The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-08-10
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.


APES may DE taught 10 uhlce.
MONKEYS never abandon each other
when in peril.
PARENTAL love is q marked character
istic OF the whale family.
The rhinoceros can only see what is
nearly in direct line before him.
The canons of South Utah abound in
Aztec picture.writing Of curious and
remarkable character.
The game Of backgammon is the old
est we know of, and was common 1000
years before CArists time.
4 rITE bearing thirty bushels Of apples
is really sustaining half ton of water,
Tor water constitutes about So per cent.
OF apples
The herring will travel for weeks at
the rate Of sixteen miles an hour, with
ont resting. The salmon outstrips the
swallow IL speed, and the shark out
travels the eagle.
KoLBEN says that when the lion comes
up to his prey he always knocks it down
dead, and seldom bites it till the mortal
blow has been given. This blow is gen
orally accompanied with a tremendous
roar.
The number of spoken languages in
India is said to be 243, and including
dialects $40. TRANSACTIONS of the Bible,
or part Of it, exist il about seventy or
eighty OF these languages and dialects,
but those who have Il Christian literature
are much fewer.
SOME species of fish, such as the bag,
have the power of exuding from their
bodies a certain eIcremcnt, which, mix
ing with the water about them, renders
them invisible to their foes. Other spe-
cles have the power Of emitting sudden
flashes OF light, which are supposed to
brighten their enemies, and, perhaps, to
dazzle their appointed prey. Still 9th
crs have long shouts, like the barrel of
a gun, through which they shoot fatal
drops Of liquid, seldom missing their
game.
WHEN a young child or infant of the
lower order in Chill dies, the baby, after
being cleansed, IL arrayed i'll the finest
garments, and placed upon an altar in
the best room i'll the house; o pair of
wings are fastened to it, and crown
upon its head; above is hung a dove,
and the entire surroundings adorned
with flowers and ribbons. A guitarist is
provided, who, from his seat in front,
chants and sings airs, generally of
Mandatory and lameItinG nature, for the
loss of the child; but, as the poncha or
drink begins to make itself felt upon the
friends who have gathered around, it
then becomes scene Of mirth and glad
ness that the child is now an "angelito"
Cor little angel. This generally con-
tinues for several days, until the body
gives forth anything but pleasant odors.
WITHIN very near approach truth,
the human family iuhabiting the earth
has been estimated ut | 900, 900 600; the
annual loss by death is Is, 000,0 600. Now,
the weight Of the animal matter Of this
immense body cast into the grave is no
less than G34, 900 tons, and its decompo-
sitiou produces 5000, 100000 600 cubic
feet OF matter. The vegetable produc-
tons of the earth clear away from the
earth the gases thus generated, and de-
and assimilating them for
their own increase. This circle of
changes has been going on ever since
man became an occupier of the earth.
He feeds ON the lower animals and on
the seeds Of plants, which, in due time,
become a part OF himself, The lower |
animals feed upon the herbs and grass
as, which, in their turn, become the ami
NAL then, by its DEATH again pass into
the atmosphere, and are ready once |
more to be assiniated by plants. The
earth or bone substance alone remain
ing where it ~ deposited, and not even
here unless prosecuted as a common
swindler.