The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-06-25 00:00:00

BOY OR GIRL.—The following mode was adopted a few
years ago in a branch of my family residing in Denbigh-
shire, with the view of discovering the sex of an infant,
previous to its birth. As Ido not remember to have
met with it in other localities, it may, perhaps be all,
interesting addition to your " Folk Lore." An old
woman of the village, strongly attached to the family;
asked permission to use a harmless charm to learn if
the expected infant would be male or female. Accord-
ingly, she joined the servants at their supper, where
she assisted in clearing a shoulder of mutton of every
particle of meat. She then held the blade-bone to the
fire until it was scorched, so as to permit her to force
her thumbs through the thin part. Through the holes
thus made she passed a string, and, having knotted the
ends together she drove in a nail over the back door, and
left the house, giving strict injunctions to the servants to
hang the bone up in that place the last thing at night.
Then they were carefully to observe who should first
enter that door on the following morning. exclusive of the
members of the household, and the sex of the child would
be that of the first comer. This rather vexed some of the
servants, who wished for a boy, as two or three women
came regularly each morning to the house, and a man was
scarcely ever seen there; lint, to their delight, the first
corner on this occasion proved to be a man, and in a few
weeks the old woman's reputation was established
throughout the neighbourhood by the birth of a boy.—
Notes and Queries.
MAKING BIRDS ACT AND THINK.—It was our gratifi-
cation to be present at one of the most graceful and sur-
prising entertainments which we ever witnessed. Made-
moiselle Vandermeersch, a young foreigner of most at-
tractive appearance and manners, being impressed with
the idea that 'birds may be instructed to the performance
of various acts, indicative of a power in them to appre-
hend what language or other modes of communication
may convey, has devoted herself with wonderful success
to the development of this equally bold and extraordinary
idea. The mystery of so elaborate a tuition sets our
keenest speculation at defiance. But the result is palpa-
ble, Mademoiselle V. having satisfied us that the thing
may be accomplished. The performance takes place in
the young lady's drawing-rooms, and consists of a most
diverting succession of tricks of legerdemain on the cards,
the birds, under her direction and influence, being the
performers. One statement will serve as an illustration.
Mademoiselle asks for a watch, which being handed to her,
the time is noted. She then opens a cage door, calling
by name one of the birds, which, perching upon a long
pack of cards plated edge upwards, _selects and pecks out
with its beak a card having a number corresponding with
the precise hour inscribed on it. In like mariner some
marvellous feats are performed with playing cards, one of
the birds selecting from a large pack several cards in suc-
cession which several of the visitors had previously fixed
upon. But by far the most extraordinary feat was that
which arises from the mention of a given word by a mem-
ber of the company. One of the ladies or gentlemen
present is requested to pronounce a word, not comprising
a double use of any one letter, and one of the little per-
formers immediately forms the word by picking out a
number of cards, each bearing a single letter, until the
whole word is properly spelt. " Chaise " was the word
chosen upon this occasion, and each letter picked out in
due order by the bird, was at the same time assigned to
its proper place in the formation of the word. It would
occupy too much space to dwell upon the details of the
extraordinary feats performed by these " learned " birds.
But it is due to this singularly interesting performer to
say, that a more delightful treat we never before enjoyed.
Globe.

A SINGULAR ESSEX ARTIST.-0111* obituary of this
(last) week records the death of John Carter, a self-taught
artist, of extraordinary and unique genius, residing in
Coggeshall. Originally a farming labourer, not to be dis-
tinguished amongst his fellows by any extra talent or
peculiar power of mind, his life sped on, till one day,
being tempted to break the Sabbath, he, with several
companions, went to a rookery with the intention of rob-
bing the nests and securing the young. Carter having
climbed a tree to some height missed his hold, and fell to
the ground with immense force. He was taken up for
dead, but recovered, with the total loss of all vital power
in his limbs ; in fact he was completely paralysed, not
being able to move any part of his body, with the excep-
tion of his neck and head. Thus he remained several
years, helpless and despairing, till an idea took possession
of his mind (always cloudless and unimpaired) that he
could sketch or copy a drawing. Necessary implements
were immediately procured, and, singular as it may seem,
and extraordinary as it may appear, after several trials,
he succeeded in producing groups of dogs, foxes' heads,
and various other figures, roost delicately worked, and
most exquisitely finished. The curious reader may inquire
how he accomplished this : simply by means of his
mouth. His sister stood by his side, and, dipping his
pencil in India ink, placed it between his teeth and lips ;
and then, by the motion of lips and neck, poor Carter
succeeded in producing the most wonderful specimens of
art. Though for fourteen years Carter was confined to
his bed and paralysed, he was very rarely subjected to
much bodily illness. Persons passing through Cogges-
hall may possibly remember having met a man enveloped
in sheets and wrappers, ll ing on a couch-chair, and drawn
by two boys. That was Carter, the artist. His works
were not very numerous ; necessarily he could work but
a few hours at a time, and the elaboration of his per-
formances was always a labour of many, many hours, and
attended, (to himself) by much toil and weariness. His
latest productions were " The Head of King Charles the
Martyr," after Vandyke; and " The Sultan's Daughter."
Ail Carter's works bear the appearance of line engravings ;
and though many of his early copies are defective, the
majority of his later productions are very beautiful. He
once received the bounty of the late admirable Queen
Dowager, and fully intended, had not death intervened,
to have prepared a piece worthy of his talents for the
great exhibition of 1851. His end was accelerated by an
unfortunate accident he met with some few days since,
caused by the upsetting of the little vehicle in which he
occasionally rode about to take necessary air and change.
His death was very calm and peaceful ; so let us hope,
„ after life'sfitful fever, he sleeps well."—Essex Standard.