collect the materials, the youthful the knowledge of it, that knowledge Solomon erects the edifice, and lives will always abundantly reward us. to behold it filled with clouds of Besides, our knowledge and love of glory. Design a temple for God-a magnificent structure of holy deeds and you may hope to live to stand beneath its ample dome, and cause it to resound with the high praises of God.

YOUTH ADMONISHED.

LEARN, heedless youth, thy minutes to
improve,

Nor midst the wilds of passion rove;
Think, when life's winter chills the purple
stream,

No second spring renews the vital flame.
If early virtue rectify the heart,
E'en age must smile, and Death no dread
impart.

THICK-SKINNED ANIMALS.

ALL living creatures are interesting in their nature, all are useful in the place and element which the Creator has assigned them, and very many are directly useful to man. But there are some classes of them which have what may perhaps be considered a higher interest than this, in being the chief sources of information that we have respecting the ancient history of our globe, at times so very remote, that every other record is silent concerning it.

the past can never be too extensive ; for the past is our best guide to the future; or rather, perhaps, our best means of so regulating the present, as that the future will be what we desire.

No class of animals now found in a living state upon the surface of our globe, have more of this tendency to connect the present state of things with that which has long gone by, than the "thick-skinned animals, or Pachydermata, as they are called by systematic writers. This name is nothing else than a literal translation of "thick-skinned" into Greek,Пaxus, pachys, meaning "thickness," and deguatos, dermatos, "of skin." These Greek compounds are, however, very useful in the sciences; they are very expressive; they are not subject to the changes of living language; they are known to the learned of all nations, without translation; they are learned with little difficulty, and very likely the little effort which the understanding of the name demands, tends to fix the subject in the memory. Be that as it may, such is the meaning of the name in the present instance.

It must be admitted that "thickskinned" is a very short and imperfect character upon which to define And we must not slight these me- and describe a class of animals. But, morials of the far-distant eld, and in the class alluded to, there is hardly suppose that they are fit only for the a better, at least among those exteramusement of a certain number of ournal and visible ones which are open race who appear to spend their time in to every body without any labour of the more laborious researches into the inquiry. wonders of the world, for no other ap- The number of genera of which this parent purpose than that of wondering order of animals is made up, is very at them, or getting themselves won-limited; and many of them are so dered at in return. The wisdom and different from each other, in form, in goodness of God are co-infinite with his power; and therefore we may rest assured, that wherever he has placed an object, which entices us to seek

habits, and in action, that it really appears to be little more than a collection of fragments. They are also nearly all very local in their distribution;

and from the extant ones, of which the water, and the leaves and twigs the remains are met with in the of trees. It is evidently a fragment ground in countries where there are of á race which was once more few or no native ones in the living generally distributed; for the remains state, we are led to conclude, that at of one very like that which still exists some former period of the world's in Africa, and also of some smaller history, they must have been far ones, are common in the fossil collecmore characteristic inhabitants, and tions of ancient bones in many parts the places far better adapted for them of England. than they are now.

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3d. The Rhinoceros is a singular The living genera are: 1st. The animal; and "the horn on the nose," Elephant, of which there are two dis- from which it gets its name Pivos, tinct species; the one a native of rhinos, meaning nose," and xɛpas, the south-east of Asia, and the adja- keras, "horn." There is, however, cent isles, and the other a native of another meaning of the word rhinos, southern and central Africa. The which brings us nearer to the true Asiatic one is the elephant of common character of the curious nasal horn of language. It is the more docile ani- this animal. Rhinos means 66 skin,” mal of the two, and the only one which and the horn is a growth out of, or has been brought into any sort of an appendage to, the skin only. subjection by man. It has the head The bones of the nose are indeed lengthened, the forehead concave, the greatly enlarged, and fortified for upears small, and the ivory tusks small holding this instrument; but the inin the females. The African has the strument itself is only a tuft of hairs head short and round, the ears very or bristles, soldered together, and large, and the tusks of the female without any case of bone, as there is nearly as large as those of the in the true horns which grow upon male, they are also more compact the heads of ruminating animals, and and furnish better ivory. They also in the horny appendages to fish, live in the damp woods near the which, according to their forms, are great rivers and marshes of tropical called hoops, or nails, or claws. A countries, and feed on the tall and blow upon this horn is not, in conserank herbage, and the leaves and quence of its being attached merely young branches of trees. to the skin, so painful as one upon a true horn, and it is not liable to come off as these sometimes do; but it is easily worn, and when in confinement, the animal, by rubbing it against its den, often wears it to a mere stump.

2d. The Hippopotamus, of which there is only one living species, confined to the great rivers of Africa, but abundant in some of them, especially in the warmer latitudes. It is a large and strong animal, armed with most formidable teeth; but it does not appear to use them for any warlike purpose, either for attack or for defence. It looks very formidable in the water, however; and it often does mischief on the banks, by pulling up part of the crops, and trampling down far more with its great feet. Its chief food is the roots and stumps of plants which grow in

There are several species of these animals; but they are all confined to the south-east of Asia, and the centre and south of Africa. One inhabits India, chiefly the marshy jungles towards the mouth of the Ganges. It has but one horn, and is remarkable for a deep fold across the shoulders, and another in front of the thighs. It is not so large as the elephant; but it is

a remarkably clumsy animal; and sometimes find practised in situations though it inhabits its marshes, and feeds the most out-of-the-way for ensuring on coarse herbage in perfect tranquillity anything like success to the parties in its ordinary states, it is a terrible thus engaged, that of my acquaintance, animal when roused. The rhinoceros Mr. T. T., could not well be outdone. of Java has a single horn, like the In- Born and brought up in the city of Londian one; but it differs in the appear-don, where he had early shown a conance of the skin, which has fewer siderable taste for painting in waterfolds altogether, though there is a colours, he married rather early in very huge one on the neck, and the life the daughter of a respectable surface generally is covered over with tradesman, who, however, did not small angular tubercles. This species approve of the match she had made has not been found but in Java. A with this admirer of the fine arts. third species found in Sumatra, has T., who had calculated upon some the skin almost without folds, and entirely without tubercles. It has a round horn on the nose, in the rear of the ordinary one. These have all front or incisive teeth, of which the large ones are two in each jaw, as in the gnawing animals. A fourth species is found in Africa, with two horns, and the skin like that of Sumatra ; but without any incisive teeth, either large or small.

These are all animals of very great strength; but it does not appear that there is any possibility of turning that strength to any purpose of use to man. The animals belong to wild nature, and their place even in that is a very peculiar one.

pecuniary assistance from his father-
in-law, soon discovered that a wife
and young family had to depend solely
upon his own success in the line he
had adopted, namely, that of a ma-
rine landscape painter.
Few men,
with so few personal friends to pa-
tronise them, and with so moderate
a share of real talent, ever succeeded
better than did the subject of this pa-
per; and for many years he continued
perfectly satisfied with the situation
he found himself occupying in the
eyes of the public, and of an enlarged
and improved circle of friends and
acquaintances.

While he found it

necessary to devote all his time and energies to his profession, in order to provide for the comforts and necessities of an increasing family, he had no opportunities to attend to matters entirely foreign to his situation. But when his success in business gave him more leisure to meddle with

The three genera which we have noted form the most peculiar section of the living pachydermata. But there are some extinct species of all or most of these; and there are other analogous genera which are also extinct. The relations between them other people's affairs, and, forand the existing ones, are among the means that we have of tracing the connexion between the past state of our globe and the present.

TALENTS MISDIRECTED: EXEMPLI-
FIED IN A SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF

T. T., THE ARTIST.

Or the many unlikely trades, occupations, and professions, which we

sooth, to canvas national projects and matters of high state, then, for the first time, he began to grumble and fret at his situation. For some years he continued to attend political clubs and meetings, where he imbibed ultra-radical notions, and strong prejudices against kingly forms of government and falling in with some recently published works in favour of particular settlements in the United

States, he was not long in making up exhausted. He had not been long an his mind on the subject; for the inhabitant of that part of the world, following year he was on his way to before he began to suspect that he that country of "liberty and equal-might-in spite of the national debt, lity;" and during the same summer and enormous taxation of his native he purchased a tract of land, and be-country-have been almost as comcame a settler in the then newly-fortably situated as he found himself established British Settlement. in "the land of freedom." This susFor a time he was amused, and picion, however, he took care to keep perhaps gratified, by the appearance from the knowledge of his wife and of every thing wild and new around family; but to them, poor souls, no him; but he gave up the profession such surmise was necessary to conthat had so long maintained his family vince them, that they had exchanged respectably, and turned "gentleman all the comforts and delights of farmer." Knowing nothing, however, London, for a thousand privations about farming, even in his own coun- and hardships they had already entry, it could not be expected that he countered. could know much in the country he To be sure, he was no worse had adopted. In the first place, it off than many of his countrymen, was necessary that the immense who had, like himself, been inveigled forest-trees should be removed from into that miserable part of the counthe soil which they encumbered, and try, by the shameless misrepresentathat required a knowledge, and a tions practised, but too successfully, muscular power, which Mr. T. and by artful and designing individuals. his young family did not possess. But this was but poor consolation, To be sure, at the commencement of when he looked forward to the time his farming career, he possessed a when he would not be able to procure small sum in cash, which he had pru- even the commonest necessaries of dently intended to keep as a contingent life, much less many of the little fund; but he had been assured by comforts and luxuries of his native the ever-plausible land-jobber, that city. He once more, therefore, turned the produce of his farm would be his thoughts to the profession he had quite sufficient for the maintenance of laid aside. when he first joined the his family. And so it might be, settlement: but what prospect of some fifteen or twenty years hence; success could he reasonably hope for but T. had not calculated-or rather here? The marine of the backwoods was not aware- that it would require consisted of here and there a small that length of time before the stumps of lake, surrounded by tall, but unthe trees could be ploughed up, and the picturesque forest-trees; with probaland levelled and brought into a state of bly some hollowed-out old pine-tree, common cultivation. But there is an as the only vessel ever navigating old saying, "while the grass grows their still and lonely waters. Here the horse starves," which might be was not much real material for the very aptly applied in the present artist's pencil; but certainly much case; for when T. found that the space for the imagination to luxuriate trees were absolutely to be cut down, in. But T.'s imagination was a matand burnt, before anything could be ter-of-fact one; so that he could not raised upon his farm, he was obliged get beyond introducing a few aquatic to apply to his little fund before men- birds, and, perhaps, hoisting a small tioned, which soon became completely sail in the hollowed-out old pine-tree.

But, admitting that there had been make a new experiment, at his friend's scenes and situations well adapted for suggestion; and, actually this time a display of the talents of our artist, succeeded beyond his expectations. something peculiarly necessary to- To be sure, they had not been very wards the chief end and aim of his art high. In the course of six months would have been wanting—a market he "took" some three or four dozen and demand for his pictures! The land- of the settlers,-in water-colours,jobber always professed to be an en- of various sizes and finishes, for courager of the fine arts, and was in- which he was paid in rye, wheat, duced to purchase the few really cre- Indian corn, buckwheat, potatoes, ditable pieces from T.'s portfolio; but butter, wool, and flax, with sundry as he had a demand against the artist small quantities of meat. This new for some portion of the land he had project procured him sufficient stores sold him, he simply gave him credit for house-keeping purposes for a in his books for the sum agreed whole year: for, besides the numerous upon for the pictures; and the poor jobs he had among the farmers, he painter received not one dollar of cash was also patronised by some of the for what had cost him weeks, nay, shop-keepers in the distant little town months, of unremitted labour. He of M, who paid him for their would, at times, attempt something portraits in such goods as he might quite out of his line of performances, want out of their stores. But alas! but certainly more in character with this business of portrait-painting could the scenes by which he was sur- not last for ever; for, after the first rounded, and succeeded in producing run, it was discovered that very few some strange looking scenes in the of the portraits resembled the origiwilderness always taking care to in-nals; besides, nearly all that were troduce a sufficient number of the capable of paying a few bushels of "beasts of the forest" into the fore-grain, or two or three sheep, had alground. These pieces were certainly ready sat to Mr T., and very few new of a charácter calculated to gain approbation with the native Americans; but the great difficulty occurred,-the want of cash to become possessed of them.

settlers now came amongst them. Portrait-painting, therefore, became a thing out of date; and no kind friend was able to strike out anything new, in order that the artist's talents The artist was now at a loss in might not be idle. It could not be which way to make his talents of the done! and want, which had often smallest account in that part of the threatened his family, actually got world; but, a lady, a countrywoman possession of his white-washed cotof his, persuaded him that he could tage. He and his boys exerted thempaint very "beautiful and correct "selves to compel a few acres of miserportraits. 'And, although," argued able soil to produce sufficient grain she, very sensibly, "the inhabitants and potatoes for a scanty sustenance; of our district will not be capable of but it could not be done; and the paying you the cash for your pro- following season, which brought Mrs. ductions, yet I feel very confident T. a small remittance from her friends that few of them would not be willing to pay you a moderate consideration for your services in grain, or labour, or some other sort of farm-produce." T., good-naturedly, was willing to

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in England, saw the distressed family escape from the British Settlement, and shortly afterwards settle in the city of New York. His marine talents were there once more called into suc