, 1875-09-18

CoEub.pE her ha!s
tndcr tLe ses,
I'M golden ct1h
With 4 cu1nb OF pe2d,
Ga tlrohst
TALL TDRToIsEs.
tCoat.nueLl
paper read before the kuyat Society by afr.
Albert Gun.hcr Informs na that memorial
sigued by . number Of emucut English men Of
science wAe addressed last year to tho Governor
Of tue Maulitus, askiug that tbs race Of gigantic
nd-tortoises Indigenous to the Island of Aldabrh
should be savod from determination through the
interpost,on Of Government. A. In tho Cali
pago, Islands OF tho Pacific Ocesn, anu IN tho
heye1al iaapds Of tho Indian Ocean, where these
hugo animals nero onco abunaant. they arc
rapidly becoming oxt!nct in the island Of
14ldabra, owing to thcir reckiess slaughter by
tho crer. Of vesHels landing a. rho island and
by wood-cutsing parties soon to bo permanently
lodged OIL Its domain.
The Governor stated Ia an.wer to the memo
rial that tho !Adabra tor.oaees are beng fsnt
destroyed, not only by wl1alers. but py the pigs,
which, left up,u the Is!ana somo years ago. have
greatly multiplied, aud in search for food turn
up immense numbers Of the eggs, and also de-
YOUR tho very young toEsoisos. No action Las
yet bceu taken by tho ausAofitlos but it is hoped
that uaea1,s vii! eventually b. adopted to pre-
eerye tue existence of ouu Of tho tuoss Interest,"
iug animal typos DOW eAtan. in tho world.
living pair Ut tla Ad4brs toEtoisea hare,
through tio efforts Of Mr. Glntner. been secured
for thu Zouloslcnl Gardenn in London. The ani-
mails are both natives OF AllAbcn, although uot
Ut TIC saeao breed, TAs d!mcus.ous os tAe tnt!e
are: Length Ut tho shell, fret Jinches; Width,
i feet inches; c,ronmterencs Of the shell,
feot inch: circumference of tho fore leg,
| foot II iacnea; OF hind log. toot
e inches; length Of head aud neck.
l foot o inches; widsh Of hcad, 6
s sde 10 tho tho o eyehoes issns
| Boule seventy yoarn ago. 1t Was ~ ita lart pro-
! Frietor kepk in company Nltn lie futnaio i'll d
state Of soaal-domeat,catlon OIL Ceff Island.
The dimenbions OF It's ,nate are Length OF
inches and circumference, 5teet Iucheb. The
I female depunhn from fifteen 10 t~enty 1ouno
hari-shollca egge three times aunually, w.. in
ths s monlls q July. Ansast, 1nd 70 ssptenbet
/ The par differ strlLinGly lu tbs coor. form,
| md sculpture Of their shes. That Of tho malc
IL bros nlht in hue, and las high. rounded out
line, rach p1ate Icing deeply farroH Cd along tho
marEus. ~ Iho she'l af shs s,,,1,sn female IL, is
a perfoctiy smooth surface. Tho neck
| and tail Of Ito fen4,lo aro also much shorter
than thotu Of Tho male, tho lasso7 ii the larEsst
specimen of It's klhd now III existence anil IT is
! hoped that tho liyea ot hlt1iscff aud lnato may
| long bo preserved. 1t in said that tho mae
Shows much affection for LIS phrtuer, appcannP
gruatly anuoyed when hho IN disturbed. 0n tue
voyage 10 England tho aninats were transported
!u separate cages aud as NOON ~ tho lnhlo oauEh
sight oi his 1nate ho cuduarotua to break til.
bars that divided thcm-
FLOWER OF THE HOLY GHOST"
Two yeaIs Rgo. when vlsisiu. tho botanical
Gardens At Cambridge. which arc under tn
supeIintondonce OF Dr. Asa Gray, le exlal1ite'
10 us, with tho enthusiasm OF child. tho thro
liz tk1
Mascinula, or Venus Fly Trap, tho iusect.votou
plaut Of current uotofiotY; tho Deshodiu'
gyraas, q member OF tho pes family. wAic
MI alternate perpetual motion; aud, thirdly. til
Perister.a etala, OF '.Flowor Of tho Iol
Ghost"
This last stood ia large. tuil tub, tho surtac
OF which 1t covered with Its 1ily-liko leAve'
! From tho cen.so Of Its foliage thero sht
up q straight stou, several feet tall, IL
bearing towards tue summit seraee OF whit
wa1en bells. shaped like \ tulip cup, aud asor
| Z inches In diametas. With Il taudec touch, til
Doctor bout dosn ono Of tltse dainty flower
tt.at wo might look within. rush Of awe
emotion hMept over III ~ We z4W d!telHg Ill III
) lloart Of tho tlowcr tho imago Of duve, Bill Pei
fcct III outline aud Atsitudu that it could uot II
to DO recognized at Glance. 1t was ttlmhculAt
III color. sava = few purple dots on tho wing
wLi1c ticro waB about IL such an AIT OF sAfutl
; innocence aud repoao thss onc could hardly hsl
; boxln. before II ~ before genuine ylsiou 1
the Holy Spirit.
, nls. wheEe it VIA discovered by Al early bpAui4
Catholic. NJ one who l,aa over seen tho Aowt
| CAL woudor that Aa Who 1ltal hehsll 1t, ro7G
! ott!y dropped Oh his kuees before the woudol
, | (ul spectacle muEmuring Ia low, kxe-6truc
; tones ''Ecct Spiritus Saactusr
Iho I'trislerta IL found ofteneat in 1ns
marsly grounds, wheso 1t springs from doca sln
sreoH, OF, peschancs, from thu csa1icea OF rock
: Tho .'lant proceeds from b bulb, and vigoro'
\ specimens sometimes reaoh \ holRhs ot 6 or
; feet. lts leaves aro broadly lonceo!Ate, deveo
ing In pairs, snd ita aowcra arc produced thsoug
= the months Of July, August, aud heptamte
Since tho discovery Of The native habitat OF u
Pr,astsria, it's bulbs hare been distributed a,not
the coAaersator.es ln al parts OF the wosl
fot 1t 10 . difficult thing to bring tic piaut
tbs point OF hlossomtng In An sttltcial Aoll q
climate, therefore 1t IL nowise strange that y
- uray regarded his lu4uriaus specimen with
y Iecsionats priao.
10 A.R,rLANTS.
u Nany kre familiar with tho fact that sprtE
J. tls wild Orpina or Ltre-foreyes vii! retain !
% freshness aud ofton continue to grow Tor %
Ia siderable tins wLsn fastened to the wall or VI
f. pcudea in an Upright position in places where
can have Accesa to pethes earth nor Wats
r. lne lVAhs uotookh W too hA'"sAA Ae4o'+' ""
10 sutdcru, naBy OF the mpmboss of which
Ii themselves 10 dry rocks or walls where there
!; little or no soil Ons specles. the l'yophyss4
r. culycinuna. il called tho Alsplaut or loaf-pla1
Il. because detached laat will grow aud ~
.. aower when hung up lu : moist warm atmt
ra phere. The leaf tlus suspended sends
ID little buds along i.s edges. aud these doyel
70 Into per{ect TantH, with Iu0tB and hbte& OF III
Ia own. When fully formed shrsS plants may
Vi separated from the parent Leaf, and sto thsn
pAnla Of sastain,ug 90 Independent llfo.
4 Another species. hsviag tic asne cus1o