are known by the common name of feeders. They may be procured at any shop where the common red earthenware is sold, at the moderate rate of from one penny to threehalfpence apiece. Where rabbits have not the convenience of a regular hutch, with trough, &c. to it, I know of no better substitute than these red feeders. A small wooden box, or trough, may answer the same purpose; but being lighter, are more easily displaced by the rabbit, and the food is often wasted, by being overturned among the litter of the box.

Beside the loss of Sapho's first and second litters, one of our rabbits died from being inadvertently given hemlock* among

*The characters of the hemlock, or conium, in botany, are thus described:-A genus of the Pentandria Digynia class of plants. The stalk of this plant is smooth, spotted with reddish purple marks, and rises from four to six feet in height, branching out towards the tip into several lesser stalks, which are garnished with darkish-green compound leaves, the segments of which are

the herbage. The body of the poor animal swelled to an amazing size, and it died in

sharply divided. The plant has a strong, rank smell. The footstalks are terminated by head umbels of white flowers, each being composed of about ten rays of smaller umbels. The flower is succeeded by a small seed, of a blackish coJour, resembling those of the carraway and anise in shape. The thrush, and some of the smaller birds, are said to feed upon this seed. Indeed, so plentiful is it on our banks and waste lands, that it is doubtlessly intended for the subsistence of some of the winged tribes of the air. The root of the greater hemlock resembles that of the garden parsnep, but is of a very poisonous nature. There are several species of this plant, all hurtful in their nature, if taken as food; though the hemlock has been often applied successfully, in a medicinal manner, in violent diseases.

The hemlock most commonly mistaken for parsley, by inexperienced persons, may be distinguished by the difference of colour and form of the leaf; that of the smaller hemlock, or fool's

+ Umbelliferous, in form like an umbrella. A few familiar examples will explain to such of my young readers as may not be acquainted with the botanical terms, the precise sort of flowers meant. Such are the common and wild carrots, the parsnep, carraway, celery, parsley, the hemlock conium, and hemlock cicuter, the elder, and many other flowers, may be given as examples of umbelliferous plants.

great agony, the skin turning of a livid colour directly after death, which indicated the existence of poison. After this accident, we were careful in examining the weeds we gathered, which were brought us by the servant boy, the loss of one of our rabbits being a great misfortune to little folk like us. But this was not the greatest of our troubles: other untoward circumstances happened, that nearly put an end to our keeping rabbits at all.

The boards we placed over the rabbitboxes were either not sufficiently weighty, or too insecurely arranged, so that our rabbits would not unfrequently contrive, during the night, by strength and artifice combined, to raise, or displace the covering of their houses, and escape from their confinement; secreting themselves among the

parsley, being of a much darker and sadder green, and the division of the leaflets much sharper and narrower; the texture of the leaf is not so stiff, nor the surface so glassy as the parsley.

piles of wood, roots, and other lumber, that occupied a division of the root-house, from whence they contrived to burrow their way out into the garden, where they did much mischief among the vegetable crops. These predatory excursions occasioned us much uneasiness and anxiety, especially as we knew how particular papa was at all times about his garden. The gardener had concealed the mischief done by my darling grey Minna, to a bed of Michaelmas cauliflowers; but one day, in spite of the care I had taken to confine her safely in her box, the unlucky creature jumped out, and found her way into the garden, close to the spot where papa was at work, cutting some currant-trees. All her former evil deeds now were revealed by Lockwood the gardener; and papa, highly incensed at the ravages committed by my poor favourite, Minna, sentenced her to immediate death. I was summoned to catch her, which was no very difficult task, for she was the

tamest, most gentle animal of her species, and readily suffered her little sorrowful mistress to approach and secure her. But when I heard of the inevitable sentence decreed on my beloved rabbit, my grief was unbounded; and while I held her fast to my bosom, my tears fell fast over her soft grey head, which were rather increased than diminished, by the affectionate creature licking them from my cheeks, and endeavouring to win my attention by her Mamma and my elder sisters, touched by my sorrow, and interested by the behaviour of the gentle animal I held in my arms, united in entreating papa to reverse his decree in favour of grey Minna.

mute caresses.

For my own part, I was too much distressed to be able to speak; but my silently-imploring looks, and fast-falling tears, at length moved my dear father's pity; and he bade me restore grey Minna to her box, and be more careful, for the future, in securing her.