the animal knock her head against the rails, which she did with a force that made the massive pile tremble. This process was repeated several times, to the great amusement of the spectators, some of whom applauded the polebearer's nimbleness, while others were inclined to back the cow.

"That was a near go," said one, as the beast made a sudden plunge at her tormentor, tearing off with her horn a portion of his jacket; "she'll pin you presently, Jem."

"Never fear," said Jem, a miss is as good as a mile. She is the most cantankerous beast I ever saw; but I'll have her yet."

kill her ?"

"What are you going to do," said I; "Kill her!" exclaimed my tall friend, "what! kill the best, the nicest, and sweetest-tempered creature of the whole herd. She's so tame, she'll almost let you pat her, only she doesn't like to be milked; that always puts her out. Now for it, Jemmy, that's the way; haul in quick. Keep it up-don't slack-hold her tight, now we've got her, Where's the foot rope?"

Watching his opportunity, the man with the pole had succeeded in throwing the loop over the animal's horns, and two or three men on the outside of the yard quickly gathered in the end of it, hauled it taut, as seamen do a cable in getting up the anchor, round the thick stump of a tree. I looked at Crab at this stage of the proceedings, and I admired the expression of scornful enjoyment which his sour face exhibited. He gave me a glance which said, without the necessity of words, "This is the way they milk a cow in this country." The cow, however, was not milked yet; to arrive at that conclusion some further steps were necessary.

The animal was now standing with its

legs firmly planted before it, its neck elongated, its tongue hanging out of its mouth, and kicking with its hind legs continuously. These refractory members were now secured by a loop, into which they were dexterously insinuated, and half-a-dozen men catching up the end, hauled it out, and kept it on the stretch, to prevent her from plunging about. The creature, it seems, was now in a correct posture to be milked. Crab gave me another look.

The man with the one-legged stool and pannikin now advanced, speaking soothingly to the animal to be operated on, and using much ceremony and caution in his approach. Seizing a favourable opportunity, he contrived to squeeze a few drops of milk into his pannikin; but the sensitive cow, outraged it seemed at this indignity on her person, gave a sudden plunge, which upset the heel-rope holders, and, recovering her legs, she kicked man, stool, and pannikin over and over. Shouts of laughter proclaimed the amusement of the bystanders, and numerous were the gibes and jeers lavished on the occasion. And now, the pride of the stockmen being roused, and their honour piqued by the presence besides of two strangers, the witnesses of their manœuvres, they set to again to manacle the almost spent animal, and he of the pannikin, discarding the stool as a womanly encumbrance, boldly kneeling down, with the determination of a hero, and undaunted by the moanings and writhings of his victim, contrived to exude from her about half-a-pint of milk. This triumph achieved, the cow was set at liberty, the poles of the gateway were withdrawn, and the animal bounded into the bush.

ROWCROFT.

Seizing a favourable opportunity, he contrived to squeeze a few drops of milk into his pannikin; but the sensitive cow,

outraged it seemed at this indignity on her person, gave a sudden plunge, which upset the heel-rope holders, and, recovering her legs, she kicked man, stool, and pannikin over Shouts of laughter proclaimed the amusement of the bystanders, and numerous were the gibes and jeers lavished on the occasion.

and over.

THE PARROT.

A TRUE STORY.

A PARROT, from the Spanish main,
Full young, and early caged, came o'er
With bright wing, to the bleak domain
Of Mulla's shore.

To spicy groves, where he had won
His plumage of resplendent hue,
His native fruits, and skies, and sun,
He bade adieu.

For these he changed the smoke of turf,
A heathery land and misty sky,
And turned on rocks and raging surf
His golden eye.

But petted in our climate cold,

He lived and chattered many a day;
Until with age, from green and gold,
His wings grew gray.

H

At last, when blind, and seeming dumb,

He scolded, laughed, and spoke no more,
A Spanish stranger chanced to come
To Mulla's shore.

He hail'd the bird in Spanish speech-
The bird in Spanish speech replied;
Flapped round the cage with joyous screech,
Dropped down, and died!

MEMOIRS OF A DOMESTICATED BEAVER.

THE following is the account given by a gentleman of a beaver which was brought to England and tamed:-"The animal arrived in this country in the winter of 1825, very young, being small and woolly, and without the covering of long hair which marks the adult beaver. He was the sole survivor of five or six young ones which had been shipped at the same time, and he was in a very pitiable condition. Good treatment, however, quickly restored him to health, and kindness soon made him familiar. When called by his

name, Binny,' he generally answered with a little cry, and came to his owner. The hearth-rug was his favourite haunt: there he would lie, stretched out at his ease, always near his master. Binny's instinct for building was shown as soon as he was let out of his cage into the room where it stood, and materials were placed in his way. His strength, before he was half-grown, was great; he would drag along a large sweeping-brush or a warming-pan, grasping the handle with his teeth so that the load came over his shoulder, and advancing in an oblique direction till he arrived at

the point where he wished to place it. The long and large materials were always taken first; and two of the longest were generally laid crosswise, with one of the ends of each touching the wall, and the other ends projecting into the room. The inner space formed by the crossed brushes and the wall, he would fill up with hand-brushes, rush-baskets, books, boots, sticks, clothes, dried turf, or any thing he could find. As the work grew high, he supported himself on his tail, which propped him up admirably, and he would often, after laying on one of his building materials, sit over against it, appearing to consider his work, and the best mode of placing his pieces of wood or books.

"After he had piled up his materials in one part of the room, (for he generally chose the same place), he proceeded to wall up the space between the feet of a chest of drawers which stood high enough on its legs to make the bottom of it serve as a roof for him; using for this purpose dried turf and sticks, which he laid very even, and filling up the interstices with bits of coal, hay, cloth, or any thing he could pick up. This last place he seemed to intend for his own dwelling: the former work seemed to be intended for a dam. When he had walled up the space between the feet of the chest of drawers, he proceeded to carry in sticks, clothes, hay, cotton, &c., to make a nest, and when he had finished his work, he would sit up under the drawers, and comb himself with the nails of his hind feet. The huge webbed hind feet of the beaver turn in, so as to give the appearance of deformity; but if the toes were straight instead of being curved inwards as they are, the animal could not use them for the purpose of keeping his fur in order, and cleansing it from dirt and moisture.

"Binny generally carried small and light articles between his right fore-leg and his chin, walking on the other three