The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-07-17 00:00:00

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HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL

A VERY SUFFICIENT REASON.—For the first
time in the memory of the oldest inhabitant of the
camp at Wimbledon, the butts have been gravelled.
he reason given by Lord Elcho, we understand, is the
discredit' the Turf" has fallen into.— Pooch.
VISIT OF WORKMEN TO WHYYMINSTER ABBEY.
—The Committee of the Bermondsey (London) Work-
ing Men's Institute, a short time since requested the
Dean of Westminster to allow a few of the members
to visit the Abbey under his guidance. To this appli-
cation the dean willingly consented, and fixed last
Saturday afternoon as the time, when, at five o'clock,
a party numbering sixty-one assembled at the
Abbey, over which Dean Stanley conducted
them, giving at the same time a graphic historical
sketch of the Abbey, and lif the principal persons and
' events connected therewith. In this he was most
efficiently aided by Lady Augusta Stanley, to whom
' many of the visitors are greatly indebted for the
trouble which she took to give them information, and
show them monuments which otherwise would have
escaped their notice. After upwards of two hours had
been spent in this agreeable and profitable manner,
the visitors took tea at the deanery. A hearth It vote
of thanks, was given to Dean and Lady Augusta
Stanley for the kindness and courtesy they had shown
to their visitors.

- - -
EFFECTS or LIGHT UPON GLASB—It is a well-
known fact that, even independent of the effects of rain
and wind, glass, even of good quality, is affected by
sunlight. The late Dr. Faraday made some observa-
tions concerning this subject, and found that violet.
coloured glass became deeper and more intensely
coloured than it originally was after having been ex-
posed to direct sunlight for eight months. M. Graf-
field, of Boston, U.S., who has been for more than
twenty years in the wholesale glass trade, and is at the
same time a good ..observer, haa recently sent to the
Photographic Society of Marseilles a series of the result
of his researches and observations on this subject, in
which he conies to the conclusion (which is especially
important to photographers) that glass is even sensibly
affected after one single day's exposure to the sun's rays,
and that all glass, without exception, including that
used for optical purposes, is more or less acted mion,
even when made of the best materials and by most ex-
perienced workmen; greenish glass arcing t beeom.
the least affected. The author Inis new, to Marseilles
a series of photographs representing the tinge and
changes produced in divers varieties and kinds of glass
after exposing them to sunlight—Quarterty Journal of
Science.

HOW COCIFCOOB CARRY THEIR Eons.—A Corre-
spondent of Land and Water contributes the following
item of observation on this subject :
Having observed in a magazine of last year the mention of
a cuckoo having been shot on the wing, and having, on being
picked up, slipped an entire egg out of its mouth, I resolved
to inquire if there were any natural provisions for securing
the egg in the throat while the bird is seeking a proper place
In which to deposit it. I fortunately found a bird-iduffer in
the very act of preparing a specimen of this eccentric creature
with the throat laid open. At nu request he put his knife
to the skin of the part immediately below the mouih, and
exposed such a sac as I was looking for, empty, but large
enough to hold an egg. He afterwards put a bradawl down
the throat. and, with a little care, found an orifice distinct from
the gullet, just behind the tongue, leading into a cavity closed
at the lower end. This was evidently the same sac which he
had previously pierced from within, a little above the b
It would be well if some clever anatomist would carefully
extract the internal membrane of the throat of the bird, and
give an accurate description or drawing of it, including the
larynx, which must have a peculiarity of its own. 11l have
not been mistaken, I think the existence of this sac, coupled
with the incident before mentioned, proves that the method
of this bird ix first to lay the egg on the ground, and then to
swallow it Into the special receptacle and carry it away to
place it in the first convenient nest it may find.

BONNETS.— The present bonnet is really an
ornament, and, as such, very becoming. Next winter
we may perhaps be vrishin4 for it to become larger ;
but at present, when beauty not warmth is the ques-
tion, we can but admire the dainty little coiffures,
which are quite as much a psrure as the wreath of
flowers we put on for a ball. Nor does the modern
bonnet essentially differ from such a wreath. In many
cases little appears in it but a diadem of flowers and a
lace barbe. The diadem bonnets in Leghorn, rice, or
fancy straw, resemble in shape the head-dress of the
Knave of Hearts. Strange indeed they look when seen
bare of trimming • but when tastefully wreathed with
flowers and completed by lace barbes, are very pretty
indeed, and very becomiug. The blossoms and berries
of the elder tree, mixed with more roses ; bunches of
dark blue violets, relieved by the lighter bloom of apple
or mayflowers ; bright red verbenas, wreathed with the
sweet heliotrope and delicate nognonnette—all these
form very lovely ornaments for heads whose •lark or
sunny tresses need no covering.—Engli.Thwoman's

Magazine.
NEWSPAPER SPAMES.—INTENDIED CHANGES.—
A contemporary states that important changes will be
made early next session in reference to the stamps of
newspapers and their transmission through the medium
of the Port-office. The stamp, whether impressed or
affixed, will be reduced from one penny to a halfpenny,
and the latter sum will suffice for any weight. A
newspaper. suppose, with a double supplement, the
stamp on which now costs three-halfpence, will then
be carried for a single halfpenny. The rtarups may be
either impressed or adhesive, and the latter will be ob-
tainable at all places where newspapers are sold. The
stamp, however, will be obliterated on the transmission
of any newspaper once through the post-office. At
present, for the penny stamp, a newspaper may be
transmitted several times through the post-office within
fifteen days of the day of publication. Next year a
stamp will be required for each separate despatch
through the post. It is expected that this change will
partly compensate for the loss of revenue caused by
the reductb on of the charge. The existing rule which
prohibits the delivery of newspapers bearing an im-
pressol stamp within the limits of the town in which it
is published will be abrogated.
CHARITY Knows NO CREED !—CHI Sunday
afternoon the Rev. Newman Hall, LL.B., brought to
a close the "special services for the people," which
have been held for a long time past in St. James's Hall,
London. He preached from the 15th chapter of St.
Luke's Gospel—the parable of the lost sheep, which
he illustrated by some events which he witnessed ten
days ago on the moorlands of Cumberland. He said
I that on the previous Sunday he had advocated the
claims of Mrs. Gladstone's Convalescent Home. and on
, that clay he asked for aid on behalf of the National
' Orphan Home on Ham-common. To such institutions
as these he held that all should render assistance—that
the clergy should not be the only persons to appeal for
them. There was much Popery in the country, and
they should avoid it as much as they could, but the
worst Popery of all was to be found in the supposition
that the clergy were to do all the work of the Church,
and of charitable and benevolent institutions. Mr.
Hall, in closing, announced that on that evening there
would be at his own chapel—Surrey Chapel, in the
Blackfnara-road—an administration of the Holy COM.
munion, to which he invited Christians (if any Church
or no Church ; for there were (he added) many Chris.
tians who were not attached to any particular Church.
The National Anthem was played on the large organ
as the congregation dispersed for the last time.

A HI: T TO GUARDIANS.— A pastordl from Dr.
Manning was read on Sunday in all the R.lnan
Catholic Churches throughout London, in which he
severely condemned the conduct of the metropolitan
guardians in reference to Catholic children in work-
houses. He said:—
There is no greater wrong than to rob an unconscious
child of its religion. It is not enough to say that the Pro-
testant clergymen and poor law guardians who do it believe
the °lsabella bath to be eerenema That may excuse theta