The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-06-12 00:00:00

GEORGE HERSOT'S HOSPITAL, ZtlisarazGliP
317th anniversary of the birth of Georgv Hoist a
celebrated en Monday, in Edinburgh in lir eselk" °gr.
large assemblage. After a sermon by the Rev'
Glasse, of Old Greyfriars Chttrch, the hospital
to the number of 220, and upwards of 5,000 Ailuge
who attend the outdoor schoOls, assembled ul
grounds and, in the absence of the Lord Provosfo
tlddressed by Bailie Cranston.
"PIGMENTATION." A singular instance of
phenomenon known as pigmentation, or a change in "-
colouring matter of the skin, is now under the °Nerd
vation of the leading men in Philadelphia. The sub.
ject is a child between three and four years of
and at the age of four weeks a few dark brown BP'
made their appearance on its skin, and have gradiv
ally skread ever since, until the child, although born
of white parents, has now the appearance of a nen
The child is apparently in good health. The father
Irish, and the mother English. Only three otIO
similar eases are known to have occurred, two in Geri
many and one in France.

WHEAT QUALITY AND RIPENESS.—An agricult „
analyst last year endeavoured to ascertain the resul
of cutting wheat at different times and stages
ripeness (says the Graphic). Ears taken on the 16w
of July, in a state of early milk," gave at the rate
of 9 bushels to the acre; taken four days later, th%
gave at the rate of 15i bushels. Taken on the 28t.1
of July, in a state of "early dough," they gave,',
bushels; on the 26th, in a state of "advanced dougLl
23 bushels. On the 29th of July the grain was exacti
" ripe," and gave 28 bushels ; on the 6th of Au 51.1"
"dead ripe." It then yielded 25 bushels.

A CURIOUS CursTom.—A correspondent of Notes '
Queries writes as follows :—Having frequently to PO,
through the savoury purlieus of Whitechapel, I 11a'Is
long been much puzzled by the fact that a very lag
number of Jewesses, otherwise not having any ge.
striken appearance, wear wigs. All my inquiriee,,j
to the cause were fruitless, until the other day a 101
observer informed me that all the lower-class Dtllc,,,
Jewesses are compelled by their religious ritu
have their heads shaved on marrying.
101
THE SUNDAY QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT.—In the 4
Parliament there were two divisions on the question °a
opening museums on Sundays—one in May, 1874,
one in June, 1877. The total number of members svu
voted at the two divisions in favour of Mr. P. se
Taylor's motion for Sunday opening was 118. Of theof
there are 67 in the new Parliament. The nunibar
members who voted against the Sunday opening A
museums at the two divisions was 362; of these IP"
have secured seats in the new Parliament.
BREAKING AN AWKWARD SILENCE.—MrS. Montag:el
Smart (suddenly, to bashful youth, who has not opell
his lips since he was introduced to her a quarter eilo
hour ago): "And now let us talk of something else •
—Pun.
A GALLANT ACT.—At Liverpool on Sunday, a
.having fallen off the Princes Landing Stage, into t
water, a man endeavoured to rescue him with all,
hook, but in the effort himself fell in. Being una
tit
to swim, he, as well as the lad, was in immin,e'j
danger, but William Pegler, a policeman, jumirkl
int* the water, rescued the boy, and having put Ph-4,
•ashore, also saved the drowning man. The Liver?"
Daily Courier says: "The name of this officer llada
frequently been associated with services of this kill,
It is only a short time since he assisted in the resell,
of two men who slipped into the river from one of
Seacombe ferry boats. He has now in his posseesi°
the silver medal of the Liverpool Humane &ell,
and two clasps from the same society for gallantrY
the saving of life, besides the bronze medal of
Royal Humane Society; and he has received a
ber of pecuniary rewards from the Liverpool 50c5e11
for similar services."
d
THE LATEST FASHIONABLE COMPLAINT. ---
La

Amateur :—" Can you tell me if any ladies have bit'
sketching down here? I saw some easels in a gar°
I passed just now."—Agreeable Peasant :—" Measle
Miss! Yet, Miss, two ladies down 'ere they's ketch
it; and real pleased, I 'ear, they be about it too--4(
it's so fashionable with the hup-grown hupper cr
now. I dare say there's a chance for yer,
Fun.

A Fox's LARDER.—I found the other day in an °
earth no less than ten little cubs, evidently one litte
and close by, carefully laid aside and slightly cover
by fern, was the larder, in which were three lamlS'i
grouse, a blackcock, and three rabbits, all clear'
killed and fresh; no doubt the owner and his Inis_!
__

-
were out foraging for more, but this will give onesi
idea of the sumptuous and varied food our Sc,ntch
are brought up upon.—l. L. de S. (Oban), in L'
and Water.

MUNIFICENT OFFER.—At a meeting of the educati(
committee of the Bolton School Board, a letter vi
read from Mr. J. P. Thomasson the junior Libel
member for Bolton, offering to the Board the silo'
26,000 towards the erection of a Board school
Haulgh, a suburb of the borough.
AN UNREHEARSED SPECTACLE.—An extraordiO
unrehearsed spectacle was witnessed by the visitors
Salva,'s Menagerie on Sunday last. The beast-00
was exhibiting his feats at gancy, and had just
eluded his bricks with the panthers, when a lion in
neighbouring cage broke down the iron bars
divided him from the panthers, and burst into thelil
of the latter. The panthers immediately attacked
intruder, and a panther ripped open the bellY,'
the lion, who howled fearfully with the pain. Sat'
never lost his presence of mind in the midst of tu
terrible scene. He drove the panthers into anoth:
cage, keeping back the one which had wounded
lion, allowing him rightly or wrongly to complete
work, which he did by breaking the ribs of the
and ultimately killing him. Ever since this
_e_Pis9(
the wild beasts have been in an extra...a-Id-I'Y excit,

ment, rendering them quite incapable a—thr or
nar performancAs.
OUT OF THE SHELL.—Sub.: "What a lucky d
yob.. are, Major! Lovely girl! Lots o' tin. SuK
you'll be for leaving the service ?"—Major: "
want me to. Oh, it's all fair enough! If I sell ol
:Pa-in-law'll shell out; d'ye see ?"—Fun:
PUGNACITY IN BIRDS.—The relation of an incicl°
in bird life of which the writer was an eye-witness re
not perhaps be uninteresting to your readers. Str,'
ing the other morning, gun in hand, round the fie,l'
my attention was arrested by hearing a 4emencic
outcry some little distance ahead, and on looking °'
the hedge, I saw two feathered objects engaged be
and claw, in a desperate scuffle. A momentary P3l
in the hostilities enabled me to make out the CO

-
batants, to wit, a magpie on predatory thought;intell
and a hen pheasant, whose maternal instincts Wei
evidently aroused either in defence of her nest or y 00,12
brood. Resisting my first impulse to slay the 011.
turber of matrimonial bliss, I determined to let tbP
fight it out to the bitter end, anxious to see what. ot
vantage the superior weight and stitength of the Pletl
sant would give her over the more formidable weaP°,
and greater activity of the magpie. To it they We,
,
'fighting and screaming, the magpie making repi."o',
strokes with its powerful beak, aimin,g chiefly, as WI;
I could see, at the head and neck ()flits opponent,
latter avoiding the blows, or trying to crush its Itt°l
nimble..foe using heels and wings with considerak
effect Lo keep him at a distance. Once, indeed, ti
magpie was, in the phraseology of the ring complete'
"knocked out of time" by a blow from the powee
pinion of his antagonist, which caught him full C
the breast, and only just succeeded in evading tt
latter's attempt to jump bodily on him. This aPPeI
to discourage him greatly, and as the ,pheasant clos,et
followed up her advantage, it evidently occurrect,„
him that he had not sufficiently calculated the ocw'
so taking to flight he passed just over my head fl
was promptly chawed up by an ounce of No. 6. it
summary Justice dealt out to the one combatant, all
the precipitate retreat of the other, cleared the fie,
of battle and as I was curious to see what had r
yoked the contest, I got over the hedge, when s litti
searching amongst the long grass and brambles
closed a nest with nine eggs, which had no doubt el
cited the magpie's cupidity, and so led to his owl-
" Magpie," in Land and Water,
ROYALTY UNRECOGNISED. -The Boulevard rel°,;
the following anecdote :—The other day the King I'7,
Queen of the Belgians, together with Archdu°
Rodolph and Princess Stephanie, paid a visit to tb
Abbey of Villers. The King took the train thithe
the rest of the Royal family drove there in a P°ll
carriage. Wishing to meet the King at the arrival c
the train, the Queen, Princess, and Archduke We,:
about entering the station, when the station Inas!'
came up and forbad the way to the party. The Prill
cess urged, "But it is mamma." I have not t
honour of knowing your mamma, Mademoiselle:
answered the station master. "But she is the Queeo
continued the Princess; whereon the poor man gre:
red and white alternately, and when the King caT,
stammered out his excuses to his Majesty : "Forgl,,s•
me, Majesty ; I did not recognise your wife." fc
were much amused at this incident, and lang“,
heartily over the station master's blunder and CO
fusion as they partook of a sort of picnic lunch in
court of the old Abbey. "

PLAGUE OF FLIES.—I once witnessed a swarul
flies which filled the air; it was almost impossible
breathe or see beeause of them. At every step o." 4:
crushed scores of• them. I heard from a friend °(1
miles away that he had met them the same day,
I had to walk half a mile across their line of flight,o
order to escape them. They resembled lJ
mosquitos or gnats. This occurred in Sherwo°t
Forest, Notts, and after their flight it was found 03,
all the turnips were ruined. The weather had bee•:i
IvBe6rs._yllt,., in Leisure
arid nora
Hour. in
ofor.r some time. This wag 1"
,
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT (not likely to be aoons.,-,„
whatever Mr. Bright may say).—lnvesting in wort,'
less Securities.—Punch.
--A
A NOVEL INCIDENT IN NATURAL HISTORY.
story conies to us from Tasmania, which, from a
point of view, as well as. from that of natural historic
is interesting (says the Evening Standard). A
there has committed suicide from the apparently 0,1 t
instinct of saving itself from slaughter. There are l'ie
three species of reptiles in the colony but they 0111„ii
up for their want of numben by being extreol-0,
venomous. What they lack in quantity they coinrch
sate for in quality. The case of felo de se, to lila of
allusion is made, is chronicled on the authoritY tlr
a correspondent of a local paper. This gen 00
man, attempting to "scotch" a black snake by welhe
of a forked stick, pinned it to the ground bY
"
middle of the body. No sooner had he done so t
in a rage the snake "instantly buried his fang,s.
himself, making the spot wet either with viscid gillo
or the deadly poison. He had hardly unburied la,
fangs when his coils round the stick suddenly relaxe
A perceptible quiver ran through his body, end i.llO.
few moments he lay extended and almost motl°o
less, with his mouth opening and shiittin6 yt
if he were gasping, but no forked tongue ttr.1.1,,1e
out. In less than three minutes from the,,tP-
he bit himself he was perfectly dead." om!
post-mortem examination of the snake the

was found almost bloodless, as though the a° ,
of the poison had destroyed the colouring matter
the blood. An hour after the death of the sr?,
sonic of its poison remaining in the fangs was trio
mouse, which died in five minutes, and on a lizato
which died in fourteen minutes. To some, it
appear rash to say that the wound of the snake
intentional, no proper inquest having been held
considering the evil traditions of this class of
mint," it is not unjust to incline to the opinion f"t
this was a genuine instance of self-destruction.
aaity that such a habit should not become
general among anakeff, particularly in India'