The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-08-20
Fantastic Facts.

Fantastic Facts.
! On last Mouday lightning struck
pine at Lake Butler, on which wa
perched a yellowhammer. 1t strip
ped the bird of every feather from
its wings and back, and singed it
wings so it could not fly. Its Skin
was not broken in single plac'
nor the bird killed.-NeD Ortedn
! TimoS-Dem0crdt.
CURIOUS CATFISH.
Among the South american eatfisl
a number form rude receptacles fol
their eggs, and others have curiou:
sacs on their bodies to hold theil
young. On the Amazon and it:
tributaries many of the border tree:
are hung with viues, called Lecines
that grow out over the water, droI
down, and, as the end meets the
stream, take root and grow. If the
tendrils floating matter from up the
stream becomes caught, and soon g
floating garden is the result. Under
these little fish called the perae
takes its place during the breeding
season and here the eggs are placed
TWO BRAINS.
A child with two brains was horn
to Mr.. and Mrs. Ernest Kuerwitz, OF
Spring Creek Precinct, near Hebron,
but only lived two days. On the
back OF its head was tumor, III
inches in circumference, connected
with the real head by ligament, 6
inches long. Drs. Easton and Bris-
ton, of Hebron, who made a post
mortem examination, found the
supposed tumor to be a second head
supplied with an active brain, scalp,
etc, and lacking only the face de
velopment. Through the ligament
between the two heads was an artery
entering the real head through n
small aperture near the first verte-
bra.
WooDCHUCK KITTENS.
A tenant on one of the Rutherford
farms at Vernon, n. y, has for some
time past owned an immense female
cat. In disposition she is very fierce,
probably because each fore foot is
provided with six toes instead of the
usual complement of five. Each
toe is armed with a terrific claw
which the other cats in Vernon were
quick to acknowledge as the cham
pion fur scrapers of Sussex County.
Recently the cat presented her owner
with a litter of seven young ones.
They have, however, very unkit-
ten.like appearance; indeed they all
closely resemble the ground-hog.
Their legs and ears are without fur
and in shape and color are identical
with those of the American marmot,
monax, vulgarly called the
"woodchuck.
HORSE AT THE BELL ROPE.
A series of interruptions occurred
on the train due here on Saturday
from the West on the Cen
tral. When leaving Syracuse a car
laden with horses en- route from the
West to Saratoga was connected with
the train. The train had scarcely
got under way when the bell-cord !
was jerked and the engineer warned !
to stop. The brakes were shut |
down and inquiry made along the |
rain as to what was the matter |
The trainmen all denied pulling the |
cord, and after an examination as to /
.he cause, without result, the train
rot under way. Scarcely 800 yards |
lad been gone over, however, before
he bell-cord was again pulled, and
he train brought to stop. anOth-
sr inquiry and examination along
he train failed to reveal the cause,
md another start was made, when,
or a third time, the mysterious sig
lal was sounded. This time anoth-
,r thorough investigation was made,
which was equally fruitless. Once
more was the train started up, and
lgain the warning signal was sent to
he engine. This time, when stop
vas made, it was determined to as
certain whether any other than hui
nan agency was responsible for the
iignal, and the train was carefully
zone over. When the car contain
ne horses was reached a Jerking of
he bell-rope was noticeable, and on
'urther examination it was found
hat one of the animals in the car,
inding that the bell-rope was with
n reach, had amused himself by |
'eizing it with his teeth and Jerking
{ to and fro.