330 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATIONS [Sou 



burning atmosphere it may be dangerous, but when pathos 

 blends with the storm and sorrow rains her tears, anger becomes 

 controllable, and may harmlessly discharge itself in reminis- 

 cences, or contrition. BE. 



Soul Ascension. ^ 



The frigate-bird (Frigata) spreads its wings to the extent of 

 three yards, and its power of flight is, therefore, very great. 

 When a hurricane arises it mounts up far above the storm, and 

 remains in these empyrean regions until the tempest is over- 

 past. In consequence of their immense expansion of the wing 

 they can sustain themselves in the air for days together without 

 taking or requiring rest. The human soul, like the frigate-bird, 

 possesses a power to rise above its storms. Upon the pinions 

 of faith it can ascend above the tempests of time, and calm 

 itself in the prospects of immortality. No storms can beat it 

 down, for it possesses a spirituality which, as Dr. Croley says, 

 enables it to rise higher and higher with every fresh wave of 

 its wing. ' RE. 



Soul Blossoming. 



Moments of profound faith, says Rev. F. W. Robertson, do 

 not come once for all ; they vary with the degree and habit of 

 obedience. There is a plant which blossoms once in a hundred 

 years. Like it, the soul blossoms only now and then in a space 

 of years; but these moments are the glory and the heavenly 

 glimpses of our purest humanity. F. w. R. 



Allured by Mere Sound. 



The Cicada plebeia, or Tettigonia fraxini, is an insect very 

 common in Provence, of grey yellow below, black above : the 

 head and thorax are marked or stripped with black. M. Solier 

 says that its song, very loud and very piercing, seems to consist 

 of one single note, repeated with rapidity which insensibly 

 grows weaker after a certain time, and terminates in a kind of 

 whistle, which can be partly imitated by pronouncing the two 



