pinky brown, barred with darker brown, and the head is redder than the body. It is generally about seven or eight inches in length.

The "Three-Lobed Blepsias," depicted on page 519, is one of those species to which the ancient naturalists had affixed certain names without any apparent motive for so doing. There is no particular meaning in the word, and the sum of information obtainable from lexicons is, that it signifies a certain fish. The members of this genus are found on the coasts of Kamschatka, and some fine specimens in the British Museum were obtained from the New Oreas Islands, in the Gulf of Georgia. This species is not very common,

RED FIRE FISH.

but may easily be known from its congener, the Two Lobed Blepsias (Blepsias Bilobus), by the peculiar manner in which the spiny portion of the dorsal fin is notched so as to form the whole fin into three distinct lobes. In the second species this structure is not seen. In both, the soft portion of the dorsal fin is greatly developed, and the body and fins are boldly marked with dark streaks upon a lighter surface. The body is entirely covered with prickles.

The eye of taste nor the eye of science may see beauty or use in the almost hideous productions of nature, but in them is a wisdom, nevertheless, that reveals in the habits of the

fish, could we but know it, that looks to defence or support, for the Great Author makes no mistakes in his creations, and nothing is amiss.

Mr. Robert Carter spent a portion of one summer, 1858, in Massachusetts Bay and along the coast, in search of pleasure and health, and found both, as we learn from the delightful account of it he published the same year, which book is still in demand. He described many queer fishes that were caught, that may be pertinent to our subject and interesting to our readers. He says of the Skate: "I caught this evening, for the first time, a skate-a very singular-looking fish,

which sometimes is found of great size, weighing as much as two hundred pounds. The one I caught weighed probably three or four pounds. It was a flat fish, with a broad, brown back, somewhat raised in the middle, the under side of the body of a dirty white. The snout was sharp and projecting, shaped like a spade; the mouth large, and armed with strong teeth. It had a tail like a monkey's, long and slender, and armed with spines. There were also numerous spines upon the body. When hooked it pulled with some force, and when thrown on deck rolled itself up like a hedgehog, lash

ing the deck with its tail, and uttering a faint squeak as if in anger." He thus describes the capture of a Sea Wolf off Nahant: "At length I hooked something of greater size and vigor than anything we had yet taken. Observing the force with which it resisted capture, the seamen watched with eagerness its arrival at the surface, in the hope that it might be a halibut. It proved to be a catfish, or wolffish, or sea-wolf, as it is sometimes called. The Scotch fishermen term it sea-cat, and in the Orkneys it is known as the swine-fish, from a swinish movement of its nostrils. It was a hideous-looking, black, slimy monster, thirty-two inches long by sixteen wide, weigh

ing ten pounds. The head was large, flat on the top, and blunt at the snout; the jaws filled with long, thick-pointed teeth, with which the creature snapped ferociously whenever we touched him. These jaws have great strength, and our fishermen handled their owner very cautiously." The taking of a Sea Raven is thus depicted: "The Assyrian, seated comfortably at the stern of the sloop, with his invariable cigar in his mouth, was lazily pulling up the occasional cod or haddock that were so accommodating as to fix them. selves on his hook, when suddenly he started to his feet exclaiming, 'I've got a halibut, now, I think.' We all gathered round him as, with surprising animation, he pulled in his line, of which he had out a great quantity, the tide having carried it away from the vessel. A brief observation of the process of hauling in satisfied the old pilot. He stepped back to his own line, saying, 'You have got no halibut there.' It was evidently, however, a large fish of some sort, and in time arrived at the surface. On catching sight of it the Assyrian paused, as if paralyzed with astonishment. 'What in Tophet is this?' he muttered. 'Lift it up,' said the artist, and let us look at it.' The Assyrian reluctantly complied. It was a frightful, spinous, blood-red creature, about two feet long. 'A sea-raven,' said the professor. The old pilot laughed. "You may call it a sea-raven, but it's a sculpin-a deepwater sculpin.' 'So it is,' rejoined the professor; but there are many kinds of sculpin, and the books call this one the sea-raven."'" The Sun-squall: "The professor with his dip-net caught a quantity of beautiful sunsqualls as they floated by. He also caught up some floating capsules of fucus, or rockweed, attached to which we found specimens of the Anatifa vitrea, a species of duck-barnacle. This curious animal, having a regular mul

tivalve shell, was long thought to be a mollusk, and was so classed. It is now, however, placed among the crustaceans, and the young of it is found to be a small crustacean, swimming freely in the water. This animal has a stout, fleshy peduncle for attachment. Its flattened body is enclosed in two large principal valves and several small supplementary ones. From between these valves a horseshoe-shaped cluster of long, curved, cirriforni arms are protruded, which sweep through the water with a grasping motion, in search of food. In the centre of this cluster the mouth is situated." We close with the Monk-fish:

"The head of the monk-fish is wide and flat; the mouth nearly as wide as the head. The jaws are armed with numerous teeth, of different length, conical, sharp, and curving inward. The lower jaw is the longer, and is fringed all round the edge with a sort of beard. The eyes are large and dull; the pectoral fins broad, and rounded at the edge, and wide at the base. The body is narrow compared with the breadth of the head, and tapers gradually to the tail. The whole fish is covered with a loose, rough skin, blackish brown on the upper surface, and white on the lower. The specimen we got weighed 30 lbs."

Crown we with flowers "the leafy month of June,"

The rose and lily twine in garland rare; Let woodland birds thrill out their votive tune, And zephyrs waft it o'er the meadows fair. Hark to the mower's song! The perfumed air Floats from the haysward to the slumbering stream,

Skimmed by the swallow, while the shep

herd's care,

Well washed, their fleeces bright as silver seem.

List to the lusty cheers that ring along The river's margins, at the rower's race.

View where the cricketers (fleet, agile, strong,) Claim for their noble sport no second place. While, to crown all, behold the brave balloon Soaring upon the vesper breeze of June.

Month! glorious month! Hail, laurelled June! Prince of the year! the glad sun's favorite child,

Bring with thee, on thy balmy wings, the boon Of Ceres... And never be exiled From us her fostering smiles; but pure and bright

Shed o'er our suffering land their blessed light.

CHAPTER XI.

SLIPPING THE NOOSE.

COLONEL BURKMAR free and in Alexandria, likely to come to Washington any day! Mrs. Seymore trembled at the thought. It was impossible to see visitors in such a frame of mind, so she shut her doors and was conveniently ill, scarcely feigning, indeed.

"I cannot deny that I am anxious," she said, to Cora. "I have certainly befriended my people more than would be safe to have known. If Colonel Burkmar should have found out that I helped your cousin away the first time he escaped, he would be likely to take bitter revenge. Your poor cousin!" she repeated, wiping her eyes.

Cora sat perfectly silent, looking into the fire whose light flickered over the two pale faces like light over marble. The curtains of the windows were closely drawn, though it was day, and besides the hearth-flames, there was a single jet of gas lighted. Their chairs were brought to opposite corners of the hearth, and there the two ladies had sat all day, the one trembling with the dread of detection, the other frozen at the mental vision of that scene which had been described all through Washington, of the escape of Colonel Burkmar from prison. Nelson, his companion, had come directly to Washington and told the story, while the colonel had gone to a friend's house in Alexandria, being too weak and ill for immediate service. Cora could think of and see but one thing-her cousin lying upon the cold ground, strangling in the grasp of this man whom she had tried to save from him. She forgot to wonder that Colonel Burkmar did not go North to be nursed by Helen, or that Helen did not come to him; all was blank to her save that one horrible picture which seemed to efface some sunnier view which unconsciously had opened in her heart.

"I wish, my dear, that you were heart and soul with the South," Mrs. Seymore broke

out, suddenly, after a pause. "I am nothing only a babyish, weak, homely little woman. But you have youth, health, beauty and talent, and might do wonders."

"I don't think my beauty has been very conspicuous of late," Cora said, wearily, passing a hand over her pale face.

"You mistake," said her friend, eagerly. "You are very remarkable looking, and even in black, which extinguishes most ladies, especially brunettes, people turn to look at you. Now you are in second mourning, and can make yourself as charming as you please. That purple mantle you wear is superb. You look the royal lady in it. Believe me, you have but to will it, and you can be queen in Washington society this winter. In such a position you would be as powerful as an army for the South."

"I have not the will," Cora replied, with quiet firmness. "I might like to lead in society if I were happy, and could exercise my power honestly; but the part of a Judith never suited me. I always despised that Jewess. I am no spy, and I cannot wear a mask. While I am under the protection of the Northern government I will not work against it. When I strike, it shall not be in the dark, but in daylight, and after giving warning. Pardon me, Mrs. Seymore! I do not wish to offend one who has been so kind to me as you have, and who befriended my poor cousin. Perhaps such things as you do are necessary in times of war, but I cannot do them. I am too honest, too proud!”

A swift red flitted across Mrs. Seymore's cheek and faded, and a glimmer of anger sparkled for an instant in her eyes. But after a moment she spoke gently:

"Do not let us quarrel. If we cannot agree, let us ignore such discordant themes."

"That is best, dear," said Cora, softly. This woman had been kind to her, and knew well how to be kind, and it is easy to pardon the faults of such.

The widow looked steadily into the down

cast face opposite her. She did not quite understand Cora. Such sweetness, such honesty, combined with so much spirit, were beyond her comprehension.

"If Colonel Burkmar has found out nothing," she said, "he will be sure to call on me when he comes to Washington. Of course your being here will be an excuse for my declining to admit him."

Cora shivered as with cold.

I

"I can never touch the hand that took the life of my cousin, even though it was taken in self-defence," she said, slowly. "But I have no wish nor right to exclude your visitors. forgot to tell you that I am going away. I made all the arrangements the last time I was out and saw Leda Stanley. When I came in you met me with such news that I have forgotten all till this moment. I am going with Leda and her mother to Europe, and shall, meet Cousin Frederick there, and spend the winter with him and the Wilies in Rome. The major is going to Paris with us. The surgeon says that his wound will not be quite healed for three months, and he thinks he will be better content to be inactive abroad than here."

"Then your arrangements are all made," Mrs. Seymore said, with a touch of bitterness. "I must congratulate you on the perfect secrecy which you have maintained towards me regarding them."

Cora looked up with a deprecating glance. "O, don't think that, Mrs. Seymore! Why should I keep it from you? I had no intention of going till that last day I went out. I did not know that the Stanleys were going. They had only just decided, and we settled it all at once. But you knew that Frederick had been urging me to come, and that I had said I would go if I had a chance."

The widow gazed into the fire with a thoughtful frown upon her brow. She hated to know that Leda Stanley was happy, but, on the whole, was glad to have her out of the country. The little lady would have liked to see that girl dead; but anything to have her out of the way.

"When do you go?" she asked, presently. "We leave here on the 22d, and take the steamer from New York on the 28th."

The conversation dropped here, and both occupied themselves with thoughts of their

own.

A week passed without any explosion, and Mrs. Seymore began to draw freer breath, and ventured to open her house again. The first

day her curtains were up came in Major Winfield and his betrothed.

"We came the first minute we could," Leda said, embracing Cora with joyful eagerness. "I have good news for you. Your cousin is not dead."

Cora cried out, blushing up with sudden

joy.

"So you can forgive the colonel," said Mrs. Seymore, smilingly.

"We had the news from the colonel himself," Miss Stanley continued. "We got a despatch from him requesting us to go down to Alexandria to see him, as he was not able to come up. He told us, and requested us to let you know as soon as possible, and to say that for your sake he was glad General Granger is alive. I told him that you are going to Europe with us."

Cora bowed, but said nothing, waiting with concealed eagerness to hear more. But they mistook her silence. Colonel Burkmar's name could not be a pleasant one for her to hear, they thought.

"I want you to go home with me if Mrs. Seymore will consent," Miss Stanley continued. "The Forneys had engaged the suite of rooms next ours and expected to have come yesterday, but Frances sprained her ankle so badly that they will not be able to move her for a fortnight or more, and they wrote to us to use the rooms till they came. I want you to be with me this week for a very particular reason."

Mrs. Seymore exclaimed, though secretly willing to have Cora away for awhile:

"Major, there is Leda taking away from me all the company I have, when you know that she really needs only you. Do reprove her selfishness."

The lovers exchanged a glance such as only lovers can give, and both faces brightened as their eyes met. The major was looking unusually handsome and interesting with his wounded arm supported in a crimson silk scarf of his lady love's, and Miss Stanley was overflowing with triumphant happiness. Her lover had fought bravely and distinguished himself, he loved her, and they were to be for some time together. What more could she ask?

While lamenting her visitor's absence, and reproaching her tenderly for being willing to go, Mrs. Seymore contrived to give a decided consent to her going.

"I will spare her for a week, or at most, ten days," she said, with a very pretty injured