an honourable degree, which is obtained by pale men in spectacles and cotton stockings, after thirty-six months of intense application.

I do not exactly remember how I spent my time at Cambridge. I had a piano-forte in my room, and a private billiard-room at a village two miles off; and between these resources I managed to improve my mind more than could reasonably have been expected. To say truth, the whole place reeked with vulgarity. The men drank beer by the gallon, and eat cheese by the hundred-weight-wore jockey-cut coats, and talked slang-rode for wagers, and swore when they lost-smoked in your face, and expectorated on the floor. Their proudest glory was to drive the mail— their mightiest exploit to box with the coachman—their most delicate amour to leer at the bar-maid.

It will be believed, that I felt little regret in quitting companions of this description. I went to take leave of our college tutor. "Mr. Pelham," said he, affectionately squeezing me by the hand, "your conduct has been most exemplary; you have not walked wantonly over the college grass-plots, nor set your dog at the protector-nor driven tandems by day, nor broken lamps by night-nor entered the chapel in order to display your intoxication-nor the lecture-room, in order to caricature the professors. This is the general behaviour of young men of family and fortune; but it has not been yours. Sir, you have been an honour to your college!"

Thus closed my academical career. He who does not allow that it passed creditably to my teachers, profitably to myself, and beneficially to the world, is a narrowminded and illiterate man, who knows nothing of the advantages of modern education.

Bulwer.

THE ANT.

When an ant discovers a store of food it at once sets about spreading the good news among its tribe. But how? That it can communicate ideas by means of

its antennæ, mysteriously rubbed against those of its companions, every one knows; but "rubbing noses is, after all, a limited form of utterance, and cannot easily convey many details. How, then, is the insect Columbus to inform his friends of the geographical position of his America? He knows the route himself, and he can carry another ant to the spot. Seizing with his mouth the companion to whom he has just announced his discovery, and who twines himself around his body, Columbus carries his friend to the spot. The two then return, and carry two more. The four return, and carry four. And thus in the most regular manner the emigration swells, till, at the end of the twentieth journey, a million of ants will be ready to devour the food. It is noticeable that they always employ this method of transport when they have to do each other a service. Thus Huber, one winter, being desirous of watching their habits, bethought him of attracting them to a particular part of the frame in which he kept them; which was made of glass. For this purpose he warmed that part with a candle flame, knowing how fond they were of warmth. A few ants were on the

spot at the time, and no sooner did they feel the pleasant warmth than they became very animated, brushing their heads and antennæ with their fore-feet, and rapidly running about the warm spot. Whenever they approached other ants they "rubbed noses" with the greatest eagerness, and immediately separated. They seemed desirous of mounting to the second storey, but no sooner did they get beyond the region of warmth than they returned again. At last they seemed to have made up their minds. Away they started for the second storey. Huber guessed that they had departed with the intention of communicating to their companions above the pleasant news that warmth was to be had cheap below. In a few minutes his guess was verified. Two descended carrying two others. These were deposited on the warm spot, and the carriers again ascended to bring down others. The new-comers, having warmed themselves, also ascended, and brought down

others. This excitement continued, till at last the whole hive had collected in this place. After the spot had become cool the ants remounted to the second storey; but at any time Huber was able to repeat this interesting experiment, and always with similar success.

In the construction of their galleries, wonderful as that is, most persons see nothing but instinct. Huber observed, however, that if ever a serious mistake was made-when one wall was raised higher thau another, for example-one of the ants would destroy the whole, and rebuild it again correctly. It is their conduct towards the bee tribe, however, that most amusingly illustrates their intelligence. The little green insects, mostly wingless, found on the leaves and in the calyx of the rose, in great numbers throughout the summer, secrete on the surface of their bodies a sugary fluid, of which the ants are as fond as dainty people are of turtle. The ants find out. where the bees "most do congregate," and they cunningly wheedle them out of their sugar by the most flattering attentions. A stupid animal would kill such a food-bearing stranger, and kill the goose that laid the golden eggs; but, although their attentions are successful, the ants, thoughtful creatures! do not trust alone to the chances of finding bees: they rear them, as a slave-holder rears niggers! The ants take their eggs into their own nests, rear them with motherly care, and carry them with them in all their migrations. Not only do they rear them, but they have frequent battles with rival tribes on their account; the possession of these eggs is the trophy of conquest.

Darwin.

LIBERTY AND SLAVERY.

Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, Slavery! still thou art a bitter draught: and though thousands, in all ages, have been made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that account. It is thou, Liberty!-thrice sweet and gracious goddess whom all in public or in

private worship,-whose taste is grateful, and ever will be so till Nature herself shall change. No tint of words can spot thy snowy mantle, or chemic power turn thy sceptre into iron: -with thee to smile upon him as he eats his crust, the swain is happier than his monarch from whose court thou art exiled. Gracious heaven! grant me but health, thou Great Bestower of it, and give me but this fair goddess as my companion; and shower down thy mitres,-if it seem good unto thy divine providence,-upon those heads which are aching for them.

Pursuing these ideas, I sat down close by my table, and leaning my head upon my hand, I began to figure to myself the miseries of confinement. I was in a right frame for it, and so I gave full scope to my imagination.

I was going to begin with the millions of my fellowcreatures born to no inheritance but slavery, but finding, however affecting the picture was, that I could not bring it near me, and that the multitude of sad groups in it did but distract me

-I took a single captive, and, having first shut him up in his dungeon, I then looked through the twilight of his grated door to take his picture.

I beheld his body half-wasted away with long expectation and confinement, and felt what kind of sickness. of the heart it is which arises from hope deferred. Upon looking nearer, I saw him pale and feverish: in thirty years the western breeze had not once fanned his blood-he had seen no sun, no moon, in all that time-nor had the voice of friend or kinsman breathed through his lattice. His children

But here my heart began to bleed-and I was forced to go on with another part of the portrait.

He was sitting upon the ground upon a little straw, in the farthest corner of his dungeon, which was alternately his chair and bed: a little calendar of small sticks was laid at the head, notched all over with the dismal days and nights he had passed there: he had one of these little sticks in his hand, and, with a rusty nail, he was etching another day of misery to add to

the heap. As I darkened the little light he had, he lifted up a hopeless eye towards the door-then cast it down-shook his head-and went on with his work of affliction. I heard his chains upon his legs, as he turned his body to lay his little stick upon the bundle. He gave a sigh-I saw the iron enter his soul-I burst into tears I could not sustain the picture of confinement which my fancy had drawn.

Sterne.

JAMAICA.

There is scenery in Jamaica which almost equals that of Switzerland and the Tyrol, and there is also, which is more essential, a temperature among the mountains in which a European can live comfortably.

It is of course known that the sugar-cane is the chief production of Jamaica; but one may travel for days in the island and only see a cane piece here and there. By far the greater portion of the island is covered with wild wood and jungle,-what is there called bush. Through this, on an occasional favorable spot, and very frequently on the roadsides, one sees the gardens or provision-grounds of the negroes. These are spots of land cultivated by them, for which they either pay rent, or on which, as is quite as common, they have squatted without payment of any rent.

The provision-grounds are very picturesque. They are not filled, as a peasant's garden in England or in Ireland is filled, with potatoes and cabbages, or other vegetables similarly uninteresting in their growth; but contain cocoa trees, bread-fruit trees, oranges, mangoes, limes, plantains, jack fruits, avocado pears, and a score of others, all of which are luxuriant trees, some of considerable size, and all of them of great beauty. The bread-fruit tree and the mango are especially lovely, and I know nothing prettier than a grove of oranges in Jamaica. In addition to this they always have the yam, which is with the negro somewhat as the potato is with the Irishman; only that the Irishman has nothing