Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-06-25


and other creatures are said to have
rained down from the clouds, and dust
showers have fallen over immense tracts
of country. Spider showers are not in
frequent. Within few weeks the cap
tain of vessel reported that, when far
out at sea, his ship was literally covered
by downfall of these tiny creatures.
PARsEE WOMEN.
Brooklyn Eagle: The development
of feminine intelligence is not confined
to one country or one race. Even the
Parsee women are rising in the scale of
enlightenment. A Parsee lady writes
to an Indian paper letter in which
she shows that whereas in 1912 not
more than five Parsee girls had learned
English, their knowledge of the English
language is now very wide. They pre-
ter to initiate the European rather than
the Hindu, and in an interesting his
tory OF their picturesque costume,
their champion "takes occasion to re-
joice that the days of nose rings, fore
head marks and rafting anklets are
now over, and she maintains that these
changes In the surface are only typical
of many social reforms" It is adj
mitted that the Parsee girls are still
prone to emulation in dress and per-
sonal ornamentation, but that is weak
ness which is not unknown in more
civilized communities.
SMART DOG,
An English writer relates the follow
ing:
SIN my neighborhood there lived two
large and ferocious cats, which con-
sorted together for the purpose of fell
onlously assaulting any unfortunate
dog they might happen to meet. Their
modus operandi was as follows: Hay
ing selected their victim, they would
lie In wait for him behind wall; then
they would spring out and while one
jumped on his back and dug his claws
into him, the other would lacerate his
countenance in a manner frightful to
behold. One day they treated in this
manner, and half killed young collie,
who naturally was much as
tonished and alarmed by their
sudden onslaught, and fed pre-
cipitately with his tail between his
legs. Next time, however, he turned
the tables on them by pretending not
to notice them till they attacked him,
when he got rid of the cat who sprang
on his back by running under fence,
and then he returned to the charge,
and slew the other cat, while the first,
thinking it unsafe to risk further COM
bat, fed for it's life, and did not stop
till it had put good mile between it.
self and the dog, who, by his sagacity,
had put stop to the iu-treatment of
his canine fellow creatures"
THE EUROPEAN sALAMANDER.
According to the superstitions of the
ancients, the salamander was creature
which could pass through fire I'M
harmed. Indeed, it had an actual fond
ness for it, and was never SO happy as
when among hot Goals and flames. The
animal of which these stories were told
is supposed to be the common salaman-
der of Europe, little reptile that does
not appear as if capable of doing any
thing remarkable. 1t is unfortunate in
having fre-proof reputation, for great
numbers of the poor creatures have
| been subjected to trial in order to test
the truth of the ancient story, and have
miserably persisted. The common sal
amander of Europe (!Salamanczro ma
catlos0) is six OF eight inches long. It's
color is dark, with bright yellow mark
ings and spots. It lives upon land,
only visiting the water at the breeding
season. Like the toads, frogs, etc., its
early life is passed in the water, in the
tadpole state. Being nocturnal, sala-
manders are seldom seen; toward win
ter they secrete themselves in hollow
stumps, under stones, etc., and remain
in dormant state until spring. The
salamander produces from glands be-
hind it's eyes and upon it's body a thick
ish, milky fluid, which is poisonous to
small animals. This, which is pro-
duced in considerable abundance, is
supposed to- have given origin to the
belief that the animal could extinguish
fire, and to another superstition that
the animal had the power of surround
ing itself with an icy GOODNESS. In this
country there are several salamanders
and related genera in the Atlantic
States, and many more in the new
states of the far West.