insect casts off and fixes to adjacent objects; these hold the old skin tightly while the caterpillar creeps out of it.

6. It immediately begins again to eat voraciously, and in five days more another change of skin is necessary. Four of these renewals bring the insect to its full size, which is about three inches long. Arrived at maturity, the caterpillar is of a rich golden hue. It then leaves off eating and selects a corner in which to spin its cocoon. It first forms a loose structure of floss silk, and then within it the closer texture of its nest, which is of an oval shape.

7. Here it remains spinning and working until it is gradually lost sight of within its own beautiful winding-sheet. On the completion of its cocoon it changes its skin once more, and then becomes an apparently inanimate chrysalis, with a smooth brown skin. It remains in this corpse-like state for a fortnight or three weeks, when it comes forth a perfect winged insect-the silk-moth.

8. In escaping from the cocoon, it pushes the fibres aside; having no teeth, it cannot gnaw its way out, as is generally supposed. In the perfect form, the insect takes no food, and only lives two or three days.

9. The silk of the silk-worm is a fine yellow, transparent gum, which hardens as it becomes exposed to the air when issuing from the insect's body. The length of filament yielded by a single cocoon is about three hundred yards. This filament, however, is so fine that it takes upward

B

Op-po'-nent, one who is opposed to another.

POU-AKAS, at one time the sheik or chief ruler of Algeria, having heard that the cadi of one of his twelve tribes administered justice in an

admirable manner, and pronounced decisions in a style worthy of King Solomon himself, determined to judge, from his own observation, of the truth of the report.

2. Accordingly, dressed like a private individual, without arms or attendants, he set out for the cadi's town, mounted on a docile Arabian steed. Having arrived there, he was just entering the gate, when a cripple, seizing the border of his garment, asked him for alms in the name of the prophet. BouAkas gave him money, but the cripple still maintained his hold.

3. "What dost thou want?" asked the sheik. "I have already given thee alms." "Yes," replied the beggar, "but the law says not only, 'Thou shalt give alms to thy brother,' but also, 'Thou shalt do for thy brother whatsoever thou canst.""

4. "Well! and what can I do for thee?" "Thou canst save me-poor crawling creature that I am!-from being trodden under the feet of men, horses, mules, and camels, which would certainly happen to me in passing through the crowded square, in which a fair is now being held."

5. "And how can I save thee?" "By letting me ride behind you, and putting me safely down in the market-place, where I have business." "Be it so," replied Bou-Akas. And stooping down, he helped the cripple to get up behind him; a business which was not accomplished without much difficulty.

6. The strangely-assorted riders attracted many eyes as they passed through the crowded streets;

and at length they reached the market-place. "Is this where you wish to stop?" asked Bou-Akas. "Yes." "Then get down." "Get down yourself." "What for?""To leave me the horse."

7. "To leave you my horse!

What do you

mean by that?" "I mean that he belongs to me. Know you not that we are now in the town of the just cadi, and that, if we bring the case before him, he will certainly decide in my favour?” "Why should he do so, when the animal belongs to me?”

8. "Don't you think that, when he sees us two, you, with your strong, straight limbs, which Allah has given you for the purpose of walking, and I with my weak legs and distorted feet, he will decree that the horse shall belong to him who has most need of him ?" Should he do so, he would

not be the just cadi," said Bou-Akas.

9. "Oh, as to that," replied the cripple laughing, "although he is just, he is not infallible." The sheik was greatly surprised. "But," he thought to himself, "this will be a capital opportunity of judging the judge." Then he said aloud, "I am content, we will go before the cadi."

10. On arriving at the tribunal, where the judge, according to the Eastern custom, was publicly administering justice, they found that two trials were already in waiting, and would, of course, be heard before theirs.

11. The first was between a taleb, or learned man, and a peasant. The point in dispute was the taleb's wife, whom the peasant claimed as his own. The woman remained obstinately silent, and would not

declare for either; a feature in the case which rendered its decision exceedingly difficult. The judge heard both sides attentively, reflected for a moment, and then said, "Leave the woman here, and return to-morrow."

12. The learned man and the labourer each bowed, and retired; and the next case was called. This was a difference between a butcher and an oilseller. The latter appeared covered with oil, and the former was sprinkled with blood. The butcher spoke first, and said:

13. "I went to buy some oil from this man, and in order to pay him for it, I drew a handful of money from my purse. The sight of the money tempted him. He seized me by the wrist. I cried out, but he would not let me go; and here we are, having come before your worship, I holding my money in my hand, and he still grasping my wrist. Now, I assert that this man is a liar, when he says that I stole his money; for the money is truly mine own."

"This man

14. Then spoke the oil-merchant :— came to purchase oil of me. When his bottle was filled, he said, 'Have you change for a piece of gold? I searched my pocket, and drew out my hand full of money, which I laid on a bench in my shop. He seized it, and was walking off with my money and my oil, when I caught him by the wrist, and cried out, 'Robber!' In spite of my cries, however, he would not surrender the money; so I brought him here, that your worship might decide the case."