The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-04-09 00:00:00

HOME FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

BRUTE INTELLIGENCE !—A horse at Fairbault,
Minn.' turned loose in his master's door-yard, saw a
basket banking on a clothes-pole about seven feet from
the ground (says The Cuckoo). It contained a pet
cat belonging to the place. The horse walked over to
the basket, put his nose up to in vestigate, and the
cat put out her paw and gave the intruding nose a
lively scratch. Thehorse turned around, looked back
over his shoulder as though to take aim and measure
the distance, kicked, and cat, basket, and all shot
into the air like a rocket. The horse watched the
success of his shot, then gave a low whinny of delight,
and walked away to feed. This is an instance of
" intelligence " in a brute.
CAPTURE OF A GOLDEN EAGLE.—Mr. Hood, head
gamekeeper, Drummond Castle, for some time had
noticed traces of eagles about Torlum, the thickly.
wooded hill about 1,300 feet high, Immediately to the
west of Drummond Castle. He set baited traps on
their probable resorts. The other day, while going his
rounds near the summit of Torlum, Mr. Hood dis-
covered a magnificent specimen of the golden eagle
caught by the claw in one of his trap?. Considerable
difficulty was experienced in securing him alive. The
'royal" bird, which measures 7 feet 10 inches between
the tips of the wings, is now kept in a cage in
Drummond Castle. It would be interesting to learn
if eagles have been known to frequent the district
within recent years other than on this occasion.

STORM WARNING.—The following cable message has
been received at the London office of the New York
Herald from the Herald Weather Bureau, New York:
—" A large disturbance is crossing slowly, will arrive
with increased enewy on the British and French,
affecting the Spanish and Norwegian coasts, between
the Bth and 10th, preceded and attended by so uth
east, backing to north-west, gales; rain, snow in north.
Unsettled weather will continue for several days;
Atlantic very stormy north of lat. 40deg.”
COLOSSAL OYSTERS !—Considering the present price
of native oysters—practically prohibitive to all but
wealthy lovers of the succulent bivalve—the intelli-
gence, reaching us from America, that a gigantic
oysterbed has recently been discovered in the State of
Kansas should be tidings of great joy (says the _bail?,
•Telegraph). It is too cruel that the hopes aroused by
such glad news should be blighted by the crushing an-
nouncement that the molluschian repository in ques-
tion contains nothing but shells. There is some consola-
tion, however, in the fact that these shells are of such
extraordinary dimensions that the oysters they as-
suredly contained at some remote epoch of this globe's
history must have been somewhat difficult to tackle
as comestibles, even if they were giants in those
days. In dealing with an oyster shell seven
feet by four, the prehistoric man must have
prised it open with a crowbar of the period, and ex-
tracted its toothsome contents with an antediluvian
hay-fork. Let the modern gourmet picture to his
mind's eye a Whitstable native weighing eleven stone,
and he will be enabled to grasp, approximately, the
idea of the Kansas oyster, as it flourished an unknown
number of centuries ago. When the resting-place of
this mighty bivalve came to light the other day, many
shells of the size above mentioned were found strewn
about, some entire, some broken, as if by undue vio-
lence in the opening of them. Perhaps a colossal
ancestor of our degenerate race, while enjoying a soli-
tary surfeit of Kansas oysters, was disturbed by a
deluge or an earthquake, and fled from that antique
sea-shore, leaving naught but the shells behind to
amaze his puny descendants of the ten thousandth
generation.

ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN TUNIS.—A society
has been fOrmed in Paris by some amateur archeo-
logists for the purpose of re-opening the excavations
at Tunis, which yielded such interesting results some
years ago when they were undertaken by Baron de
Billing on the part of the French Government.
Several curious objects have been discovered, not only
the usual amphome, paterse, &c., found in burial-
places, but a number of small skulls in stone of very
strange form sealed with little bits of bronze. These are
to be opened only in the presence of the members of the
society. The latest discovery announced in. the
Chronique des Arts is that a temple, dedicated to
Heracles, has been uncovered, and that in it has been
found a beautiful statue of that god in white marble,
and seemingly of Greek origin.
THE SAVING PRINCIPLE IN SCHOOLS.—M. Emile
de Laveleye writes (says the Pall Mall Gazette) in re-
ference to a recent Note of ours, to say that "it is an
error to believe that France is the only country that
encourages saving in her schools. The promoter of
this excellent scheme is Professor Laurent, of the
University of Ghent. M. de Malarce went to Ghent
to see how the saving principle acted in the schools
there. Thus the initiative came from Belgium. The
following are some figures taken from the latest
statistics, published the 30th June, 1880 :—Out of
7,342 children attending the primary schools, 5,569
haversavings bank accounts, and out of 3,592 infants
(between the ages of three and five) in the infant
schools, 1,177 have savings bank books."

WRECKED IN A CANIAL.—A serious accident oc-
curred at the Inverness, or East Coast Sea Lock of
the Caledonian Canal, on Saturday, which has re
suited in the temporary closing of through canal -
navigation and in the wreck of two schooners. The
Progress, of Castletown, Isle of Man, with potatoes,
for Cardiff, and the Regent, of Inverness, with coals,
came to the Sea Lock at flood tide, and proceeded to
go through the canal together, both being in the lock
at the same time. The lock, however, proved to be
too narrow, the vessels got wedged together between
the piers, and while in this position the tide ebbed and
left the schooners heavily loaded hanging in mid-air.
They were greatly strained, and the sides were broken.
When the tide flowed they were covered with water,
and it was feared that they would become total
wrecks, and must be broken up before the navigation
can be repaired.
CARRIER PIGEONS IN WAR TE'viE.—The central
station for the carrier pigeons which are kept by the
German Government for use in the event of war is

at Cologne, and the birds are kept in what was
formerly the Monastery of St. Pantaleon. The
ground-floor of this building is used as a residence for
the manager and for the offices, while the upper story
is converted into an immense dove-cot. The pigeons
are kept in training by being sent on regular journeys
—over short distances in winter and over larger ones
in summer. They are all reared at Cologne, whence
they are 'dent, as they may be wanted, to the outlying
stations at Mayence, Strasburg, and Metz. The
central station is connected with Berlin by inter-
mediate relays, and all the stations established just
now are intended to be used as a means for putting the
fortresses op the western frontier of the Empire in
communication with the tooter world in the event of a
siege. As soon as the Cologne station Is completely
provided for it is intended to form similar stations on
the Russian frontier.—Live Stock Journal.
STATISTICS OF CATTLE DISEASE. During the
months of January and February, 1881, there were
151 outbreaks of pleuro-pneumonia reported in Great
Britain, and 335 animals attacked. In the corre-
sponding period of 180 the outbreaks reported were
162, and the number of animals attacked 451.—
In the four weeks ending Febeuary 2lith there were
510 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease reported in.
England and Wales, and 38,769 animals were at-
tacked. This shows a considerable decrease from the
returns of the previous four weeks, in which the outbreaks
were $l4 and the number of animals attacked 43.363.
—ln the months of January and February of the pre-
sent year 191 outbreaks of swine fever yere reported
in Great Britain and 744 swine attacked. In the
corresponding period of 1880 the outbreaks reported
were 236 and the number of swine attacked 1,596.
AFTER TEN YEARS.—John " What ! Grown
co much ? Gpocl gracious! I can hardly believe my
census I"—Funny Folks,
A POINT CLEARED up.—One point in Mr. Glad.
stone's Budget has elicited expressions of surprise
(remarks the Daily News). The Excise Revenue for
1881-2 is estimated at £27,440,000, while the yield of
Excise in the past financial year was only £25,300,000.
Thp estimate of an increase of more than two millions
in that branch of taxation, while the others, taken to
be at a standstill, is thought over-sanguine. But
those who read our article last week on the
Revenue returns for the financial year ended
March 31 will have been prepared to expect
something of the kind. The Beer Tax explains
everything. According to the Budget speech, the
drawbacks on malt that special and temporary
charge to cover which the extra Id. was put on
the income-tax cost £1,312,000, while the delay caused
to brewing operations by the hard winter reduced the
income from Leer by about
.204',Q00. Presumably
neither of these causes of loss will operate upon thp
current year's Excise, and it will be remembered that
the beer duty, when it got into full swing, was ex-
pected to produce £359,000 more than the old malt
tax. These three sums have, quite obviously, to be
added together in estimating the probable increase
this year under the head of beer, and the remaining
increase in the Excise eetimates may be ascribed to
the general elasticity of that branch of revenue. Ex-
pressions of surprise at the augmented estimate are,
therefore, the most surprising part of the matter.
THE MYSTERIOUS FORCE.—The time for making
applications for admission to the Paris Exhibition of
Electricity has been extended to April 15, and those
who wish to figure there should take advantage of it
(says the Echo). When "all the world" has seen
what can be done by the modern development of the
mysterious force, there will be abundance of " busi-
ness " in connection with electricity; for despite the
introduction of telephones and the "light," few per-
sons really understand what electricity is capable of
doing when properly worked.
HINT TO FiXiII,OBIONISTa.—Try turtle for & Manion
House " blow-out."—Funny Folks.
THE KENNEDY FAMILY.—The wondrous mystery of
life and death was never more fully illustrated than
by the terrible fate which has overtaken three out of
the five Kennedys who for so long a time delighted
the British public by their unique and clever render-
ing of the melodies of Scotland (says the
Court Journal). The Kennedy family, consist-
ing of three sons and two daugh,ters set out
under the guidance of the father, David 'Kennedy,
to make a voyage round the world. After having
visited every nook and corner of England and
Ireland, they betook themselves to America, where
they were received with enthusiasm. No part of
Canada and the United States was left unvisited
by them, as they went on singing their way to
California. Thence they proceeded to Australia,
reaping there, as a matter of course, an abundant
harvest of applause and nuggets. Their last
voyage was to Zululand, where they found a popula-
tion so thoroughly Scotch, that their arrival was
greeted everywhere with inexpressible delight. The
effect produced by the Scottish airs as sung by the
family was extraordinary, and complete bewilder-
ment seized upon the singing party when one of the
Zulu audience broke out with a roar into "Willie
brew'd a peck o' maut," giving it the true accent
and expression. After their return to Europe, the
Kennedys, wishing to aspire to a higher walk of Art,
repaired to Milan, to study Italian Opera, with the
intention of appearing next season in London. The
two elder sons obtained engagements in Italy, and the
three younger members of the family followed
Lamperti to N ice, in order to complete their studies
under his direction.

FOREIGN GAME IN THE MARICETS.—One of the
recent shipments to Europe is wild game from the
West, where the trade has assumed considerahle pro-
portions (says Land and Water). The principal points
of shipment are Chicago and St. Louis. It is roughly
estimated that the business for the present year in the
former city is about 1,250,000 dols., to 1,500,000 dols.,
and, in the latter, much in excess of 1,000,000 dols. A
single firm in St. Louis, it is stated, recently filled an
order for the London market for 1,600 dozens of quail
1,700 dozens of prairie chickens, and 700 dozens of
wild turkeys. The birds were closely packed in barrels
and put in charge of the stewards of the Transatlantic
steamers. Ordinarily the bulk of shipments is
delivered fresh and sound. The present winter is
reported to have been very favourable to the procure-
ment of game at the West, owing to the unusual fall
of snow. Venison has been remarkably plenty there.
It is also shipped across the sea in small quantities,
and dealers are expecting orders for antelope and bear.
These are already shipped East, and the demand is
growing. Various Chicago and St Louis dealers
say that the wild game trade is yet in its infancy, and
predict that before a great while it will reach at least
10,000,000 dols. a year.
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT IN COAL MINES. The
Electrician says :—" The Swan electric light is, we
learn, to be 'laid on ' to Mr. John Watson's Earnock
Colliery, Motherwell, and will extend to the pit
bottom, the roadways, the station where the under-
ground engine is placed, and possibly the miners' ,
working places. Mr. Watson is of opinion that the
lighting of a coal pit by electricity is both feasible and
practicable, and he has determined to put his opinion
to the test. The result will be looked forward to with
the keenest interest by all connected with the coal-
mining industry."
THE SURRENDER OF CANDAHAR.—The Times, com-
menting upon the news of the advance of Abdur
Rahman's troops to Candahar, says it cannot be
denied that the Ameer has so far shown an energy and
promptitude worthy of a man of whom much is de-
manded; and now that the question of our retaining
Ca.ndahar is settled, no Englishman of any party can
regret that the man to whom we have decided to
transfer it has thus far proved himself able to under-
take the charge. What his success will be when he is
left to govern the country without us is, of course, im-
possible to say; but there seems to be good ground
for hope in the matter. The news of the next few
weeks will be awaited with some anxiety; for no one
can deny that what we are watching is the very
crisis of Afghan affairs.
WASHABLE PARCHMENT. —One of the drawbacks to
parchment made from skins is that it turns yellow
from age, and is very troublesome to clean. At
Florida and in other Southern States where the
palmetto grows very luxuriantly, a strong, pliable
parchment with a smooth surface, which is very
suitable for illuminating purposes is made. This
parchment may be washed and dried like cloth, and
what is written thereon will not be effaced. More
than half the weight of the palmetto can be used for
making paper.
THE ROYAL WEDDING AT VIENNA.—The Vienna
papers give long particulara of the coming Imperial
wedding festivities in that city, but the official pro-
gramme has not yet been issued. The Belgian Royal
family will arrive at Salzburgh on Thuysday, May 5,
where the Crown Prince Rudolph win meet them.
Princess Stephanie and their Majesties will proceed to
the Château of Schoenbrunn, where they will remain
until the wedding-day. The municipality of Vienna
is making arrangements for the illumination and
decoration of the town, aid the inhabitants will con-
tribute largely towards the brilliancy of the festivi-
ties. A popular fete in the Prater will be one of the
principal attractions. The Crown Prince and his
bride will arrive in Pesth on May 20.

" Mtmt."—Statesmen of Queen Anne's days not only
knew very well what "mum" was (says the Daily
News), but were very determined to discourage its im-
portation into this country, to which end the enor-
mous duty of fifteen shillings per barrel was un-
posed upon it; for this double beer, or "Brunswick
mum," was in such favour with drinkers
throughout Europe that it was deemed a proper
and a patriotic course to protect the English
brewer to that extent. As early as the close of
the sixteenth century the town of Rostock alone
is said to have exported annually as much as 800,000
barrels. Our heavy Customs' duties and the improve-
ment in our own brewing processes finally rendered
mum an unknown beverage among us, though Pope
in his "Dunciad," published in the early years of the
reign of George 11., speaks of "the clamorous crowd"
as "hushed with mugs of mum." It is simply a
strong ale, brewed—as ale in this country was brewed
in ancient times—from malted wheat, with the addition,
it is said, of oatmeal and groiliad beans.—" Mum"
writes to the Standard: "I see that Mr. Gladstone
was jocose on the word " Mum," of the meaning of
which he professed his perfect ignorance, which he
said was shared by the whole of the Revenue Depart-
ment. If he had consulted Webster's Dictionary,'
he would have found Mum or Mumme, a sort of
strong beer' named after Chr. Mumme, who first
made it.' He seems to have been equally puzzled
years ago with the word Inkle,' of which he says he
does not believe anybody has ever been able to dis-
cover the meaning. If so it is because they have
never tried. If he had asked his Private Secretary
just to look the word out in the dictionary, hp would
have found that Inkle is a kind of broad tape. Tim

-
word occurs in Shakespeare."
AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The follow-
ing are the average prices of British corn for tire week
ending April 2,- as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 445. ; barley, 325. 2d.;
oats, 225. 4d. per imperial quarter. Corresponding
week last year :—Wheat, 48s, 4d. ; barley, 355. ; oats,
225. 6d.

A NEW FIELD OF ENTERPRISE.—The Pall Mall
Gazette remarks :—American competition, to the
British consumer a hoop, by the British producer has
hitherto been regarded as an unmitigated olive.
new field of enterprise has, however, been opened by
the indefatigable American in which he comes in con-
tact with no English rivals. We are promised a large
importation of oranges from Florida, _which, it is
asserted, are so much superior to those of Spain and
Portugal that they will speedily monopolize the
market. A trial box of Florida oranges despatched from
Jacksonville, Florida, to this city arrived in prime
condition after a journey of three weeks. Only three
oranges were damaged en route. The experiment is
likely to be repeated on a larger scale, and before long
it is quite possible a thriving fruit trade may spririg up
between Englani and the Southern States. The
supply of oranges in Florida is almost Inexhaustible;
their quality is said to be much finer than those from
the Mediterranean, and if once the trade was esta-
blished, the time of transit would be materially
reduced.

RATHER DISCOURAGING.—The Pail Mall Gazette
remarks :—The most interesting passage in Mr.
Gladstone's Budget speeph was Also the most dis-
couraging. It is a new thing to hear in one of Mr.
Gladstone's budgets of "the setting sun of prosperity,"
even although he referred not to the future, but to a
past from which he, at least, has done his best to
shake us free. His comparison of the growth of popu-
lation, revenue' and expenditure between 1842 and
1879 is calculated to discountenance sanguine hopes as
to the future of our finances. The following is the
table of increass per pent. c.luring the fon'. Rneqaal
periods which he selected :
Population. Revenue. Expenditure.
1842.1858 .. 1t .. 1 .. 21
1859.1873 .. 1 .. 3 .. 1
1874-1877 .. 1 .. .. 3
1.878-189 ~ 1 .. • • 2141
The revenue is that derived exclusively from customs,
excise, stamps and taxes. The expenditure does not
include exceptional votes, such as that for the
Alabama award or for the six millions wasted in It-78.
The comparison would have looked still worse if these
items had been included; but it is bad enough as it

." Eyes Right!"

IMPROVED DRILL AND DISCIPLINE.-
-but no lashes.—Punch,.
THE USE OF TOBACCO IN ENGLAND.—There is a
good deal of sinoking done in England (says the
Cuckoo). The quantity of unmanufactured tobacco
imported into this country last year was 59,611,2991 b.,
the value being £1,750,091, and the net duty paid
£8,363,327. Of manufactured tobacco, including
Ogars and snuff, the quantity imported was
3,409,4561 b. ,_the value g 1,130,1511 and the duty paid
£349,323. The total of both kinds was, therefore,
63,110,7551 b., of the value of £2,880,242, on which a
net duty of £8,712,650 was paid: John Bull, to his
own great advantage, puts the above into his pipe and
smokes it.
BARRELS FROM STRAW.—A new American invention
will probably increase the value of prairie land at the
expense of forest land (says the Mark Lane poress).
I refer to the manufacture of barrels from straw,
which is first reduced to a pulp as if for paper making,
and then compressed by powerful machinery and kiln.
dried until it becomes as hard and solid," we are
told, "as the hardest of native wood." One of these
so-called "paper barrels" can be made for 22
cents., as against 40 cents. for a wooden one. The
inventor has also prepared a wash for rendering
the inside of barrels impervious to liquids, and
one large firm is testing the barrels with a view
to using them for oil, while the manufacturer is
getting some ready for whisky, wine, cider, vinegar,
lard, honey, butter, fruit, kerosene, And hot lime.
There are also wash-tubs, baths, pails, and powder
kegs of the same material. Probably planks for build-
ing will come next, and even a paper fleet will not be
a mere phantom fleet in the future. We are short of
home-grown timber in this country, and if we could
use straw in place of wood there would be a little
better chance than there is at present of making our
arable land pay. The patentee of the invention, and
of recent improvements on it is Mr. W. Ilarroway,
of Port Tlyron, New Yotk,
PRESERVATION OF WO:M.—Wood may be preserved
from rotting by impregnation with paraffin. As this
however, renders it more inflammable it should be
used with care, and as protection chiefly against water
or acid and chemical fumes or liquids. It may be
further protected by an external varnish or silicic
acid. Wooden vessels which become totally rotten
in two months under the action of acid and alkaline
lyes, will last for two years when iipprknated
with parr4fin. Th 4 wood is prepared by
drying it in warm air for about three weeks,
and then by steeping it in a bath of melted paraffin,
to which has been added some petroleum, ether, or
sulphuret of carbon. Care must be taken at this part
of the process, as the bath is exceedingly inflam-
mable. The paraffin may then be protected and pre-
vented from escaping from the pores by coating the
wood with soluble glass, washed after dr7irtg with
diluted hydrochloric acid. Thp coating so 'formed
is a preservative against fire and against the action
of damp or water.—Puilding and Engineering Time.
Diptas ImPuovErp. The Waraousemeu and
Drapers' Trade Jcarnal Fays that "Bearers" were an
ancient form of " dress improver," or bustle. Randal
Holmes, in his Academy of Armoury, 1688, includes
bearers amongst other "things made purposely to put
under the skirts of gowns at their setting or at the
bodies, which raise up the skirt at that place to what
-breadth the wearer pleaseth, and as the fashion is."
Something of the kind was, however, found neces-
csary even at an earlier period. The Monk of Qlaston-
bury, writing in the reign of Edward I. says, "They
wered such strait clathes, that they had long fox tails
eeweci within their garments to holds them forth."

BA'TURDAY,-Arllit 1881:'
,

GEORGE STEMENSON.—At an influential meeting
held in the Town-hall, Newcastle-on-Tyne, on Satur-
day, the following resolutions were carried unani-
mously :—" That this meeting is of opinion that it is
desirable to commemorate the centenary of the birth
of the late George Stephenson on the 9th of June
next, and expresses the view that Newcastle-on-Tyne,
being practically the place of his nativity, and where
his first and most important engineering triumphs
were wen, is the most 'fitting centre where such cele-
brations should be held." "That this meeting is of
opinion that there is no better way of doing honour to
the name of Stephenson and perpetuating his memory
in this district than by erecting a building for the use
of the University of Durham College of Phyeical
Science, to be called the Stephenson College.''
A REASON FOR DIVORCE.—A darkey recently made
application for divorce from his wife. When asked.
on what ground he demanded a divorce he explained
as follows: "De ground of dis occasion is sufficient.
enough. When I rented ten acres and worked one
mule, I married a woman suitable for de occasion.
Now I rent sixty acres of land an work five'mules..
My,fust wife is a mighty good ten-acre wife; but she
don't suit de occasion ob a sixty-acre wife. I needs a>
woman what can spread more."
EASTERN TELEGRAMS. Porte crusted: Greece
waxy. Later.—Porte generous: Greece melting.—
Punch.

NOT ALL SMOOTH SAILING.—The swearing of alle-
giance to the Emperor has not been all smooth sailing
(writes the St. Petersburg Correspondent of The Times).
Among the Russian sectarians, the Sundists refuse pa
swear on the Bible as contrary to their inte.rpretation
of the command to swear not at all. The priests.
therefore, had to appeal to the civil authorities, with
what result is not known. The Catholic Uniates of
Poland, who were some years ago more or less forcibly
inducted into orthodoxy, but who have ever since
attended the Russo-Greek churches, if at all, with
great reluctance, have also, says the Poriadok, given
the authorities some trouble in this respect. Having
steadily disregarded, in the majority of cases, the
forms and customs of the Russian rite, they resolutely
refused to receive the oath of allegiance from the
Russian orthodox priests; while, on the other hand,
the Roman Catholic pastors, to whom they appealed,
were prohibited by law from administering the oath.
How they were sworn at last is not stated. This and
other troubles %finch Russia has with her Dissenters
are not to be surmounted by intolerance. Tht sects
are steadily on the increase, as proved by recent
statistics, their actual number being little short of
14,000,000 souls.

THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY.—The London Gazette of
the Ist inst contains the subjoined notification: "He
Majesty's birthday will be generally, kept on Tuesday
May '24 next; tut, in order to avoid interference with
the business of Parliament on that day, it will be
celebrated in London alone on Saturday, May 28."
EDUCATION IN SWEDEN.—It appears that Sweden
ranks next to Germany in the relation of its school
attendance to its population. Germany shows 154
scholars to I,ooo.inhabitants, Sweden 140, France and
the United States of America 127, Belgium IN, Eng-
land 100, Holland 91, Austria 89, Italy 70, Spain 50,
and Russia 15. Taking into consideration the char-
acter o ithe country, and the extraordinary difficulties
of climate, mountain land, and the distances of the
school-houses from each other, Sweden seems practi-
cally to surpass Germany in its scale of school attend-
ance, which is compulsory. Since the year 1877 the
state has added school workshops to the upper classes
of the schools, in which instruction is given in the
afternoon to the elder boys.
FORECAST VPOM TIT" INSVAAL.--Cloudy. More
Suzeraiuy ss —Panch.

PESTS TO FARMERS IN NEW ZEALAND.—The Scotsm4an
publishes a portion of a letter from New Zealand, in
which it is stated that small birds, such as sparrows,
green linnets, and even skylarks, are becoming great
pests to the farmers in destroying seeds, grain, and
young turnip and rape plants. Some united ac9n
will have to be taken to keep them in check, otherwise
it is thought they will soon eat up everything,
THE TAX UPON WrDDING RINGS. —lt is but little
known that matrimony; an expensive luxury at all
times, is rendered more so in this country by a tax
upon wedding rings. The duty is 17s. an ounce, and
the revenue derived therefrom is about £20,000 per
annum. The fashion of wearing very thick wedding
rings has greatly increased the revenue of late years—
viz., from £6,000 to £20,000. Foreigners may well
laugh at our calling ourselves a free trade nation. In
no other country in the world is a wedding ring taxed.
ONE OF CORREGGIO'S PIOTURES.—A good deal of
interest is exalted in New York just now by the Ecce
Homo of Correggio, which is on exhibition ut tb
Brighton Beach Hotel. The picture wits oppe wne
in England, Lint aftemard became the property Q
Cardinal Pesch at Rome, and was purchased at the
sale of his gallery by Richard K. Haight, a well?
known merchant of New York, for the sum of ilfteeß
thousand dollars. The picture contains five 41108 1
e, Roman soldier, 0, centurioa, two women and he
thorn-crowned figure of Jesus Christ himself, Mt
latter occupies the central part of the canvas, and
largely fills its area, the whole canvas being thirty 434
by forty inches. The picture is considered ow 3 pth@
finest specimens of Correggio extant, showing to pep
fection this artist's matchless skill in chiaroscuro and
drawing. The work is to be disposed of by lot on the
28th of August, a method of sale formerly adopted by
the American Art Union.
ARTFUL—She I had such a horrid dream last
night, dearest. Whatever do you think it was ?
He: Don't know, my love, I'm sure. She: Why, I
dreamt that you were not going to take me to the
boat race this year. Just fancy !-Judy.

THE REVISED NEW TESTAMENT.—The publication
of the revised New Testament is not to Mice place till
May 17, the delay being due (the Record says) to the
difficulty of getting rea,ly a sufficient number of
copies to meet the enormous orders p,lreßcly received
by the publishers, both for this country and for
America. The literary part of the work has now for
some time been complete. The preface, originally
written by the Lord Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol,
has been itself "revised," after having been submitted
to each member of the company of revisers. The
Record also states that the committee of the British
and Foreign Bible Society have resolved not to come
to any decision as to the mea:An'es te be adopted with
reference to the new version until it has been sub-
mitted to public examination.
ITTII.IZING THE CENSUS.—Head of Family (to his
Daughter's Intended, whom he is determined to bring
to book):- "Let me see—`John Dangle, Visitor,'
Wfiy, bins my soul, I recollect writing. clam th_i,;ge
very words last e." Dangle afraid
that was so. But-but-1t shan't occur again I"
[Rash youth! Only to give himself another ten years'
grace !j—Funny Fo(4,

ROOMY VROU 4 WRECK TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS
.A.Go.—The steamer Humboldt left Southampton in
1853, bound for New York with a very valuable
cargo, but in December of that year she became a
total wreck and sank off the port of Halifax, Nova
Scotia. Divers have been employed at intervals in
bringing portions of the vessel and cargo to the sur-
face, but with varying success. Information, how-
ever, has just been received that so recently as the
10th ult. the divers brought up the frames of the
paddlewheels. They reported that the shaft was
lying at the bottom broken in several places, but that
they were unable to bring any portion of it to the sur•
face.

" PAPA" AND " MAlgMA."—King George 111., about
the year 176% addressed his mother as " mamma," so
I find it stated in the " Greville Memoirs." But Ido
not think that Charles 11., unless he were speaking in
French, ever addressed Henrietta Maria by that
endearing name; and I feel tolerably sure that the
Lady Elizabeth never called Henry VIII. "papa."
On the other hand, I would observe that "papa" and
"marnma" are fast being supplanted by the old
original " father " and "mother.' For ten, or perhaps
for twenty, years last past children in the upper and
upper-middle classes have, so far as my observatioz
goes, been taught to say "father" and "mother;
and "papa" and "mamma," which are words of
extremest tenderness to those of my generation, seep
now to have sunk into contempt as a " note " of aooial
inferiority.—" A, J. M." in Notes and Queries.
Npv COTNACIE.—If a Sovereign is twenty shillings
what is a Suzerain? Not exactly a Sovereign, aria
not a Guinea. Is it the same as "a quid " ? If so,
pro quo I—Punch.

THE LABOUR MARKET.—Reports from the various
centres of industry are not so favourable as last woelit
and business will be restricted till after 06 Budge§
and the Easter holidays.—The coal trade continues
good, and owing to the large orders for iron price
show an upward tendency.—Wpbuildere on the TYPe
and the Clyde are very busy. In the Government
dockyards great activity prevails, and the engineer 3,
platers, rivetters, with their labourers, are in full
work.—The whole of the London industries are fairly
aetive. The printing trade has improved, the botili2
binders are fully employed, and the fanoy trades Aro
much better. Builders keep busy, and the boot and
shoe, as well as the clothing trades are in active
operation.—ln Bristol, the centre of West, there
is nothing like vitality in many of the staple tradeAt
There is, however a much better feeling in the utigq
trade, and the re'fineries have beep worliine•
freely. _.+Asasons, plasterers, and joinars, also, are in a
roost depressed condition here, and many of them art
unable to get a couple of days' work a week. The Co! ;-
' tracts at present on hand are so limited that some of to 9
largest firms have not more than a dozen joipere i theif
employ.—ln Somersetsh ire the dry weatlier during the
week has been favourable for agrismiltural and horti,
culture work in the open. The excavation, working,
and despatch of gath -titone, are pow exteosively oftt'
rie4 OP; after a period of great depression, Tile
mations, who have suffered a severe winter, are not
actively engaged in dresising and fixing. Good sprint;
orders have come to hand.—At Leeds the engitl
works remain fully employed, and the machielo P 9 -
tool trades are busier. The cloth mills eiintiou3
work full time, and the, demand fog ya,rlpue
of fabrics in the cloth halls and wa-#ehOuses slaowo
steady improvement. The chemical works are 1314 i
several working Icog hours. The felt brancl4.s., aftel
being on short time all winter aire exhibiting sigo._to
improvement. The leather dressing and ctu3511:4
trades remain busy, and In some casefiutare wnr
ing overtime' Painters, ira-Plers', 'and cabinetnutker°
are well employed, lit 1 tslack.
"7,Lio s erera continue
A I (red
PL/i/in DIAOMING WITHOUT EARTH.—M.

- - Dumesnil, a son-in-law of le Michelet, and the odito
of the first edition of Edgar Quinet's works, claims
have made an interesting and useful discovery—°
to preserve plants in a perfectly vigorous state withni
any earth. Since November, 1880, the date at Whlfio
his researches proved successful, he has, with Ist,
excsption of a six weeks' stay in Paris, been Nnthis
ually taking plants from the ground and applYinoo
process to them ; has never found the least interrur3ter , -
in their vegotable functions; on the contrary, wil!ob,
and spring plants have blossomed with a vigour Nvilljli
as an experienced horticulturist, he has never see°, of
his garden. M. Dumesnil exhibited some specilneo,
plants blooming without earth in the Square Solver 004
in Rouen, last December ; and at his home at Vasec!„,tby
about fourteen miles from that city, any one
have ocular demonstration of the results he has obtlp aul ita
any light, the discovery is an interesting one, ,
applications are numberless, and the fresh 0043) cle• '
would give to the floral decoration of interiors
lightful to contemplate.