of it. It had the run of the house, took its walks with any of the members of the family; and if a visit was paid, it would remain very quietly at the door till it was over. It was gentle and amiable at all times, with one exception, being of so jealous a disposition, that it could never tolerate any mark of favour shown to a fourfooted creature. When the lamb was grown up, circumstances obliged us to change our residence. In removing to another house, the pet was left behind, under the care of a woman who had charge of the house. On missing its old friends, it went everywhere in search of them, and stood before those doors leading to rooms in which it had been in the habit of finding us. It bleated most piteously; and at last went up stairs, and laid itself down at my bed-room door, as it had been accustomed to do before I was up in the

morning. When the door was opened, and it saw the empty room, it renewed its lamentations, and this it continued to do all the day. It ate nothing, and did nothing but moan and cry. Sometimes it would run about, as if a sudden thought had struck it, and a new hope had sprung up; and when it found it was a vain hope, and that it could not find us, it refused all food. Its bleatings were fainter and fainter-it looked illits eyes were dim-and soon afterwards it died. The next morning they brought us the body of our poor pet lamb !

The common wood-pigeon (the ring-dove) is one of the shyest birds we have, and so wild, that it is very difficult indeed to get within shot of one. This wild bird, however, has been known to lay aside its usual habits. In the spring of 1839, some village boys brought two young woodpigeons taken from their nest in the wood to the parsonage-house of a clergyman, from whom I received the following anecdote :-" -They were bought from the boys merely to save their lives, and sent to an old woman near the parsonage to be bred up. She took great care of them, feeding them with peas, of which they are very fond. One of them died, but the other grew up, and was a fine bird. Its wings had not been cut; and as soon as it could fly, it was set at liberty.