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/ N \ / Tlmea Go by Turms. The sea of fortune doth not ever flow; She draws her favors to the lowert ebb; t Her tides have equal time to come and go; , Her loom doth weave the fine and coarsest web; Ho Joy so great but runneth to an end, ‘ Ho hap so hard but may in fine amend. Hot always fall of leaf, nor ever Spring, Hot endless night, yet not eternal day; The saddest birds a season find to sing. The roughest storm a calm may so. n allay. Thus, with succeeding turns, God tempereth all. That man may hope to rise, yet fear to fall. ▲ chance may win that by mischance was lost; A net that holds no great, takes little f sh; In come things all, in all things none are crossed; Few all they need, but none have all they Cfih. TTxumngled joys here to no man befall; Who least, hath some; who most, hath never all. —Robert Southwell. Whipping the Schoolmaster. BT J. T. TBOWBBIDOE. “The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang oft agly. n Messrs. Tarbox, Tanner and Twiggs were very promising young men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two; very valiant, very ambitious and very strong. They had never done anything remarkable except at school, and their mighty achievements there did not con sist in spelling hard words in the back part of the spelling-book, parsing in tricate sentences or beating their master ciphering. However, although the above-named gentlemen despised such low pursuits as learning to read and write, their fame was great at school. The truth of the matter is, they had jointly and severally, •from time immemorial, as it were, be longed to the schoolmaster-whipping committee; and each of them, it is said, could boast of having conquered more pedagogues than some of their fellow- pupils had ever seen. Every winter these three gentlemen had been in the habit of amusing themselves and their constitu ents by such innocent practices as taking the rod out of the teacher’s hand and ap plying it to his own back, rolling him in the snow, and of putting him under the benches while they dismissed the sc ool. One winter, however, they found their match. Mr. Cyrus Wilkins was a stern, powerful man, and not one to be trifled with, with impunity. Messrs. Tarbox, lanncr and Twiggs had attempted on various occasions to creatq^-a rebellion and break down his authority, but Wil kins was firmly seated on his throne, and never hesitated to crush conspiracies with an iron hand. ' Fearir mat; sovereign’s forces sort to in a pitched battle, the gentlemen of the school-master- whipping committee resolved to have re course to stratagem. The school room was in the second story of a new brick building, which served the double purpose of a school and meeting house. The lower apart ment, which was occupied on the Sab bath, was kept scrupulously locked on all other days, to prevent unruly pupils from committing depredations therein; and there was a strong lock on the outer door as well as on the door of the school room. Having made the?e remarks that the plot of the conspirators might be fully understoed and appreciated, I now proceed in my endeavors to do some thing like justice to my narrative. One afternoon, as Mr. Wilkins was arranging his books and papers after the exercises of the day were over, no one else happening to be in the school room at the time, Tarbox, the leader of the conspirators, made a display of his valor in boldly locking the outer door and putting the key in his pocket. This courageous feat performed, Tarbox re tired with his companions to a short dis tance from the house, where they waited in high glee to enjoy the perplexity of their teacher when he should discover the trick and make signal of distress from a window. The three waited long and patiently, bet Wilkins remained perfectly quiet. They watched the windows closely on all sides of the house, but still they saw nothing of the schoolmaster. “Lord, boys! what’s claimed Tanner, suddenly. that?’ ex pointing at a bright light that glimmered through one of the upper windows of the house. “Fire!” replied Tarbox, with a start. “Fire, by thunder!” added Twiggs. “It is!” corroborated the first speaker. “Wilkins has set the house afire for wengeanci!” Tarbox, who felt that he had been the cause of the calamity, turned pale with alarm. T “Wh^Ato be done?” he cried. “I daren’t go* and unlock the door, for Wilkins would give me jessy, I know.” “There’s a ladder,” suggested Tan ner. “We can put that up to the window,” added Twiggs, “and you can go up and look in and see if the house is really on fire.” “A good idea,” said Tarbox, “I’ll do that. Come on, boys, and help me carry the ladder.” The ladder was soon placed against the side of the house; the summit just reached to the window of the school room. Tarbox mounted timidly, while his companion held the foot of the ladder. Arrived at the window he could once more see the blazing fire within, and he threw it open hastily. There was but i little >moke in the room, for the b’rze was occasioned by the burning of some dry hickcry sticks, piled carefully on the top of the stove. Discovering the trick, Tarbox was about to make great haste in descending to his companions, but, before he could close the window, Wilkins sprang to it and caught him by the collar. Tarbox feared his enemy would tumble him head long to the ground, endangering his life and limbs, but he misjudged the man. Wilkins was merciful; Wilkins was cool and cautious. Instead of pitching Tar box from the top of the ladder where he stood, he seized him firmly and resolute ly, and dragged him by main strength through the- window. “If you make the least resistance, Mr. Tarbox,” muttered the pedagogue, “I’ll flog you within an inch of your life!” If Tarbox had any idea at first of put ting Mr. Wilkins to the trouble of car rying his threat into execution, he im mediately changed his mind when he lifted up his eyes in agony, and saw the savage features of his master directly over him. He accordingly surrendered himself at once, and quickly followed the pedagogue into a small closet near by, where he suffered himself to be de liberately locked up. Having thus easily disposed of Tar box, Wilkins returned in haste to the window. He was just in time to seize Tanner, who was boldly mounting to the assistance of his companion. Wil kins dragged him in, and threatened Twiggs, who was already half-way up the ladder, to tumble him down if he did not immeidately descend. Twiggs scampered to the ground without wait ing for another invitation, and the schoolmaster hastened to dispose of his second victim. Tanner was not so easily conquered as Tarbox; but after being put to the trouble of picking himself up three times, he concluded not to tempt the fist of the powerful schoolmaster again, and quietly submitted. Wilkins led him to the entry, pitched him down the stairs, and locking the door behind him to pre vent his return, went back to the school room. He found Twiggs on the ladder, he having mounted to see in what manner his companions had so mysteriously dis appeared. Seeing Wilkins, he began to descend, but thought fit to pause when he heard the terrific threat that if he proceeded another foot the ladder would be thrown over upon him. Next, Wil kins ordered him to ascend. His hand was on the top round of the ladder as he spoke, and Twiggs dared not disobey. He slowly climbed up and had the pleas ure his companion had before him, of being dragged through the window. “You^fc the lash, but not the least,’j e*>, "WtCii^rtuu as he led his submissive pupil across the room, “and I’m bothered to know what to do with you. Tarbox is in the closet there, and Tanner is trying to make through the outside door, which one of you had the goodness to Ipck, in order to keep me in. I mustn’t put you with either of them, and I have an equally strong dislike to letting you run at large. Ah, I have it! I will tie you up!” This said Mr. Wilkins produced a strong cord from the table draw, tied his unresisting pupil’s hands behind his back, and bound him to one of the benches. “Now, be so good as to inform me which of you locked the outside door?” said Wilkins. “Tarbox; and I didn’t have nothin’ to do with it, ” replied Twiggs. “And Tarbox took the key?” “Yes, sir.” “Thank you; I will speak with Mr. Tarbox on the subject.” Wilkins proceeded to the closet. He found Tarbox sitting on the floor like a Turk. He looked up with a silly grin when his teacher entered but he imme diately looked down again. “Have you the key?” demanded Wil kins. Upon which, without saying a word, Mr. Tarbox took the required article from his pocket. The schoolmaster thanked him, wished him good evening and re tired. Tarbox was once more locked up in the closet. Mr. Wilkins then begged of Mr. Twiggs not to make himself uncomfort able by tugging at the cords which con fined his hands, but to remain as quiet as possible; and wishing him a pleasant night’s rest, disappeared through the window, which he closed after him, and descended to the ground. This done he considerately removed the ladder that the prisoners might not put their lives in danger attempting to escape by it, provided they broke loose into the school room,and proceeded to his board ing place as if nothing of any note had happened. Mr. Wilkins slept very soundly that night, and got up early the next morn ing to proceed about the duties of the day. It is said that, on his arrival at the school room, he found three of his pu pils there who had lodged somewhere about the premises, and looked as if they had enjoyed but little sleep. It is needless to say that the three gentlemen of the schoolmaster-whipping committee did not soon hear the last of taking- lodgings in a school house, or need the reader be told that they never after made an attempt on the sacred person of Mr. Cyrus Wilkins.—Yankee Blade. ' Ten cubic feet of air are required for the perfect combat ion of one cubic foot of gaa. FOB FABX AND GARDEN. CLOVEB FOB DE8TBOYIXO RAGWEED. A good uniform catch is the best cure for ragweed, as well as various other small annuals that often trouble farmcis. The clover seed, if sown early, will de velop into broad leaf so as to smother the smaller weeds that start in the Spring. To do this, however, clover seed must be itself free from weed seeds and be sown with liberal hand. It is in the vacant places where clover does not catch that the weeds get their strongest hold. Yet a strong growth of clover does not apparently lessen the Crop of grain with which it is sown. FEED OF YOUNG .ANIMALS. The feed of young animab should al ways be liberal. This is the time when food produces the greatest growth, per haps for one reason bccau-e the natural strength of the digestive organs has not yet been impaired. A young animal after being once stunted never fully re covers its digestion. This most impor tant of all the organs remains enfeebled, and diminishes the effect of all good feeding afterwards. It also probably helps to overcome the natural instinct which prevents eating too much. Al ternate starving and clogging will ruin any digestion, and with this injured, all animals, even up to men and women, are not worth half what they should be. KEEP THE STABLE LIGHT. Dark stables, says the Western World, are an abomination, and should not be tolerated. There is no necessity to sac rifice comfort, either in winter or sum mer, to secure enough light. A horse’s eye is enlarged—the pupil of the eye is—by being kept in a dark stable; he has a harness put on him and suddenly brought out into a bright, glaring sunlight, which contracts the pupil so suddenly as to cause extreme pain. By persevering in this very fool ish and injudicious, as well as cruel practice, the nerves of the eye becomes impaired, and if continued long enough, loss of sight will ensue. To see how very painful it is to face a bright light after having been in the dark, take a walk some dark night for a short time till the eye becomes accus tomed to the darkness, then drop sud denly into some well lighted room and you will scarcely be able to see for few moments in the tudden light. You know how painful it is yourself, then why have your horse repeatedly bear such unnecessary pain? A dark stable is invariably a damp one, and such a stabls we are not yet willing to put either a valuable working or dnvinflLhorse in. Give good ventila- chance to effect an entrance, and your stables will be purer and healthier than if you take such pains to exclude them and the good influence .they in- ment of h.s important elemcn the com position of the soil is ^flpfrom being constant. Ammonia i^one of thg most important elements of p^Lfopd, but it is exceed- ingly volatile; anoif the soil is exam ined when it is first broken for a Spring crop, and the examination is repeated after the field has been exposed to the heat of the 'Summer months, it will be found that the ammonia of the soil has diminished one-half* or more, under the influence of Summer heat. On the other hand, th^sylnbte salts of potash, soda, lime, etc., will accumulate under influence of dry, hot weather, but if the drenching rains of Spring are suffered to wash the soil, these soluble salts will proportionately diminish. It will be readily perceived that an accurate analy sis of the same soil at different seasons of the year will stow very different re sults. Of the materials which go to make up the bulk of field crops, so small a proportion is derived from the soil that it renders the process of determining the presence of that little a very dele- cate one. If 200 founds of guano be carefully mixed .with the soil of an acre of ground, its efrot on the crop will be very sensibly perceived; but of the es sential elements of plant food, the guano has addod^|> the soil only six pounds of potash, twenty-four of pho»- phoric acid and thirty-four of ammonia. —Boston Cultivator. GAME FOWL. The game fowl, in my estimation, says a writer in the New England Homestead, is the most profitable to keep. I keep no other kinj^but pit games. They are not as large as*^one of the other breeds, but they are lesnexpensive; being great foragers, they require very little to eat outside of what Uiey provide for them selves. They are very healthy, scarcely ever having cholera or any of the dis eases so common among poultry. ' As an egg producer th» game hen is without a peer. She will tverage, when properly cared for, from 225 to 250 eggs per year. She seldsm gets broody, and when she does is easily broken from wanting to sit. She makes an excellent mother, and it is with great difficulty that a crow or cat captures one of her brood. The little chicks grow rapidly and, when fat, mike as fine a table fowl as one can desirf I have bred several varieties of poultw, but from experience and observation. I prefer games to all others. variably bring. FABM AND GABDEN NOTES. Foul air in staples affects the quality of milk. Most plants wll not thrive in a cold, vate with a horse. Eat ripe fruit or sauce every day, or twice a day, if possible. Have a good orchard, and as good a vahety of fruit as possible. Make farm, garden and poultry house furnish all they can of the living. Raising ducks is very profitable. The Pekin is the most hardy and easy raised. Warmth is the best of all medicines for roup and swelled heals and eyes. Place the birds by a stove if possible. Eggs are the cheapest and most satis factory food the farmer or boardiug- hov.se keeper can put upon their tables. Make your selection of calves to raise from the first of the good ones. Don’t sell them and take what is left for your self. Annoint the combs and wattles of the large comb breed of fowls with glycer ine occasionally, and it will prevent frosted combs. A good deal is said about thorough bred stock, and not near as much as might profitably be said about thoroughbred help. Don’t be in a hurry to get the cows on to the pasture; they, both cows and pasture, will be better to wait until the grass has a good start. The day of large profits is gone. The profits of dairying are made up of the small daily savings, in the difference be tween the cost of production and the value of the milk or butter. CHOPS FOB SUMMER FEEDING. In choosing crops for feeding during the Summer to aid the pasturage, or for soiling cows, sweet corn should npt be neglected. The grain contains twenty- five per cent, more gluten than that of field corn, and nearly twice as much oil, while the stems contain considerable more sugar. By a strange oversight no analysis seems to have been made of sweet com fodder by any of the experi ment stations, but by the test of feed ing to dairy cows the writer has found it to be much more productive of milk and butter than the common field corn and fully as prolific. An early variety, as Minnesota or Narragansett, which makes the largest growth of any early varieties, will mature for feeding in 60 days, and two crops may be grown in the season, while if planted weekly a constant succession may be had during the Summer. With sufficient orchard grass and clover and timothy to cut green and sweet corn full feeding may be had from May to November with the least trouble and cost. The small early sweet corn may be grown in rows 2 feet apart and 18 inches apart in the rows, giving nearly 15,000 stools per acre and in rich soil well cultivated at least 20 tons of green food per acre and 30,000 ears of corn with the fodder. SOIL ANALYSIS. In the early days of agricultural science much was anticipated from the services which chemistry would be able to render in the way of determining ac curately the several substances used in the growth of crops, and the proportion of each of these in the different kinds of crops. Having made these several de terminations, nothing more would be necessary than to ascertain what element of plant-food is deficient in the soil, an l apply it accordingly. This appeared so simple, and, at the same time, so plausi ble, that it was not surprising that there arose almost a mania for soil-analysis among progressive farmers. But unfor- seea difficulties arose, aud these ardent anticipations were doomed to disap pointment; and the value of soil-analysis is now in danger of being as much un dervalued as it was formerly overesti mated. The first and chief difficulty in the way of profitable soil-a-.^lysis is the great diversity and inconstant character of soils. You may take samples of soils from several places on the same acre of ground, and analysis will show that each is different from the others, so that a single sample taken for analysis would be of no value, and indeed might mis lead the farmer in the proper improve- Where Penn Signed the Treaty. A well-worn spot, kissed, no doubt, by the lips of many ardent tourists as the one on which William Penn made his famous treaty with the Indians, has just been proved to be some fifty odd feet removed from the historic elm be neath which that treaty was really made. The spot is on the lower side of Beach street, below Palmer, and is now the property of Neafie & Levy, the ship builders. When 'they purchased the lot two years ago for the purpose of enlarg ing their works, an old resident of the neighborhood stated that the elm stood about fifty or sixty feet from the street. He was laughed at, of course, but his statement ha- just been verified, In excavating for the new building, Neafie & Levy unearthei at the point indicated, the root of the old elm. It was about eight feet in cir cumference, ' and so firmly embedded that the workmen were unable to re move it without laborious effort. Fifty- five feet from the root, on an adjoining lot, stands the weather-worn marble tab let, which says that upon “this spot" William Penn made his famous treaty. How the error in locating the tablet wa* made is not clear, but it has lain there many years and has always been thought to be upon the very spot on which Pen ’ stood.—Philadelphia Enquirer. INDIAN BEAR DANCE. How the Utes Greatest Celebrate Their Festival sugar and flour. It was a weird sight to see than ^dancing at night by the light of the moon and Jarge bonfires. Barbaric Costumes, Queer Mu sic, Grotesque Movements. The army post at Fort Du Chesne, Utah, says the New York World, is sup plied with six companies of troops, whose chief care is to keep a watchful eye on the Ute Indians and regulate things on the reservation. According to an old Ute tradition, the bears at this season of the year hold high car nival all by themselves up in some se cluded place in the mountains, where there is no snow. For many generations the famous “Bear Dance” has been sa credly observed by the Utes, following as nearly as possible what the bears are supposed to do. They find a good level piece of ground, which is prepared by the bucks a few days before this chief festival of the year takes place, and unite in clear ing nearly an acre. They build a high brush fence around it, forming a sort of pen—only leaving one opening, which is faithfully guarded by two braves, and it takes a good deal of influence for outsiders to be allowed to enter this en closure. Then a flagstaff is erected, on which is a white flag with two huge bears painted black, typical of the dance. When the day comes on which the dance is to commence, the Indians come from all over the reservation—old and young, some on ponies, some are- the proud possessore of wagons and a great many walk. There are hundreds par ticipating in the dance, while on the outside of this pen are to be seen many Indians on ponies watching the perform ance. This dance lasts a week always mcluding one Sunday, which is dedi- tated to She-Nob (God). The squaws ire many of them arrayed in buckskin iresses, the wasts and sleeves being nost elaborately beaded in different lolored beads. The bottoms of these iresses are finished off with a buckskin fringe. The skirts are long on the sides md short in the back, so that their aandsomely beaded anklets and mocca- iins are often displayed. With these mits are worn beaded girdles or wide leather belts, ornamented with brass- headed tacks, and suspended from the belts are worn beaded bags or cases, and it the back, fastened to the skirt, are silk or cotton bandanna handkerchiefs !o prevent soiling the dress when the wearer is seated on the ground. All squaws are not fortunate in possessing buckskin suits, so they wq^r the bright- is soul > they wear tt loose and hanging over their shoulders. The men are gay with bright-colored calico shirts and some wear buckskin leggins. All wear something on their necks, such as wampum or a beaded necklace, or the chest is covered with a breastplate of wampum. They all wear feathers of every description in the hair, and many have their braids wrapped with pieces of fur, bright-colored rib bon, beaded ornaments and all sorts of things. One old fellow sported on his head a Chinese red feather-duster. The Indians all paint their faces. One had a dark blue nose and chin, with yellow cheeks and red stripes. Another had his face painted black, with one yellow eye and a red one. No two, in fact, were painted alike. The second chief of the Utes was made Master of Ceremonies, but there were two or three Floor Managers, as it were, w T hose duty it was to go around before each dance and point with a stick to the squaws whose turn it was to dance. The squaws were seated on one side, forming a semi-circle, and the bucks were on the other side. The musicians, ten or twelve in number, formed the or chestra, making a circle around a large wooden box or an old tin pan turned upside down. Each one had a stick about two and a half feet long, with notches cut in it on one side resembling a saw; one end of these sticks rested on the box or tin pan; with the right hand they rubbed these notched sticks with a round piece of wood forcibly and rapid ly, producing a very singular noise, and when accompanied by the voices of the musicians singing a sort of a savage chant, one can easily imagine the whole utterly devoid of musical sounds. When the music, so called, begins, the squaws whose turn it is to dance, three abreast and hand in hand take their places on the ground, after having in vited the bucks by a motion of hand or a tap on the shoulder,the bucks respond ing with alacrity. They form two lines, the squaws on one side and bucks oppo site, and at a given signal take three steps forward and three steps back again, beginning slowly and gradually increasing in speed until the music ceases, and they laughingly go to their places. Sometimes a man or a woman becomes exhausted and falls, causing a great deal of merriment among the other dancers. The medicine man quick ly runs to the fallen dancer and passes a music stick over his or her body, going through some ceremony. When he has finished the prostrate dancer quickly arises and is supposed to be cured. The last two days of the dance—Saturday and Sunday—the excitement is intense and the dancing continues all night Sat urday, winding up at sundown on Sun day. On that day they have a feast, which is provided principally by the traders, employes and the Indian agent, the officers of this post giving coffee, Profeeelonal Bat Catcher*. A New York animal dealer tells a Sun reporter that at present “there are about a score of * profejsioaal catchers in the city. They never do any other business and they are not very industrious at the queer one they have chosen. ' Very few rat catchers have traps. Some use an instrument like a long, slender pair of tongs, while others wear gloves, and trust entirely to their hands. Their mode of working is the simplest thing m the world. They sit down on the floor, which is strewn with some food that rats like. They place near them a saucer of water. Rats seem to be tor mented with a perpetual thirst, and every one of them will take a drink be fore he returns to his hole. While he is drinking is the catcher’s opportunity. You may have noticed, when you have been watching a wild rat, that so long as you do not stir the brute will show no ter ror. Frequently ho will approach close to your feet, for he cannot recognize life in a motionless body; but the instant you move, be it in ever so slight a degree, he vanishes like a dream. Tha catcher is as still as death until his victim' is within a tew inches of him, either with his head turned away, or so occupied in drinking as to see nothing except the water. Then the tongs, or the gloved hand, silently and stealthily descend, and the rat is lifted from the floor and dropped into a bag between the catcher’s knees. If he squeals all his fellows disappear as though the earth had swallowed them, os, indeed, it has. But, however quickly the capture may be made, one or other of the rats in the room is tolerably sure to see it and to give the alarm. Then the catcher must begin a new vigil. He never has long to wait, however. A rat must actually view or hear danger to detect it. He is utterly unsuspicious, repeated warnings are thrown away upon him, and nothing that does not appeal directly to his senses can affect him in the least. If no noise is made he come) out of his hole in a few minutes to tempt his fate again. A catcher could, and sometimes does, get a 100 or a 150 rats, and clear - the premises of the pests in a single night. SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS. The Canals of Mars. As to the nature of the canals, it is still more difficult to suggest any satis factory explanation. Several hypotheses have been presented, none of which ap pears entirely to meet the case. I have already remarked that there has not been lacking the suggestion that these curious streaks represent the line) of actual ar tificial water-courses on Mars. The u» J iiiii>)ii'in'i i "i they pursue might be regarded as lend ing some degree of probability to such a view, but the enormous scale on which they exist seems to compel the rejection of the hypothesis. It is true that, il we consider only the influence of the force of gravity on Mars, giants could dwell upon that planet whose mechanical achievements might vastly surpass the greatest performances of our engineers; for a body weighing a ton on the earth would weigh only seven hundred and sixty pounds on Mars, and, on the other hand, a man on Mare possessing relative ly the same activity as one of us might be fifteen feet tall and strong in propor tion. But, even granting the existence of such a race of Goliahs on our neigh bor world, it is not conceivable that they could have constructed a system of tre mendous canals over half the surface of their planet, or that they would have done it if they could. The canals of Mars are enormously disproportioned in magnitude to the most gigantic inhabit ants that a due regard for the law of gravitation would suffer us to imagine.— Popular Science Monthly. The Real Shetland Pony. The real Shetland pony is only thirty or at most for.y inches high. Those commonly seen in this country are from the north of Ireland, being bread with the horses there, aud are larger than the real Shetland for the genuine pony is difficult to rear. The country of which he is a native is bare, and the farmer is sharp, and when the little creatures sur vive the rigors of the climate and the effect of having but little to eat, the farmer values him so highly he only sells him at a high price. It costs a great deal to ship them, and they die on the voyage, all of which goes to account for there being so few of them among us.—New York Commercial Advertiser. America’* Glbralter. A very small proportion of the people of this country are aware that the strongest fort on the American continent is now building on the Pacific coast. When completed it will rank next tc Gibraltar among the world’s fortifica tions. It commands the entrance tc Puget Sound, the second port of entry on the Pacific Coast and one of the most important in the United States. The British will soon be able to close this port at any moment. No other nation in the world would permit the building of this great fort to intimidate a peace ful neighbor.—New York Star. No Great Advantage. Mr. Highlive/looking up from paper) —“Well, welll Wonders will never cease! They’ve got so now that they can photograph in colors.” Mrs. Highlive (glancing at his nose)— “I think, my dear, you’d better get your picture taken before the old procesi is abandoned.”—New York Weekly. Langley finds that hardly one-fourth of the solar energy, as we receive it, is visible. No less than forty-nine congresses for the consideration of important subjects —largely scientific—have been author ized by a committee of the Paris Exhi-. bition. It is said that the engineers and oper atives in the electrical establishments at Vienna and Madrid are required to wear rubber gloves as a measure of protec tion. Minute doses of corrosive sublimate— one of the most powerful poisons known —have been given for cWbra, with re markable success, by a French doctor in Tonquin. Animals have much more capacity to understand human speech thap is gen; erally supposed. The Hindoos talk to their elephants, and it is amazing how much they comprehend. The Victorian age, according to Pro fessor Ayrton, will be remembered rath er for the economical transmission of power by electricity than for the inven tion of the electric telegraph. A thermographic printing press, capa ble of turning off 400 impressions an hour from hot type on wood, is a new French production. It is said to yield re sults equal to lithography. A novel feat in engineering was re cently performed ou the line of the Pan ama canal. A steam launch which was too big to go under a bridge was lifted over it and safely deposited on the other side. The Patent Office is to be lighted by electricity, and the Secretary of the In- • terior believes that the saving from the average outlay heretofore sustained wil 1 in three years reimburse the expendi ture for the plant. The greenish color of certain cloths was found some years ago to be due to a parasitic growth of algae upon the hair. Two genera and three species of these minute plants—one genus green, and the other, with its two species, violet— have since been described by Mme.' Weber von Bosse. A single hair may have upon it from 150,000 to 200,000 individuals. A plan for rendering paper as tough ’ as wood or leather has been recently in troduced on the Continent It consists in mixing chloride of zinc with the pulp in the course of manufacture. It has been found that the greater the de gree of concentration of the zinc solu tion the greater will be the toughness of the paper. It can be used for majypg boxes, combs, for roofing, and eve making boats. - ■ porous terra cotta bricks and bloSV best resist fire, water and frost, next tonthesc in the order of fire-resisting qualities being the various concretes, or some of them, and burned clay work. In the best building work now done, the iron part is incased in porous terra cotta, tile or brick work, in roof, floor and tile con struction ; the hollow tiles are faced with vitreous tile, slate or any good weather proof coating, or with a single thickness of brick. Incased in fireproof materials, iron and steel framework is claimed to give the best results. The Hermit Thrush. Going leisurely through a pleasant woodland one day, picking the first flowers of the large, white canadensis, and finding them deliciously fragrant, contrary to my notion that only the later ones were so, I came upon a hermit catching his dinner amidst the dead leaves, running and jumping after his insect prey, carrying a great leaf in his mouth now and then, as if in play, pansing for a moment and seeming to listen intently. Yes, I could hear it, too, the melody of a distant thrush, faintly audible above the gentle stirring of the breeze in the tree tops. Silence ensued, my bird went on catching the insects hidden in the leaves, and my hopes that he would prove a singer and answer his rival, if thrushes ever have rivals, was not realizsd. Then I said this is a female bird who listens to the song of her mate. But I soon found the ventriloquist here iu the leaves was the only thrush in the woods. I could see the light ripple run over his breast as he sang his whispered soug, but it was difficult even then to doubt the existence of the far away songster, so perfect was the little conjurer’s art.— Vick s Maga. tine. A Wonderful Ruby. I had an opportunity a day or two ago of examining a wonderful ruby which a well known Borid street jeweller has on view. Quite a romantic history is attached to the discovS^ of the stone, which lay hidden for a prodigious num ber of years among the household gods of a Burmese potentate, who was, how ever, sufficiently alive to the exigencies and shifts cf modem tastes to put au enormous price upon his treasure. He is quite right, of course, for the stone is said to be, in many respects, the most important ruby in the world. In its present condition it measures an inch in length and three-quarters of au inch in width, and weighs twenty-four carats. Before it passed through the lapidary’s hand it was very much larger, and it was with something of a pang that or ders were given for its reduction in weight. As it is, it remains one qj largest rubies in the worlf spect of brilliancy and U is matchless.—j