The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-03-24
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

NhIoOGhbANE OUS ITEMS.
THE LARGEST LAND ANIMAL-In
the american Journal of Science and Art Prof
Marsh describes the largest land animal vat
known to have existed on the globe. Its name
is AHdntOSdurus immdnis. The thigh bone Of
this creature is over feet long. with thickness
at the larger end of % inches, though the hone
has no true head. A comparison of this hone
with the temur of crocodile would Indicate that
the fossil saurian, If of similar proportions had
total length of ll5 feet. That the reptile was
100 feet long when alive is at least probable
The other bones of this animal that have been
found are proportionately gigantic All the
bones OF this reptile yet discovered are in the
ale College Museum. They are from the IN
per, Jurassc of Colorado.
SOLAR SPoTs.-A large spot. which
very keen eye might be able to DISTINGUISH
without other assistance than a screen of smoked
glass, is now visible near the eastern edge of the
suns disk Any good spy-glass will show it
Wei ouI care should be taken to protect the eye
with deeply -colored glass held firmly against
the eye-plece. The combination of a green
glass with red one is best, as it allows little
heat to reach the eye, and shows the suns disk
tree from any annoying discoloration. An as
Economical telescope shows, in addition to the
great spot, scattered, double cluster of small
spots between it and the edge The great spot
is very perfect specimen of its class with
broken and Jagged edges, looking almost black,
with slight tinge of purple Near one end n
VEIN OF light projects partly across the gulf and
beyond that the black centre breaks through the
whltlsh border. The .penumbra surrounding the
black portion is broad and we'll marked.
Mr. Spurgeon says: 81 see..it publicly
stated by men who call themselves Christians
that 1t would be advisable for Christians to fire.
qeent the theatre that the character of the drama
Ia he
sensible as if we were hidden to pour q bottle of
lavender water into great sewer to improve its
aroma"
AN EMBARRAsSMENT.- The New
York Journal Of Commerce predicts that &" if the
market value OF raw material continues to adj
vance every American newspaper which has re-
duced Its subscription price win, sooner or later
be Obliged to raise it. The alternative will be a
loss to the publisher on every copy printed"
There is an old story of worthy
colored divine down South who. being invited
10 neighborlng pastors flock, held forth on the
SIN OF theiC AS he warmed in his discourse he
admonlshed his dusky hearers that even petty
thevlng the plliages of hen roost or the con
yeying of a side of bacon was incompatible with
the true religion. At this point white haired
deacon twitched his coat-taIl Hold ON dar
orudder, you are thrown a GOODNESS over dis
meetin. e."
"A Skeptic, who was trying to con-
Ease Christian colored man by the apparentIv
contradictory passage in the Bible, asked hov, II
could be that we were in the Spirit and the
spirit In us received the reply: "Oh dar's
no puzzle bout dat. It's like dat poker.
puts 1t IN de fire, till it gets redhot Now de
Poker's IN de fire, an de fires in de poker
a profound theoogian could not have made q
better reply. '''''''
Sheridan once declined to take a
walk with a troublesome female admirer on the
plea that the weather would not permit and BEING
caught by the lady he was sneaking out for
stroll, countered her remark that the weather
seemed now to have cleared up, with the bold
aSseVerau0h es, madam, enough for one but
not enough for two"
Jones, who was inveighing against
the shortcomings of certain officesholder was
reproyed with the charitable remark You
shouldn t Judge so harshly, Jones, put yourself
IN ms place That's just what have been
trying to do for the last six months" broke in
in view. ''1'
Sir Henry Moncrief, one of the
committee who are promoting the celebration of
the centenary of DR.. Chalmers has invited Mr..
Gladstone to take part in the proceedings in the
free Church Assembly Hall on March 3D.
Evidences continually increase of the
capablllty of the American Indian for civiliza-
Iion; The latest instance is that of Mat to-le a
Modoc Indian, who pleaded guilty in the Court
OF General Sessions on Monday last to forgery in
she third degree. He forged the Endorsement TO
a check drawn on the East River National Bank
lot 9lO' to the order of J. O. Bronson The
prisoner was sent to the Reformatorv