Governess: You are quite right; the termites are divided into three kinds-the labourers, the soldiers, and perfect insects.

Pupil I suppose the labourers, like the

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class of men amongst us, do all the heavy and laborious work.

Governess: Yes, they do; they build and repair their habitations, which are made in the form of a sugar-loaf: they also feed the young, and lay up the stores of provision.

Pupil: The species which are called soldiers are stronger, I suppose, and armed with some kind of weapon.

Governess: Their sole business is to defend their State against any attack or injury; and for this purpose they are furnished with a pair of horny jaws, with which they bite most severely.

Pupil: The third, or perfect termites, are like our nobility, or rather a greater part of them, living in luxury and comparative idleness. Though some of my dearest relatives and friends are among that class, we must admit of exceptions. I am sure dear grand

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papa neither lived in luxury nor idleness; for I have heard papa say, he would rise at six; and, after taking some bread and milk, would ride over D park, followed by his groom, to look after the trees which were lying there for timber.

Governess: I am quite sure he did not indulge in sluggish habits. The perfect insects are very mischievous: the ravages they occasion are almost incredible; they will devour whole trees, the timber of houses, and enter the wood of the strongest chest and drawers. Pupil: Of what use are they?

Governess: They lay eggs, and thus form new communities: they fly about by millions; but, like flies, their time is short.

Pupil: When you say their time is short, you remind me of St. Paul's ejaculation"Time is short!"

Governess: There are some of the perfect insects found in Europe; the most remarkable is one which emits a sound like the ticking of a watch.

Pupil Is it not what the superstitious consider as an omen of death?

Governess: No; the termite of which I have been speaking is a small white insect called pulsatoris; that is another Latin word, and very appropriately used, as the English of it is "a striker," and the insect is truly a little striker.

Governess: The next is the genus Pulex, which consists of few species.

Pupil That includes the flea tribe, I suppose, from the Latin word pulex, being used to distinguish it, which signifies flea.

Governess: Yes, it is; the pulex irritans, or common flea, is met with in every country.

Pupil I am sorry that it meets me so often. It well deserves the name of irritans; it provokes and teazes me.

Governess: It is like many of us in provoking or exciting our fellow-creatures. It has, however, good qualities; it can be trained to industry, it seems. Did you see "the industrious fleas" when you were in London?

Pupil: Yes; dear Miss, and I was very much pleased with them. One let off a gun; others were harnessed.

Governess: I understand one of the individuals that attempted to manufacture the harness became blind.

Pupil I was also delighted with the magnifyed flea; it really appeared to be clothed in armour quite cap-à-pie, like Joan of Arc; and the scales looked as if they were folded one over the other.

Governess: Did it not remind you of the kangaroo ?

Pupil: It did; and now that I have examined its legs, I am not surprised at its being able to leap so fast: they are admirably formed for leaping.

Governess: It has a proboscis, or trunk, which enables it to suck blood. There is an insect of this species, in South America, called the chegoe, which insinuates itself under the skin of the legs, and lays there a number of eggs in a cluster, which causes the legs to swell, and occasions great pain.

Pupil Even then in the attack of this insect, the English are a favoured people. How grateful ought we to be for all God's mercies

towards us! Let such words as the following be the language of our hearts :-

"When all thy mercies, O my God,
My rising soul surveys,

Transported with the view I'm lost
In wonder, love, and praise."

Governess I rather think that that hymn has reference to the following scriptural passage, Col. 1. 12th verse:- Giving thanks

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unto the Father which hath made us meet to. be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light."

Pupil: I do not remember that passage. I will read that chapter when I peruse my Bible to-morrow morning.

Governess: I forgot to tell you that care must be taken in extricating the eggs from under the skin; for if it break, mortification may ensue.

Pupil How shocking! Of course death must follow.

Governess: The genus Pediculus, which is the latin word for louse, is generally looked upon with great abhorrence-it is so by me;