NATURAL HISTORY.

NATURAL history may be defined to be the study and description of natural things, or the works of the Creator in the visible world. It is, in a manner, the most noble, and the most certain subject of natural knowledge that can Occupy the mind.

The facts of the works of creation are fixed and certain; and the history of a plant, an insect, an animal, or any other natural object, may furnish evidences of the wisdom and goodness of the great Creator.

Natural history embraces the whole world of matter, and it is adapted to every stage and condition of life. The desire to inquire and know, is never more active than in the season of youth. Children are capable of the study and knowledge of natural history, at a very early age. A garden, a field, an insect, a flower, an animal, and every natural object around them, is as an open book before them, in which they should be taught to read.

William Penn says, "The world is a great and stately volume of natural things; and this ought to be the subject of the education of our youth."

Natural history is commonly divided into several branches, and these are called by different names. The natural history of animals, or living creatures of every kind, is called Zoology.

The natural history, with the description of plants and vegetables, is termed Botany.

SPELL natural; history; description; visible. What is natural history? Spell certain; knowledge; creation; insect; animal; evidences; define it. Spell embraces; adapted; define it. Spell condition; knowledge; field; object; divided; creatures; zoology · description; vegetables; botany; minerals; mineralogy; geology What is zoology? What is botany? mineralogy? geology?

The natural history of minerals, is called Mineralogy, and that of the earth and its various parts, bears the name of Geology.

THE BAT.

Ir has been a doubt, with some of those who have written the history of beasts and birds, whether the Bat should be placed among the former or the latter class of animals. But it seems now to be agreed that a bat is not a bird, but a quadruped; that is, an animal with four feet.

The common bat is about the size of a small mouse, and its body is covered with fine soft hair. What are called its wings, is a skin reaching from its toes all round it, except the head, and when spread out like a sail, it can fly in the air with a swift, though not very regular motion.

The head of the bat is like that of a mouse, with teeth and eyes and ears, like that little animal. Its toes are like little hooks or claws, by which it can suspend itself to the side of a wall, or to any thing it can lay hold of.

In the dusk of evening, when the weather is warm, it sallies forth from its hiding-place in old roofs, or cracks of boards, or other crevices where it retreats in the day-time. It flies about in pursuit of insects for food, which it can see in the twilight, and catch as it flies.

Even in summer, the bat passes much of its time in sleep, and in winter it confines itself wholly to its nest, or place of retreat, where it remains hanging by its claws in a torpid state, till warm weather returns, and restores it to life and vigour.

SPELL written; quadruped. What is a quadruped? Spell mouse. Is a mouse a quadruped? Spell spread; except; swift; eyes; teeth; claws; evening; weather; sallies; crevices; pursuit; twilight; wholly; retreat; torpid; define it. Spell warm; vigour; innocent; injury; people; allured; cruelty; dangerous; vermin; wanton' dumb; define it. Spell inflicted; knocking.

The common bat is an innocent little animal, that does not appear to do any injury to mankind: yet some people are very much afraid of them when they fly into the house, on a warm summer evening, allured no doubt by the light of the candle, in order to catch flies.

Much cruelty is sometimes committed, by knocking them down, as if they were dangerous vermin. But we ought to have a tender feeling for dumb animals, that cannot com plain of the wanton injuries inflicted on them.

FLAX.

FLAX is a slender plant with a long stem, usually growing from two to three feet in height. Near the top, it branches out, and bears a small pale-blue flower, which produces the seeds. These seeds are brown and flat, and are sometimes called linseed.-They yield an oil that is very useful in painting houses, and it is often known by the name of linseed oil.

The flax ripens about the time of wheat-harvest; that is, the bolls, or capsules which contain the seed, turn brown. It is then time to gather the flax; which is done by pulling it up by the roots, and binding it in small sheaves. When these are fully dry, they are housed in a barn or outbuilding, to keep them from the rain.

The next process is to beat out the seed. This is easily done by striking the seed end of the flax-sheaves against a large flat stone, till all the seed is separated from the stalk.

The flax stalks are then to be spread thin on the ground, m rows, and left out exposed to rains and dews for a few weeks, until the stem becomes rotted so that it may be

SPELL flax; usually; height; blue; produces; yield; painting; linseed-oil. What is linseed-oil made of? Spell wheat-harvest; capsules; gather; sheaves; building; process; separated; stalk; spread, dews; immersing; define it. Spell effected; define it. Spell

easily broken to pieces. In some places, the process of rotting the stalk is carried on by immersing the flax in water, and keeping it so till it is fully rotted.

When this is effected, the flax is raked up in bundles or sheaves, which are bound and put into a dry place, ready for the process of breaking and swingling.

A flax-brake is a machine made of wood, with bars fitting mto, or working between each other. Through this, the flax is several times passed, until the rotted stalk is broken into short pieces, while the lint or bark remains whole.

The outside bark, or fibrous part, is then swingled; or beaten with a wooden knife or machine, till it is separated from the broken parts of the inner stalk, and becomes of a fine, soft, silky nature.

The next operation is called hackling; which is done by repeatedly drawing the fibrous flax over and through a hackle. This is a machine, composed of long sharppointed steel spikes, set in a board or block of wood.

Hackling separates the coarser and broken fibres and particles of the stalk that may adhere to the flax, and makes it smooth, clean, and even,-ready for spinning.

The coarser parts thus hackled out, are called tow, and are spun for ropes and cordage, or made into strong coarse cloth, fit for bags, wrappers, and clothing.

The spinning of flax is done by a machine called a little spinning-wheel, which the spinner turns with her foot placed on a treadle-while she draws out the thread from a distaff, and winds it on a spool. Flax is also spun into threads at manufactories, by means of machinery. It is then ready to be woven into linen of various kinds.

bundles; breaking; swingling; flax-brake; machine; between; pieces; whole; outside; fibrous, lefine it. Spell knife; operation; hackling; repeatedly; drawing; coarser; adhere; define it. Spell spinning; coarser; wrappers; treadle; thread; distaff; machinery manufactories; linen; various.

COTTON.

COTTON is a soft, white, downy substance, that is the "product of a plant or shrub which grows to the height of four or five feet, and sometimes more.

The cotton seeds, or plants, are set in rows, seven or eight feet apart, and the ground between them is kept clear of weeds by the use of the plough or hoe.

As the plants grow, they are pruned, so as to make them produce a greater quantity of cotton. They bear a brown pod, which encloses the seed; and this is wrapped up in a white woolly substance, which is the cotton.

When the seed ripens, the pod cracks open, and the cotton and seeds are gathered by hand. As the seeds stick closely to the cotton, they have to be separated from it by hand, or by a machine called a cotton-gin.

The cotton is then ready to be packed in large coarse bags, called bales. This is done by machinery, which presses the cotton so hard and close, that it seems almost solid. It is then ready for shipping, or to be sold in the market.

When these bales are brought to the cotton manufactories, the cotton is unpacked, and then carded and prepared for spinning by machines, worked by water or steam power. The whole process of spinning and weaving is also carried on by machinery, worked by the same power.

Great quantities of cotton are raised in the Southern States, also in South America and the West Indies. Cotton is also cultivated in the southern parts of Europeand abundantly in Asia and some parts of Africa.

SPELL shrub; height; plough; wrapped; woolly; machine; cotton-gin; ready; machinery; shipping; manufactories; spinning; weaving; quantities; America; West Indies; cultivated; Europe; abundantly; Asia.