specially; he often
spoke of adopting some promising lad to inherit a portion of his great
fortune, and continue the grand old firm in the City that had flourished
for over a hundred years as Murray and Co. For many reasons Mr. Gregory
hoped that one of his boys would be chosen, and lately everything had
seemed like it; therefore, the sudden interest Mr. Murray seemed to take
in Bertie caused Mr. and Mrs. Gregory some uneasiness, especially as the
gentleman said at dinner that evening that the yachting excursion would
have to be put off for some days, as he wished to make the acquaintance
of his old friend's sons, and learn a little more of their history, and
meant to call at their address the next morning.

(_To be continued._)

AN APPLE SONG.

The Autumn sunshine falls so warm,
So warm in the orchard green,
A golden tent is the apple-tree;
And under the leafy screen
Sits Rex, in the curve of a mossy bough,
As high as he can go,
Dropping the apples red and brown
To his Cousin Prue below.

Sweet Prue, knee-deep in the cool green grass,
Spreads wide her pinafore,
The ripe fruit falls in a golden rain,
By two, by three, by four;
With watchful eye and ready hand
She lets no apple fall--
As fast as Rex can throw them down
She catches one and all.

The blackbird on the topmost bough
Is singing loud and clear,
The children shouting at their task
It does him good to hear.
He watches them with his bead-black eyes,
And blither still he sings;
But clearer than dear blackbird's note
The children's laughter rings.

MORNINGS AT THE ZOO.

VIII.--IN THE FISH-HOUSE.

Of the Fish-house at the London Zoological Gardens it must be said that
its contents are decidedly "mixed," for it is the home not only of a few
specimens of the finny tribe, but also of some wading and diving birds,
of a very curious amphibian, of a few shrimps, and of several of the
beautiful flower-like sea-anemones. The collection, however, loses
nothing in point of interest because of its varied character, and will
repay a good deal more study than it seems to receive from visitors.

[Illustration: SEA-ANEMONES.]

Some of the fishes are as common as the schoolboy's familiar friend, the
minnow. Others, like the cat-fish and sea-horse, are rare--in England,
at any rate. Then there are kinds known to every lover of angling, such
as the perch and pike. Seldom has