made a signal, and were soon answered; and in a short time they were reached by the good ship "Nantucket," of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Captain Gibbs, who took them all on board, clothed and fed them, and extended to them in every way the greatest possible hospitality.

On the succeeding day Captain Gibbs went to the wreck of the ill-fated "Ann Alexander," for the purpose of trying to procure something from her; but as the sea was rough, and the attempt considered dangerous, he abandoned the project. The "Nantucket" then set sail for Paita, where she arrived on the 15th of September, and where she landed Captain Deblois and his men. Captain Deblois was kindly and hospitably received and entertained at Paita by Captain Bathurst, an English gentleman residing there; and subsequently took passage on board the schooner "Providence," Captain Starbuck, for this port, arriving here on Sunday, October the 12th.-The New-Bedford (U.S.) Mercury.

THE VENOM OF SERPENTS.

THE following extract from Bentley may correct the singular notions of some readers, about the sting of a serpent:

"The expression 'sting,' as applied to snakes, is altogether incorrect the tongue has nothing to do with the infliction of injury. Serpents bite; and the difference between the harmless and the venomous serpents generally is simply this: the mouths of the harmless snakes, and the whole tribe of boas, are provided with sharp teeth, but no fangs; their bite, therefore, is innocuous: the poisonous serpents, on the other hand, have two poison-fangs attached to the upper jaw, which lie flat upon the roof of the mouth when not in use, and are concealed by a fold of the skin. In each fang is a tube which opens near the point of the tooth by a fissure: when the creature is irritated, the fangs are at once erected. The poison-bag is placed beneath the muscles which act on the lower jaw, so that when the fangs are struck into the victim, the poison is injected with much force to the very bottom of the wound."

THE COCOA-NUT TREE.

THE following description of the uses whereto a single tree may be applied, forcibly illustrates that beneficent power wherewith God can endow His creatures, as agents for good. If one unconscious plant can be so useful, how much more may not living trees, trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, be made fruitful in services and benefits to mankind!

THE cocoa-nut tree is one of the finest objects in nature. Its stem is tall and slender, without a branch; and at the top are seen from ten to two hundred cocoa-nuts, each as large as a man's head: over these are the graceful plumes, with their deep-green gloss, and beautiful fronds of the nodding leaves. Nothing can exceed the graceful majesty of these inter-tropical fruit-trees, except the various useful purposes to which the tree, the leaf, and the nut are applied by the natives.

1. The STEM is used for,

Bridges, posts, beams, rafters, paling, ramparts, loop-holes, walking-sticks, water-buts, bags, (the upper cuticle,) sieves in use for arrow-root.

2. The COCOA-NUT is used for,

Milk, a delicious drink; milk from the scraped nut, used for various kinds of food; jelly, kora, pulp, nut-oil, excellent and various food for man, beast, and fowl.

Shell.-Vessels to drink out of, water-pitchers, lamps, funnels, fuel, panga (for a game).

Fibre.-Sinnet, various cordage, bed-stuffing, thread for combs, scrubbing-brushes, girdle, (ornamental,) whisk, (for flies,) medicines, various and useful.

3. The LEAF is used for,

Thatch for houses, lining for houses, takapau, (mats,) baskets, (fancy and plain,) fans, palalafa, (for sham fights,) combs, (very various,) bedding, (white fibre,) tafi, (brooms,) kubatse, (used in printing,) mama, (candles,) screen for bedroom, waiter's tray.

Here are no less than forty-three uses of which we know something; and the natives know of others to which they can apply this single instance of the bounty of the God of nature.

For house and clothes, for food and medicine, the cocoa-nut tree is their sheet-anchor, as well as their ornament and amusement, who dwell in the torrid zone. But there is

another tree,-it is "the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Sublime emblem of Christ the Restorer! the fountain of all bliss and glory, ever present with His saints; containing in Himself every bounty of every kind, and that for ever and ever! "His people shall be all righteous;" "and there shall be no more curse."-Rev. Walter Lawry.

CHRISTIANITY IN FEEJEE.

AUG. 5TH, 1850.-We have received intelligence from a distant island, that a hundred persons have taken the profession of Christianity. Goro is its name. Thakumbau was long since solicited to allow a Native Teacher to go there, but he refused. About twelve months ago he gave way; and at the earnest request of many people there, a Teacher was sent. Goro may contain some ten or twelve hundred people; of whom we hear that one hundred have cordially received Christianity, through the teaching principally of a native man who went there, with Christ in his heart and the New Testament in his hand, proclaiming as he best could "the whole counsel of God." The result is, that a great many have cast away their idols and heathenish practices, submitting themselves to the doctrine and precepts of Christ. They will now want to read, and will search the Scriptures for themselves. This is the way in which God has chosen to work in the Islands of Feejee. -Ibid.

ANATOMY OF BIRDS.

IN birds there is altogether a new condition of the osseous system, as there is a new element to contend with. The very peculiar form and structure of their skeleton may be thus accounted for. First, it is necessary that birds, as they are buoyed in the air, should be specifically lighter. Secondly, the circumference of their thorax must be extended, and the

motions of their ribs limited, that the muscles of the wings may have sufficient space and firmness for their attachment. Both these objects are obtained by a modification of the apparatus for breathing. The lungs are highly vascular and spongy, but they are not capable of being distended with air. The air is drawn through their substance, passing, by means of numerous orifices, into the large cavity common to the chest and abdomen; so that whilst the great office of decarbonisation of the blood is securely performed, advantage is taken to let the air, warmed and rarefied by the high temperature of their bodies, into all the cavities, even into those of the bones.

A DIALOGUE ON BEHAVIOUR IN CHURCH. Mary. I HOPE, papa, you have no meeting to attend to-night. Mr. Cultus. Why, my daughter?

Mary. O, I want you to stay at home, sometimes, that we may have the benefit of your instructions. I find so many things in reading that I cannot understand, and no one teaches like you. There is a passage in the lesson I read this morning, which I wish you would explain to me.

Mr. Cultus. Repeat it: where is it found?

Mary. In Eccles. v. 1: " Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil."

Timothy. Why, sister, I can explain that to you: it means that you are to keep your feet still in church, and not scrape them on the floor, or kick the back of the pew with them, to disturb everybody, as Jem Rowdy did last Sunday.

Mr. Cultus. You are a great commentator, my boy!

Timothy. Well, papa, is not that what it means? is not that keeping your foot in church?

Mr. Cultus. I cannot deny that it is; and certainly it is a violation of the wise man's precept not to keep your feet still in church; but I fancy the language has a more extensive meaning. It evidently inculcates a serious, collected, and reverential frame of mind as necessary to acceptable worship.

Mary. But why is it said, "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God?"

Mr. Cultus. As we look to our feet when we are walking cautiously and thoughtfully, and as we never rush heedlessly along when we are going into the presence of a superior on an errand of importance, so this outward expression of thoughtfulness and reverence is put by metonymy for a thoughtful and reverential tone of mind, without which we only insult the Most High, and profane His sanctuary, when we enter into the holy place.

Timothy. That reminds me of the hymn which mamma taught me when I was a wee little boy.

Mr. Cultus. Let me see if you can repeat it, now you are grown so large.

Timothy. I think I can :

"In God's own house for me to play,

Where Christians meet to hear and pray,

Is to profane His holy place,

And tempt the' Almighty to His face.

"When angels bow before the Lord,
And devils tremble at His word,

Shall I, a feeble mortal, dare

To mock, and sport, and trifle there?

"When death, the king of fears, shall come,

To call me to my latest home,

The thoughts of such a shameful part,

With bitter pain would pierce my heart."

Mr. Cultus. Very well repeated, my son; and an excellent hymn it is, too: it would be well if grown-up people, as well as children, could keep it in memory.

Mary. I do not think Robert Nugent and John Popell ever learned that hymn; for the other Sunday I saw them laughing and talking all the while Dr. Smith was preaching : I wonder he did not reprove them.

Mr. Cultus. It does not follow that they never were taught any better.

Timothy. No, indeed; for I saw Sally Salter laughing and