tain glutinous matter, which closes up the aperture of the shell. Thus shrouded up, she passes the cold season in safety. When the spring season commences, she opens her door, and ranges at her pleasure.

Son. I do not perceive that they have any

feet.

Father. To show the diversity of the divine works, they have two large muscular skins, which they can lengthen and contract at pleasure, by which means they move, and draw their castle, which rests upon their backs. And to prevent accidents, they are provided with a viscous humour, which, by its cohesion, secures them from falling, and renders them impenetrable to moisture, by an oily matter, with which they close up all the pores of their skin. Son. And now please to inform me how their shell is made.

Father. The snail has a very small shell, rather soft, when she leaves the egg: this shell forms the basis of a second, which is gradually increasing. The first is the centre of the

other, and the whole is formed by adding new circles to the first shell. And as her body can only be extended towards the aperture, this must consequently be the part which receives. the fresh accessions. The materials from which the shell is made are lodged in the body of the animal, and formed by a viscous fluid, and sandy particles of exquisite fineness, which thicken into a consistence round the extremity of the shell, and become incrustated. This will also give you some idea how the shells of different fishes are formed.

waters, some on the skins of living animals, some on plants, proper and agreeable to their future progeny,) that their young, on bursting the egg, find such food as is required to bring them up till they arrive at maturity.

And again, how admirably hath the Creator contrived the young; seeing that the parent animal is not able to bear them about, or to clothe them, that they can soon move, and with the little help their dams can give them, shift for and help themselves: how naturally do they hunt for them, till they can pick and take in their proper food.

Son. And have parents in the human race no instincts to attach them to their offspring?

Father. They have reason, joined with and encouraging the developement of natural affection; and these induce them to nurse, feed, and clothe their young-hence, of all animals man is born helpless, and cast more than any other creature, upon their parents' care.

Son. This is indeed a manifest act of divine Providence!

Father. One more instance deserves to be mentioned. The winter is, as you may suppose, an inconvenient season to afford either food or exercise to insects, or many other animals. When the flowery fields are divested of their gaiety; when the fertile plants and trees are stripped of their fruits; and the air, instead of being warmed by the beams of the sun, is chilled with frost; what would become of such animals as are impatient of cold?what food could be found by such as are subsisted only by summer fruits?-To obviate this evil, to save them from destruction, and at the same time to preserve the race from extirpation, the infinitely wise Preserver of the world provided, that such as are impatient of cold should have such a special structure, as, during that period, not to suffer any waste of their body, and, consequently, not to need any nourishment to recruit it-they live on in a sleep, in places of safe retreat, which instinct leads them to choose, until the warm sun revives both them and their food together.