flowers; and in the woods, the horse-chestnut, the sycamore, and the lime throw out their broad leaves, and mix their darker green with the lighter colours of the beech, and the trembling tresses of the birch. The oaks, again, are often hardly yet in leaf, and the ash often is as bare as in winter, while the yellow buds of the poplar are just beginning to unfold.

& It is in the flowery month of May that most birds hatch and bring up their young. The young of the common little song-birds come out of the egg in a quite helpless condition. Their feathers are not grown, and their eyes are closed, and they cannot feed themselves; so the mother sits upon them and keeps them warm, while the father travels abroad and collects food both for her and his little ones. 7. After a while their eyes open and their feathers grow, and they learn to fly and to find food for themselves. The young of some birds, however, like the partridges, pheasants, fowls, ducks, and geese, are born all covered with down, and able to run about as soon as they come out of the egg. They do not require their mother to sit upon them and keep them warm, but they learn from their parents how to behave themselves, and where they ought to go to find their own breakfasts and dinners.

8. In the old times in England, it was the custom to welcome the coming-in of May with great rejoicings. The prettiest girl in the village was made the May-queen, and was decked with flowers, and paid homage to by the village swains. Most

English villages had a space of green grass in the midst of the houses, in the centre of which was planted a long pole. This was called the 'May-pole;' and it was the rule for every one to get up early on the first morning of May, and to go out into the woods and hedgerows to gather wild-flowers to hang upon the May-pole. 9. They then danced round the May-pole till evening, and feasted and made merry, in token that summer had now fairly begun. This old custom is now nearly given up; but it is perhaps to be regretted that we do not pay more attention to the time when

The bright morning-star, day's harbinger,

Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose.

QUESTIONS.-1. Tell me the difference between the early and the late part of May. 2. Tell me how the fields look. 3. Where is the orchis found in greatest plenty? 4. What does it look like at a short distance? 5. Tell me how the orchards look. 6. Tell me the names of some other trees that are in blossom. 7. The names of some that are hardly in leaf. 8. Describe the young of song-birds when just hatched. 9. What birds can run about as soon as they are out of the shell? 10. Tell me all you know about the May-queen and the May-pole.

DICTATION.-Learn to write out section 4.

EXERCISES.-1. Learn to spell the following words:

Generally Innumerable

Resplendent Chestnut

Sycamore

Pheasants

Partridges Harbinger

2. Parse all the words in the following sentence: The latter

part of the month is generally one of the most delightful times in (One is a numbering adjective, numbering the noun time understood.)

the whole year.

3. Add prefixes to each of the following words, and give their force or meaning: Comfort; real; cover; fold; take; close; open. 4. Make nouns out of the following verbs and adjectives: Gay; hot; please; give; perfect; sweet; pure; warm; mix; young.

5. Explain the following phrases: (1) Nature revels in her prime. (2) The grass is spangled with thousands of daisies. (3) The orchis is found in great profusion in Kent. (4) The father collects food. (5) It is to be regretted that the old custom is given up. (6) Day's harbinger.

6. Write a short composition on MAY from the following heads : (1) The flowers that come out. (2) The trees in blossom. (3) Young birds. (4) The May-queen and May-pole.

THE RETURN OF MAY.

Propi'tious, favourable to every- | Gen'ial, kindly.

thing good.

Verd'ure, greenness.

Zeph'yr, the west wind.

Serene', calm.

1. Hail! fairy queen, adorned with flowers,
Attended by the smiling hours,

'Tis thine to dress the rosy bowers
In colours gay.

We love to wander in thy train,
To meet thee on the fertile plain,
To bless thy soft propitious reign,
O lovely May!

2. 'Tis thine to dress the vale anew
In fairest verdure bright with dew;
And harebells of the mildest blue

Smile on thy way.

Then let us welcome pleasant Spring,
And still the flowery tribute bring,

And still to thee our carol sing,

O lovely May!

3. Now by the genial zephyr fanned,
The blossoms of the rose expand;
And, reared by thee with gentle hand,
Their charms display.

The air is balmy and serene,
And all the sweet luxuriant scene
By thee is clad in tender green,
O lovely May!

Mrs Hemans.

DIRECTIONS AND CAUTIONS FOR READING.

VERSE 1.-Line 2: Avoid the accent on by, and hasten on to smiling hours.-Line 6: No accent on on!

VERSE 2.-Line 3: Avoid the accent on of!

VERSE 3.-Line 1: No accent on by !-Line 2: No accent on of!

MAY IS COME.

Deck, cover and adorn.

Chant'eth, sings.

Philomel, a name given to the nightingale; because Philomēla, a
Greek princess, was said to have been changed into a nightingale.
1. When apple-trees in blossom are,
And cherries of a silken white,
And kingcups deck the meadows fair,
And daffodils in brooks delight;
When golden wallflowers bloom around
And purple violets scent the ground,
And lilac 'gins to shew her bloom-
We then may say the May is come.
2. When happy shepherds tell their tale
Under the tender leafy tree;
And all adown the grassy vale

The mocking cuckoo chanteth free;

And Philomel, with liquid throat,
Doth pour the welcome, warbling note,
That had been all the winter

We then may say

3. When fishes leap

dumb

the May is come.

in silver stream,

And tender corn is springing high,
And banks are warm with sunny beam,
And twittering swallows cleave the sky,
And forest bees are humming near,
And cowslips in boys' hats appear,

And maids do wear the meadows' bloom-
We then may say the May is come.

DIRECTION FOR READING.

VERSE 2.-Line 7: Avoid the accent on had.

J. Clare.

Exterminated, utterly destroyed. Trailed, dragged along.

Ten'don, muscular cord.

1. The wolf may be said to be the brother of the sheep-dog; and never, surely, were two brothers seen more unlike each other in temper and in character. The sheep-dog is courageous, faithful, trusting, and affectionate, understanding all his master's orders and obeying them with promptness and fidelity. The wolf is untamable, cowardly, ferocious, treacherous, and suspicious; the enemy of everybody the enemy even of other wolves-and