SHELLS. 39 



weeds which surround them. Now tell me the 

 two principles which are to be traced through- 

 out the works of the Creator. 



Child. The economy of God and his com- 

 pensatory providence. 



Teacher. Bear these principles in mind, and 

 you will see many illustrations of them in the 

 habits of the mollusca. The following lines of 

 Pope will help to fix them in your memories : 



Nature to these, without profusion^ kind, 

 To proper organs, proper powers assigned ; 

 ' Each seeming want' compensated of course, 

 Here with degrees of swiftness, there of force. 



LESSON VIII. 



Teacher. What do you think will be our 

 next step in the study of shells ? 



Child. To learn the names of shells, and how 

 to class them. 



Teacher. What do you suppose first led 

 people to adopt classification ? 



Child. The wish to arrange their shells. 



Teacher. This would be one inducement, 

 but there are many more important advantages 

 connected with classification. Suppose that you 

 had found a variety of shells on the seashore, 

 and wished to inform a friend of the specimens 



