to turn; the poor black men know this, and can get out of his way; but some of them can fight and kill him on the land or in the water.  I think the crocodile is mentioned in Scripture.  Ask your teacher what Scripture means.  When you learn geography you will know where many of the places are that are mentioned in the Bible, and you will see where the river Nile is.  There are such a many crocodiles on the banks of that river that the people are afraid to go alone.  What a many wonderful animals our great Creator has made!  How humble and thankful we should be to see so many great wonders!

Q. What have crocodiles on their backs?  A. Hard scales.  Q. Have they many teeth?  A. Yes, a great many.  Q. Could they bite off a man’s leg?  A. They could.  Q. Are there any in our country?  A. None wild, but a few that sailors bring in ships.  Q. Can the crocodile run fast?  A. Yes.  Q. Where does he live?  A. In the water.  Q. What do their young ones come out of?  A. Out of eggs, which the old one lays in the sand.  Q. How do people run that wish to get out of the crocodile’s way?  A. Zigzag, like the waved line in our lesson.  Q. What do some men do?  A. Fight and kill them in the water.  Q. Where do most of those animals live?  A. In the river Nile.  Q. Where is this river?  A. In Egypt.

The spelling lessons contain words capable of explanation, such as white, black, round, square; others are classed as fleet, ship, brig, sloop, &c.; and others are in contrast, as hot, cold, dark, light, wet, dry, &c.

In this department we use the tablet placed beneath the arithmeticon, the invention and improvement of which are described in the volume entitled “Early Discipline Illustrated, or the Infant System Successful and Progressing.”  A clear idea of the whole apparatus is given by the wood-cut on the next page, and it ought certainly to be found in every infant school.  The sense of sight is then brought into full action to aid the mind, and that with results which would not easily be conceived.  We shall take another opportunity of explaining the use of the upper part of the apparatus, the lower demanding our present attention.

[Illustration]

To use the tablet, let the followings things be observed.  It is supposed the children know well there are twenty-six letters in the alphabet; that twenty are called consonants, and that six are vowels.  We take first one perpendicular row of letters in the figure.  Now point to D, and say, What is that’? and the answer will be, D. Ask, Is it a vowel or consonant, and they will reply, A consonant; but ask, Why do you know it is D, and the answer will probably be, It is so because it is.  Hide the circular part of the letter, and ask, What is the position of the other part, and they will say, having previously learnt the elements of form which will shortly be explained, A perpendicular line; hide that, and ask them what the other part is, telling them to bend one of their fore-fingers in the same