The

cloven, having two very large toes on each, which are also covered with scales. toes are of unequal sizes; that on the inside is the largest, and is about seven inches long, including the claw, which is three quarters of an inch in length, and nearly the same in breadth. The other two have no claws, and do not exceed four inches in length.

This bird is very particularly described in the book of Job, xxxix. 13-18.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM A RUSSIAN CORRESPONDENT OF THE BIBLE

SOCIETY.

"A young person who came to us seemed at first to take great delight in reading, and we were gratified to see how diligently she improved every spare moment for this purpose; but the first time she discovered any emotion respecting it, was one evening when reading the history of Cornelius, she came to my wife with an anxious inquiring look, and said, ' please to explain this to me : Cornelius fasted, prayed to God alway, and gave much alms to the people, yet he was commanded to send for Peter. How is this? what could he do more? Is any thing more required of us than to pray, give alms, and keep the fast?" Mrs. answered, if some

thing more had not been necessary, the angel would not have commanded it. Proceed with the narrative, and mark what Peter said.' She proceeded; and whea she had read these words, "to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins," the poor young creature was overwhelmed; she burst into a flood of tears, and exclaimed, "now I see it! now 1 see it! It is by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ that we receive the forgiveness of sins." And from that day to the present, her delight in the word of God, her diligence in business, and her love to the souls of her relations, make her very highly esteemed by us. She may in fact, be said to adorn the doctrine of her God and Saviour in all things." ALIX.

CHRIST AND THE FIG-TREE.

Mark xi. 13. "And seeing a fig-tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet."

Jesus having set out from Bethany, without taking any food, felt the calls of hunger by the way, and thus proved, that he

eally partook of our infirmities. A fig-tree being seen at a distance, he went to it that he might refresh himself with the fruit, which might then be expected to be on the tree, as the time of gathering the figs was not arrived. But upon his approach finding it barren, though its leaves afforded a fair appearance, he pronounced a curse upon it, that it never should be able to produce any increase in succeeding seasons. The effect of the imprecation was immediate; "the fig-tree withered away." By this significant action, our Lord meant to convey some important instruction. He shewed therein, an awful emblem of the Jewish nation, who with all their show of piety, were without real goodness, and were there. fore soon to be destroyed. That guilty people were doomed by his curse, like the fig-tree, to be reduced from a flourishing to a desolate condition. The case of all vain pretenders to religion, is exactly the same. They may appear beautiful to the sight, and raise an expectation in others of much fruit, but though they stand in the church, they bring no glory to God, and remain unprofitable. He may bear long with them; but his vengeance will fall upon them at the last, and so entirely consume them as to leave them neither root nor branch. Ah! what jealousy should this excite in us, respecting

our own state! When the Lord himself comes to search, will any increase of holi. ness be found upon us?—Robinson's Scripture Characters.

ALIX.

BENEFIT OF SUNDAY SCHOOLS. The following anecdote (which is a fact related by the clergyman himself) shews the great advantage of the religious instruction given and received in Sunday schools.

Mr. L. had the week before the races in a neighbouring town, tried to impress upon the minds of his parishoners the many evils attendant on such meetings; and had so far succeeded with the children, as to obtain a sort of promise that none of them would go. A gentleman of sporting fame in the village, conceiving this to be a needless strict. ness, repaired to the school on the morning of the first race day; and offered each child a shilling that would appear upon the race course; when to his extreme surprise they all civilly declined accepting his proffered bounty, alleging the promise they had given to their pastor to remain in the school.

NICHOLAS HOTTINGER.

Nicholas Hottinger was thrown into pri son at Baden for saying, that the Romish clergy did not well and truly interpret the Scriptures; that we ought to put our trust only in God; that the mass was not a sacrifice; that awful blasphemy was committed in the celebration of it; that images are forbidden by the word of God.

The magistrates in vain wrote in his favour to his judges. When sentence of death was pronounced upon him, he supported himself by the thoughts of the redemption, purchased for him by his Saviour, and hearing one of his judges profanely remark, "he must now lose his head; if he should recover it again, we will then be of his religion;" he answered, "the will of the Lord be done, and may he be pleased to pardon all who have contributed to my death! To Jesus also it was said, let him come down from the cross and we will believe on him." A monk offered him a crucifix, but he put it from him, saying, "it is by faith that we must embrace Christ crucified in our hearts;" and then he spoke of the virtue of the cross, but not, he added, a cross of wood, but the passion and death of cur Saviour. Seeing many persons weep for him, as they followed him to the place of execution, he said, " weep not for me, but for yourselves. I am going from misery to eternal happiness, but you have much need to weep for your sins, and to implore of God the gift of true faith and repentance, that you may be saved by Jesus Christ." He then repeated the Lord's prayer and the creed, and after some other discourse, his last words were; "into thy hands I commit