THE FLYING AND VIRGINIAN OPOSSUMS.-The former of these curious animals is nearly as large as a cat, and is very active and playful. It is an inhabitant of New South Wales, and can jump from one tree to another, at the distance of above one hundred yards; but it always mounts to the top of a tree before it takes its leap. The Virginian Opossum is about the same size, and is found in Virginia, Louisiana, Mexico, Brazil, and Peru. The peculiar characteristic of the female is its abdominal pouch, for the protection of her young; some have two or three cavities, which can be opened and shut at pleasure. When pursued and overtaken, it will feign itself dead; and Du Pratz asserts that, when seized in this condition, it will not exhibit any signs of life, though even placed on a red-hot iron; and, when there are any young in the pouch of a female, she will suffer both herself and them to be roasted alive rather than give them up. These animals never move till their assailant is either gone to a distance, or has concealed himself; when they scramble, with as much expedition as possible, into the first hole or bush that offers an asylum.

THE COUSINS.

The accompanying engraving represents the scene in Cooper's celebrated novel of "The Pilot," where the cousins Cecilia Howard and Katherine Plowden are conversing on the subject of Barnstable's safety, when they see the distant signal of Barnstable being within sight. "Katherine! my cousin Kate, what see you?" Miss Plowden, as she relinquished the pressure of the hand of Cecilia, had renewed her walk with a more regulated step: but she was yet making her first turn across the room, when her eyes became keenly set on the opposite window, and her whole frame was held in an attitude of absorbed attention. The rays of the setting sun fell bright upon her dark glances, which seemed fastened on some distant object, and gave an additional glow to the mantling colour that was slowly stealing across her cheeks to her temples. Such a sudden alteration in the manner and appearance of her companion had not failed to catch the attention of Cecilia, who, in consequence, interrupted herself by the agitated question we have

related. Katherine slowly beckoned her companion to her side, and, pointing in the direction of the wood that lay in view, she said :-"See yon tower in the ruin! Do you observe those small spots of pink and yellow that are fluttering above its walls?" "I do. They are the lingering remnants of the foliage of some tree." "Cecilia, they are no leaves, but they are our own childish signals, and without doubt Barnstable himself is on that ruined tower."

THE WIDOW OF ZEHRA.

FROM THE GERMAN OF LA FONTAINE.
BY S. G.

One day Benbecchir, the Cadi of Zehra, met a poor widow who was weeping, and driving an ass; the patient animal stepped on slowly, with its head hanging down, and seeming to share in the sorrows of its mistress, of whom he was the sole resource.

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Why dost thou weep, my poor mother?" said Benbecchir with much tenderness. "Well may you style me a poor mother," replied the woman; "for this ass, the empty sack that he carries, and the miserable garment which covers me, form the whole of my possessions: the Caliph has deprived me of every thing else."

"And what did thy wealth consist of?" said the astonished Cadi.

"I was mistress of a little farm; it was the inheritance of my husband and myself, from our ancestors; we were born and brought up there together; we loved each other from childhood, and experienced in marriage that felicity which is the lot of those whom love and virtue unite. I became a mother; judge then how precious our little heritage had become! On this account my husband, at his last hour, as he lay on the bed of death, which I bedewed with my tears, implored of me to do every thing in my power to retain this dwelling, bequeathed to us by our forefathers, and never let it fall into any other hands but those of our son. This excellent young man, prevented from receiving his father's last blessing, was then risking his life, as he is at this moment, in the armies that are fighting for the Caliph,

who rewards him by depriving his mother of all she was possessed of. You may easily conceive my despair, if you will deign to consider the cruel situation in which I am placed.

I must quit these scenes which are filled with the sweetest remembrance of my childhood, and which witnessed my duty and reverence to my virtuous parents; these scenes, where love, the most pure, was crowned by a happy marriage. Under the bower that received our first vows, my feeble hands have raised a tomb to the memory of my worthy husband; the verdure of this tomb, its only ornament, is incessantly watered with my tears. Every evening I there repeated my thoughts and actions of the day; and it seemed to me as if his beatified spirit hovered near me. If a passing zephyr gently agitated the surrounding foliage, I shuddered, not with fear, for my conduct has been always exempt from reproach, but this slight movement seemed to warn me of the invisible presence of my beloved. How often has the dawn of day surprised me at the tomb which the hands of love had raised! I reckoned on the return of my son; when I should conduct him to the revered spot, recal to him the virtues of his father, and engage him to honour his memory, by practising those virtues of which he gave the example And now, a disconsolate widow, separated from a husband I adored, so far from seeing my beloved son, I am deprived of the dwelling of my ancestors, I am compelled to wander through this world of sorrow, without support, without any

resource.

The tears and sobs of this unfortunate female affected the virtuous Cadi; he asked her if she knew the reason why the Caliph had determined to take this farm from her!

"He wishes," replied she, " to build in its place a pleasant summer palace."

"Merciful Alla!" said the Cadi to himself, "he that has so many palaces! must he, to satisfy his fancy of having another, drive away a poor woman from her humble inheritance ?"

"And how has he indemnified you?" asked Benbecchir. "Indemnified me ?" replied the widow, "not at all; he offered me, at first, a trifling sum; but after my refusal to sell this little piece of land, which was so dear to me, he took it from me by force."