THE SHARK. THE SHARK. It is in the appointed order of nature, that races of predatory animals, endued with powers in conformity to their ferocious instincts, should pervade every class of the animal kingdom. It may amuse the speculator to inquire into the motives of such an arrangement, an arrangement which provides for some at the expense of others, but which is productive of general harmony and good. To the naturalist it suffices to know that such is the fact, the God of nature, whose wisdom and providence cannot fail, having so ordained it. The land has its lions and tigers; the air its eagles and falcons; the water its pikes, its congers, and its sharks. The ferocious animals on land bear but a limited proportion to the peaceful and gentle. The rapacious tyrants of the air, which prey upon their fellow birds, are but a small portion of the feathered race. But among the finny tenants of the mighty deep, the opposite is the case. Here the tribes which feed on submarine vegetables, representing the quiet flocks and herds of the valleys of the land, are very few; but, on the contrary, the great aggregate are carnivorous, pursuing and pursued. Voracious VOL. II. and cruel, they roam the deep in quest of prey; or, tiger-like, wait in ambush, and spring upon their victim; the small prey upon the smaller, and become themselves, in turn, the food of their superiors, and these are destroyed by the giants of their race. The whole scene is one of universal carnage; and, were it not that the loss is more than counterbalanced by the increase, were it not for the astonishing fecundity of fishes (a circumstance wisely ordained by the Creator,) whole tribes would gradually disappear, and soon become extinct. Of the great destroyers, the mighty Nimrods of the ocean, the shark is one of the most celebrated. The accounts of voyagers teem with instances of its daring, its energy, and insatiate appetite. Few indeed, whose lot it has been to cross the ocean, have not had some anecdote to relate, to the facts of which themselves have been witness, of its more than tiger ferocity; and our readers, we doubt not, will readily call to mind many painful records of its carnivorous propensities. To dwell upon them is not now our object; we design to call attention to the shark in a scientific point of view alone. Cuvier divides the great class of fishes, 20 In this group there are several striking peculiarities; the bones of the skull are one connected plate, destitute of sutures, and the true jaw-bones are wanting, their place being supplied by a curious developement of the bones of the palate. into two leading groups or series; namely, | are to be found several of peculiar interest, the cartilaginous fishes, and the osseous and among them the shark. fishes; the former having the different parts of the skeleton in the condition of cartilage; the latter having their skeleton truly osseous, though it is to be observed, that even in these the bones have nothing like the solidity and hardness which we see in those of mammalia and birds. Internally they are the most solid and firm, but their external layers are often soft and gelatinous. In the cartilaginous fishes, however, the bones are quite flexible, though tough and elastic. The cartilaginous fishes bear but a small proportion to the osseous; yet in their number In the first and principal subdivision of this group the gills are fixed; that is, instead of floating with a free edge in a single cavity, covered with gill-flaps as in other fishes, they are fixed by both edges, and allow the passage of the water through them by means of several apertures, at regular intervals. (Head of Shark, showing the situation of the mouth, and the gill-openings.) To this subdivision belong the sharks | (squalus. Linn.,) a race of viviparous fishes; that is, producing perfectly formed young, contrary to the general rule of the class. The sharks are distinguished by an elongated form of body, and a large forked fleshy tail; the gill-openings are lateral, the muzzle is prominent, supported by three bones converging to a point, and arising from the skull, which advance so as A. The three bones converging to a point, which throw out the muzzle. B. The orbit of the eye. C. C. The bones which supply the place of true jaws, armed with formidable teeth. to bring the mouth beneath the head; and the developed cartilaginous bones of the palate which supply the place of true jaws, are well armed with several rows of formidable teeth, of a compressed conical | ments, and insults, and things not pleasing figure, with a notch on each side; thus: (Tooth of Shark.) In seizing its prey on the surface of the water, the shark makes a turn with the body, so as to bring the mouth uppermost, without which it must be evident that it would fail in its purpose. The elongated form of the shark, in connexion with its ample fins and powerful tail, contribute to render it one of the most rapid of the tribes of the ocean. It darts through the water with inconceivable velocity, and will not only keep up with a vessel during the quickest passage across the wide Atlantic, but will play around it, now diving to the lower deep, now skimming far a-head, now returning to seize some fated victim, whose blood tinges the water, as his body is snapped asunder. The skin of the shark is destitute of scales, and is smooth and slimy; the airbladder or sound, which has been commonly considered as an organ for regulating the depth at which the fishes may wish to be suspended, is here wanting. The sense of smell appears to be extremely keen, and the sight clear and accurate. The genus squalus of Linnæus, is subdivided into several genera by modern naturalists, but into these minutia we shall not attempt to enter. The species are numerous and widely spread. M. MAXIMS RESPECTING USEFULNESS. 1. WHEN a man is actively engaged in endeavouring to do good, he will meet with many things quite unexpectedly, which concur to strengthen his hands, and encourage his heart; things which he would never have seen nor heard of, if he had not been so engaged. 2. A man who attempts nothing, will see no interpositions of Providence in his favour; will have nothing to record, nothing to excite his gratitude, nothing to stimulate to action. Indolence is a worm at the root, a canker which mars the beauty, and renders fruitless every thing into which it enters. 3. The man who wishes to be useful, must make up his mind to meet with many crosses, and difficulties, and disappoint to flesh and blood; but if these things are met in a proper spirit, they will not cool his ardour, nor hinder his usefulness; yea, rather they will inflame his zeal, awaken his compassion, stimulate him to greater activity, and render him a more efficient workman. Faith sees no impossibilities: it esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make it fear; sling stones are turned by it into dust; darts are counted as stubble; it laugheth at the shaking of a spear. The soldier who has no conflicts cannot tell of his victories. The sailor who has never been in a storm, has scarcely seen "the wonders of the Lord in the deep." It is the exercised christian, the man who has passed through hard training, who will sing loudest both of judgment and of mercy; and knowing the faithfulness of God, and the love of God, and the power of God, he will press forward, nothing doubting. 4. Few persons have the means of doing much alone, but a few, with very scanty means, may be able to accomplish great things by bringing them openly before the minds of others, and calling in their united aid. Mr. Jay tells us, that Cornelius Winter, though poor, yet helped hundreds by pleading their cause with the opulent. 5. If a minister had it in his power to supply all the indigent people in his neighbourhood with food, clothing, bibles, school-books, and instructors, out of his own purse, it would both be unwise and unkind for him to do it. The attention of all classes ought to be directed to these objects, and in proportion as they become interested in them, it will be found that an unspeakable favour has been conferred on them. The voice of Wisdom has told us, "It is more blessed to give than to receive;" but this is a paradox which some men have yet to learn, and the sooner they learn it the better; every effort should be made to put them in possession of it immediately. more 6. There are many ways of improving. our talents, and benefiting our fellowcreatures; and if christians were alive to the importance of this, and more ingenious in devising plans of usefulness, they would often be astonished and delighted at what God had done for them, and what God had enabled them to do. Perhaps the greater part of the operations which are now blessing the world, began in some feeble, and apparently insignificant efforts; therefore let us never despise the day of small things, but let us all remember our responsibility, and try to do what we can.-American Sunday School Jour nal. POTATOES. ONE of the Reports of the "Board of Agriculture," states of this most useful and now universally well-known root, so kindly furnished by a kind Providence as an important article of food, that it is a native of America, and was familiar to the Indians before the conquest of Mexico and Peru. It was called by them, amongst other names, openauk;" and in the history of the new found land Virginia, written by Herriot, a follower of Sir Walter Raleigh, and printed in 1588, is described as "a kinde of root of round form, some of the bigness of wallnuts, some farre greater, which are found in moist and marish ground, growing many together, one with the other, in ropes, as if they were fastened by a string." "Being boyled," he says, or sodden, they are verie good meate." 66 Gerard, in his "Herbal," is the first author who gives the figure of the potatoe plant. He calls it by the name of “ Folarum tuberosum,” which name has been followed by Linnæus and his disciples. this time, however, extremely small, and the price what would now be thought excessive, namely two shillings per pound. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. GOD as in his Son, God as in covenant with us in his Son, God as clothed with grace and mercy, shining in his promises in Christ, is the God we must study to know; and when by his grace we attain this knowledge, we may glory humbly in it. "Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord, which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Jer. ix. 24. Some study God in his works; and much of his glory shines in them, and we ought to observe it. But what is all the fruit of this alone? Only to render men inexcusable, Rom. i. 20. This light of the knowledge of the glory of God is both dim and cold light. It hath no heat nor power in it. Never did a man come by the saving knowledge of God, by the study of the book of creation and providence, though a true christian may both study and profit much by it, when he hath known God, or rather is known of God, Gal. iv. 9. Again; some study to know God in his holy law; and in it is a glorious discovery of God: but it is of a holy, just, sinhating, sin-forbidding, sin-threatening God. Here he is seen as a terrible Judge. No man ever did or can know God savingly, in bare law light. Only God can be savingly known in that representation of him where he is manifested as a saving God; and that is only in his Son Jesus Christ. Sir Walter Raleigh, after returning from America, in 1586, is said to have first given it to his gardener in Ireland, as a fine fruit from America, and which he desired him to plant in his kitchen-garden in the spring. In August, this plant flourished, and in September produced a fruit, but so different to the gardener's expectation, that in an ill humour he carried the potatoe apple to his master. "Is this," said he, "the fine fruit from America you prized so highly?" Further; some study to know God, in Sir Walter either was, or pretended to be and by his ordinances; precious appointignorant of the matter, and told the garments of God, much to be valued and dener, since that was the case, to dig up the weed, and throw it away. The gardener soon returned with a good parcel of potatoes. It was cultivated in the gardens of the nobility and gentry early in the seventeenth century, as a curious exotic, and towards the close of it (1684) was planted out in the fields in small patches in Lancashire, from whence it was gradually propagated all over the kingdom, as well as in France. Though tolerably common, they were in Ja nes the First's time considered as a great delicacy, and are noticed, among various other articles, to be provided for the queen's household; the quantity of them was at used by us; and their profit great when blessed by their appointer, and when used by us in the right manner. But we must know, that as the virtue of all the Old Testament ordinances lay in their relation to, and shadowing forth the Messiah then to come; so all the virtue of New Testament ordinances lieth in their relation to, and showing forth of Christ come. If, therefore, a man now shall study to know God savingly in and by the greater light of the gospel appointments, without regard to Christ's interest in them, that man will as surely perish in ignorance of God, as a carnal Jew, uncircumcised in heart, Jer. ix. 26; Rom. i 28, 29; Phil. iii. 3.— Traill. WHO CAN BEAR TO BE TOLD OF HIS FAULTS? WERE the question to be proposed to youth, maturity, or old age, "Who can bear to be told of his faults?" a thousand tongues would be ready to reply, "I can;" but though the thousand were to be multiplied by ten thousand, it would not alter the truth of the remark, that it is a very rare thing to meet with any one who can bear to be told of his faults. In my younger days I proposed to a few of my acquaintances, an occasional meeting for the express object of pointing out, in a friendly way, the failings which we had from time to time discovered in each other; when one of my friends, knowing more of human nature than myself, disconcerted me by proposing that we should meet in a nut-shell, being very confident, that all the members I should succeed in assembling together, might easily be contained in that limited receptacle. "Confess your faults one to another," is an injunction not difficult to be complied with, when our self-love is not wounded when we have some advantage to gain, or some punishment to avoid; but these cases do not prove that we can bear to be told of our faults. There are some who appear patiently to endure a reproof; others who will thank you for having administered it; and a third description will even make the request, that their faults may be faithfully pointed out to them. But, speaking from an experience not very limited, I venture the observation, that in all these cases there is a reservation of disquietude, if not of actual displeasure, and that the remark is strictly true, in a general sense, that we cannot bear to be told of our faults. As an exemplification of this fact, I will instance the result of my own observations. Being fond of paintings, drawings, albums, and poesy; having a sort of vagrant taste for the fine arts, curiosities, and elegant trifles, I make it a custom, when mingling with my young friends, to amuse myself by inspecting their recent productions. Dearly do I love to see a performance well executed; and a corresponding dissatisfaction awaits me when a careless piece of work is submitted to me. I cannot look on a well-drawn figure, or read a spirited composition, without speaking in its praise; nor regard a daub of a rose, with green leaves growing from every part of it as thick as blackberries; or a bird of paradise, standing on the tips of its talons on the petals of a passion flower, without mildly suggesting that in some respects they might have been more correctly represented. Now, this latter infirmity, if such it may be called, has ruined me with my young friends, all of whom would more willingly submit a performance to the whole of their acquaintance, than to me. When I have endeavoured to make my suggestion of an amendment as light to them as a feathery flake of descending snow, it has appeared to fall as heavily as cast-iron on my displeased auditors, who, though they give me credit for some judgment, more than suspect me of envy and ill-nature. It is in vain that I make it a rule to convince them that my remarks are correct, for this only increases their displeasure, which, in spite of all attempts to disguise it, is oftentimes so apparent, that I have almost determined to allow houses declining forty-five degrees from a perpendicular; figures with the eyes fixed in the top of their foreheads; birds with one leg; and thumping red roses growing from the slender stems of the harebell, to pass in review before me, without dropping a single hint that they are not specimens of perfection. Some time ago, being detained at a house where a young lady was seated at her piano, I requested her to play "The Battle of Prague." She went on thumping away, with almost as much violence and monotony as a dairymaid churning butter. A pause at last occurred, by which I concluded that the piece must have been performed without my having identified it as the "Battle of Prague." Unluckily I pointed to her music-book, asking her if she had not passed over one part a little too hastily? In as short a time as any attention to decency would permit, the book was closed, the instru ment shut up, and the music-stool abandoned by the young lady, while, in the same space of time, my mind was made up never again to rebuke her-no, not if she should play "Handel's water-piece" to the air of "I'd be a butterfly," or his grand "Hallelujah chorus" to the tune of "Tink a tink :" for she could not bear to be told of her errors. A friend of mine, possessing some talents as a painter, occasionally exhibits a picture or two at the exhibition in Somerset House. A week ago he showed me a representation of the interior of a cottage, nearly finished, and to do him justice, it was a beautiful performance; but by one of those unaccountable oversights, which |