greater part of the ship's company.

All had come

dressed for aquatic adventures, and soon scarcely a man was left in the boats. They were stalking about on the reef, in every variety of rough and picturesque costume, -sometimes, wading up to their waists or their shoulders; sometimes, swimming in the deeper places; sometimes, diving after a desirable specimen. Armed with boat

hooks, crow-bars, logs of wood, or whatever else they could lay their hands upon, all were engaged in dislodging the more solid masses, or in breaking off the delicate fans and the finger-corals.

18. At last, when all were fairly tired out with work and play, we returned to the vessel, rowing back, in the sunset, over a sea so calm that no ripple, except those made by our oars, broke its surface. Such was our day at Carysfort Reef; and, if I have told my story well, I think you will admit that it was one to be pleasantly remembered. Elizabeth C. Agassiz.

XX. THE HIGH TIDE.

"MOTHER, dear, what is the water saying?

Mother, dear, why does the wild sea roar?"
Cry the children, on the white sand playing, -
On the white sand, half a mile from shore.
"Little ones, I fear a storm is growing.
Come away! Oh, let us hasten home!"
Calls the mother; and the wind is blowing,
Flashing up a million eyes of foam.

2 "Mother, see our footprints as we follow !

Mother, dear, what crawls along before?"

Ausoning round and round, through creek and hollow,

THE HIGH TIDE.

""Tis the high tide!" cries the mother, moaning, ." Coming only once in many a year!"

7. Higher! higher! lapping round the island,
Flows the water with a sound forlorn.

Those are flowers 'tis snatching from the dry land, -
Pale primroses, sweet and newly born.

Smaller grows the isle where they sit sobbing,

Darker grows the day on every side

Whiter grows the mother, with heart throbbing
Madly, as she marks the fatal tide.

8. "Children, cling around me! hold me faster!
Kiss me! God is going to take all three!
Say the prayer I taught you He is Master!
He is Lord, and in His hands lie we!"
Flowers the tide is snatching while it calls so,
Flowers its lean hands never snatched before;
Will it snatch these human flowers, also,
Where they cling, sad creatures of the shore?

9. Nay, for o'er the tide a boat is stealing

On their names a man's strong voice doth cry. "God be praised!" the mother crieth, kneeling, "He hath heard our prayer, and help is nigh." "Father!" cry the children, "this way, father! "Here we are!" aloud cry girl and boy,

Comes the boat, the children round it gather,
But the mother smiles, and faints for joy.

10. In his strong arm his pale spouse uplifting,
By her side he sets the children two, -
Through the twilight, shoreward they are drifting,
While the pale stars glimmer in the blue.
Round them, in the tranquil evening weather,

All the scene seems strange as strange can be:
Waves that wash green fields and knolls of heather,

Lonely troos

77

HAT bird is this? It is the little ocean-eagle, first and chief of the winged race, the daring navigator who never furls his sails, the lord of the tempest, the scorner of all peril,—the manof-war, or frigate-bird.

2. Here we have a bird which is, virtually, nothing more then wings while his body is barely as large as that of