BIRDS POISONING THEIR YOUNG.

Mr. Holmes, in his “Account of the United States of America,” relates that some of the birds of North America are remarkable for poisoning their young; but this is only done if they are encaged or confined.  The robin is one of the birds thus noticed.  If the young be taken, and placed in a cage where the parent birds can discover them, they will attend upon and feed them for a season; but after the lapse of a few days, or when the young are fledged, the old ones appear very uneasy, and endeavour to discover some way by which they may escape.  If, however, they perceive that there is no hope of accomplishing their purpose, they procure for them a sort of berry, which is an infallible poison; apparently disdaining the thought that their offspring should be slaves!

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A CONNOISSEUR.

Vernet relates, that he was once employed to paint a landscape, with a cave, and St. Jerome in it; he accordingly painted the landscape, with St. Jerome at the entrance of the cave.  When he delivered the picture, the purchaser, who understood nothing of perspective, said, “the landscape and the cave are well made, but St. Jerome is not in the cave.”—­“I understand you, sir,” replied Vernet, “I will alter it.”  He therefore took the painting, and made the shade darker, so that the saint seemed to sit farther in.  The gentleman took the painting; but it again appeared to him that the saint was not in the cave.  Vernet then wiped out the figure, and gave it to the gentleman, who seemed perfectly satisfied.  Whenever he saw strangers to whom he showed the picture, he said, “Here you see a picture by Vernet, with St. Jerome in the cave.”  “But we cannot see the saint,” replied the visiters.  “Excuse me, gentlemen,” answered the possessor, “he is there; for I have seen him standing at the entrance, and afterwards farther back; and am therefore quite sure that he is in it.”

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BLACK MAN’S DREAM.

A number of years bygone, a black man, named Peter Cooper, happened to marry a fair lady of Greenock, who did not use him with that tenderness that he conceived himself entitled to.  Having tried all other arts to retrieve her lost affections in vain, Peter at last resolved to work upon her fears of punishment in another world for her conduct in this.  Pretending, therefore, to awake one morning extravagantly alarmed, his helpmate was full of anxiety to know what was the matter; and having sufficiently, as he thought, whetted her curiosity, by mysteriously hinting that “he could a tale unfold,” at length Peter proceeded as follows:—­“H—­ll of a dream last night.  I dream I go to Hebben and rap at de doa, and a gent’man came to de doa wid black coat and powda hair.  Whoa dere?  Peeta Coopa.—­Whoa Peeta Coopa?  Am