stomach, and this process goes on till all the food has been brought in contact with the gastric juice.

51. Remember, when you hear about animals "chewing their cud,” it is the food which has been swallowed once, and is sent up into the mouth from the second stomach. These animals are called ruminating animals. In the stomach of camels the number of cells is great; and they are very large, capable of holding a quantity of water, which he can force up into his mouth as often as necessary. The camel can travel many days over the sandy desert, where there are no wells of water, on account of this provision that nature has given to him to supply himself before he sets out on a journey.

52. In plants, nourishment is absorbed from the earth by the roots, or from the air by the leaves, which serve as lungs to them. But I must pass to another part of this subject, and will give you a few ideas on digestion.

53. By this, is meant the dissolving or changing of the food after it has been chewed or masticated. All agree that this process goes on in the stomach, but there were formerly a great many different opinions as to the manner in which it was effected.

54. The opinion that is now received, is, that the stomach secretes a gastric juice, which acts on the food, and dissolves it into chyme; which is easily done, if the food has been chewed or masticated sufficiently. When food enters the stomach, the gastric juice flows to every part of it; but if we overload this organ, it

50. Which stomach contains the gastric juice? 51. What is meant by 66 'chewing the cud?" What are those animals called that "chew their cud?" How is the camel enabled to travel in the deserts? 52. How are plants nourished? 53. What is digestion? 54. What opinion is now received concerning it?

loses its power of producing the fluid, which differs in different animals, according as they differ in their food. The organs of digestion differ in different animals that live on different kinds of food.

55. If you regard these simple rules I have given to you, you will not have as many pains and aches, and will be far happier than if you neglect them.

I will next tell you about the bones, the skin, and perhaps the lungs and heart, if I find your interest continues.

54. Is the gastric juice always the same? Are the organs of digestion always the same? 55. What good will result from a due regard to the rules laid down in this lesson ?

CHAPTER II.

BONES.

1. CHILDREN, can you tell me to-day what it is that supports our bodies? You know houses have large timbers, called frames. What is the frame-work of the houses in which you and I live-that is, our bodies? "That is what I never thought of," said Mary. "Will you please to tell us?" said another.

2. It is our Bones, children. These are all joined together, and make what is called a skeleton. Here are two cuts, one representing the bones of the Masto

don, on a small scale. They were dug out of a large clay-pit in Orange co., N. Y., and are the remains of one of the largest animals in the world. It is so tall that a man, standing by its side, cannot reach the head with

What is the subject of chapter second? 1. What have we in our bodies which correspond to the timbers in a house? 2. What is a skeleton? What do the cuts represent?

DIVISIONS OF ANIMALS.

29

his cane. The other shows our bones, as they would appear without skin and flesh, and is cailed the human skeleton, which is the one we shall consider at the present time.

3. I must first tell you that there are two great divis

2. To which will our attention be confined? 3. In what two great classes are all animals divided?

ions of animals called vertebral and invertebral, whick you must all remember.

All animals are called vertebral which have a skeleton, and are sustained and nourished by red blood. They are also called warm-blooded, because they have heat in their bodies. Man, birds, fish, and quadrupeds belong to this class.

4. By quadrupeds, I mean all those animals that walk on four feet, as the cow, sheep, horse, etc. Man is called a biped, because he walks on two feet only.

5. All animals are called invertebral which have no skeleton, and have white blood, as worms, insects, shellfish, toads, frogs, and serpents. These feel cold when we touch them, and are called cold-blooded animals.

6. Our skeleton not only serves as a support, but also enables us to perform all our motions. In this view, we divide bones into two kinds-those which protect the body, and those which enable us to move. If the bones were all in one piece, every step we take would jar our whole bodies; and we should be in danger of breaking and injuring the bone every time we moved. In the top of the skeleton we see the bones of the head, called the cranium or skull.

7. This is composed of eight small bones, all very nicely fitted and dovetailed together, like the sides of a box. The places where the bones join are called

3. What is meant by vertebral? Why are they called warm-blooded? What are some of the animals that belong to this class? 4. What is meant by quadrupeds? What is a biped? 5. What is meant by invertebral ? Why are they called cold-blooded? 6..What are the uses of our skeleton? What two different kinds of bones are there? What would be the conse

quence if the bones of the body were joined in one piece? What is the skull, and where is it situated? 7. How many bones compose the skull? How are these bones arranged? What are sutures?