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below, and dark blue above. The head and neck are covered with down, and the former bears a large crest.

The heron seeks every where the neighborhood of lakes, of rivers, and of lands intersected by water.Almost always solitary, it remains, for hours together, immoveable in the same spot. When it puts itself in

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motion to watch, upon their passage, and more nearly, the frogs and fishes, which constitute its chief aliment, it enters into the water above the knee, with its head between the legs, and in this position, after having patiently awaited the moment of seizing its prey, it suddenly unfolds its long neck, and pierces its victim with its bill. It has been ascertained that it swallows frogs entire, for their bones are found in its stomach unbroken. In time of dearth, and when the water is covered with ice, it approaches running streams, and hot springs, where it is said to feed on the water lentil, and other small plants. But it frequently exposes itself to perish, rather than seek a milder climate. In the different seasons of the year, it

constantly appears so melancholy and insensible, that it will remain alone and exposed in the worst weather, on somme stump in the midst of an inundated meadow, while the blongois, (a smaller kind of heron,) takes shelter in the thick herbage, and the bittern in the midst of the reeds.

The herons, which unite to their sad and uniform existence all the torments of perpetual fear and inquietude, are not accustomed to take flight, except at night, and for the purpose of betaking themselves into the woods of thick and lofty foliage in the neighborhood, and from which they return before the dawn of day. Then it is that their sharp and unpleasant scream is heard, which might be compared to that of a goose, were it not shorter and more melancholy. In the day-time, they fly away to a great distance from the sight of man, and when attacked by the eagle or the falcon, they endeavor to escape by rising into the air, and getting above them. The wings of the heron strike the air in an equal and regulated motion, and this uniform flight raises and carries its body to such an elevation, that, at a distance, nothing is perceptible except the wings, which are at length lost sight of in the region of the clouds.-Cuvier's Animal Kingdom.

THE HOODED SNAKE.

The Cobra di Capello, or hooded snake, called by the Indians the naag, or nagao, is a large and beautiful serpent; but one of the most venomous of all the coluber class; its bite generally proves mortal in less than an hour. It is called the hooded snake, from having a curious hood near the head which it contracts or enlarges at pleasure; the centre of this hood is marked in black and white like a pair of spectacles, from whence it is also named the spectacle-snake.

Of this genus are the dancing-snakes, which are carried in baskets throughout Hindostan, and procure a maintenance for a set of people, who play a few simple notes In the flute, with which the snakes seem much delighted,

and keep time by a graceful motion of the head; erecting about half their length from the ground, and following the music with gentle curves, like the undulating lines of a swan's neck. It is a well attested fact, that when a house is infested with these snakes, and some others of the coluber genus, which destroy poultry and small

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domestic animals, as also by the larger serpents of the boa tribe, the musicians are sent for; who, by playing on a flageolet, find out their hiding-places, and charm them to destruction; for no sooner do the snakes hear the music, than they come softly from their retreat, and are easily taken. I imagine," (says Dr. Russell,) "these musical snakes were known in Palestine, from the Psalmist comparing the ungodly to the deaf adder, which stoppeth her ears, and refuseth to hear the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely."

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"When the music ceases, the snakes appear motionless; but if not immediately covered up in the basket, the spectators are liable to fatal accidents. Among my drawings is that of a cobra di capello, which danced for an hour on the table while I painted it; during which I frequently handled it, to observe the beauty of the spots, and especially the spectacles on the hood, not doubting

but that its venomous fangs had been previously extracted. But the next morning, my upper servant, who was a zealous Mussulman, came to me in great haste, and desired I would instantly retire, and praise the Almighty for my good fortune. Not understanding his meaning, I told him that I had already performed my devotions, and had not so many stated prayers as the followers of his prophet. Mahomed then informed me, that while purchasing some fruit in the bazaar, he observed the man who had been with me on the preceding evening, entertaining the country people with his dancing snakes; they, according to their usual custom, sat on the ground around him; when, either from the music stopping too suddenly, or from some other cause irritating the vicious reptile which I had so often handled, it darted at the throat of a young woman, and inflicted a wound of which she died in about half an hour. Mahomed once more repeated his advice for praise and thanksgiving to Alla, and recorded me in his calendar as a lucky man."

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MICROSCOPE.-No. II.

POLYPI.

THE different species of sponge, which the Microscope has discovered to be the habitations of Polypi, are very interesting objects; when viewed with an instrument of a moderate power,

they present to the eye a curious mass of net-work, which once formed the cells of the Polypus. If the power is increased, the remains of the little tenants may som>times be detected. These consist of a small bony or chalky axis, like a needle, which when the animal was living, formed the centre of its body.

Fig. 1.

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Fig. 2.

There is a small species of sponge found frequently among seaweeds, from its appearance called "Crumb-ofbread sponge," which, when placed under the magnifier, seems to be almost entirely composed of bunches of little needles, lying across each other like net-work. B is a magnified representation of

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the small piece of this species seen at A. When dry, the little needles, or spiculæ, are so extremely fine and sharp, as to cause a most irritating itching, if unluckily they should get between the fingers of the observer. The animal of the Corallines, which are found so

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