Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-15
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

Londons popull ton increases by TO-
600 each year.
There are said to be over 100000 deities
in the Hindoo mythology.
In moving about from one place to an
other the English people spend about
$4,000 a day.
A sparrow with a white tail was no.
ticed a short time ago in the neighbour
hood of Whitley, England
A white sand martin is recorded as hav-
ing been seen flying near the river Cal
dew, in the vicinity of Blackwell, Eng
land, recently.
Smallpox, which was epidemic in some
English cities not long ago, mas peen
nearly suppressed. During the week
ending Oct. AZ, not single new case was
reported from thirty-two towns.
Thirty-fve soveregns have assembled
the English throne since the time of VIII
| liam the Conqueror, every month except
May witnessing the corona ton OF one OF
more; that month not one. .#..
Plants growing near the sea nave
| thicker leaves than those growing iniand.
Apparently the sea salt is the cause OF
| this phenomenon, and plants cultivated III
CRITICALLY sailed soil yield thicker leaves.
An American white pelican, measuring
eight feet from tip to tip, supposed 10 De
| on it's way from some of the ROCKY noun
| tain lakes to Florida, was shot by James
Osborne of Baker City, Ore, on the Low
er Powder.
Sven Hedin, the Swedish traveller,
| laughs at the idea that China coulu never
| be persuaded to attack Europe or Amer
| lea. The Chinese are convinced that the
| soldiers calling is low and brutal, ana 90
not care to be conquerers.
| Cheese causes much illness in England.
| Cheese poison is called tyrotoxicon, ana
| investigations have shown that the tox.c
| agent is in the milk, owing to improper
| management, the milk not being cooleo
until some hours after milking.
IT is stated that animal life appears 10
| be almost absent in the neighborhood OF
| the North Pole. Beyond latitude 80 de-
| grees the Fran met with neither Whales,
Seals. walrus, nor bears, though dog
fishes were seen as high as 80 degrees.
An English writer says that II the
| Prussian CONSUMPTION were appiieo III
| India. England would have 2,5Oo,0oo regu-
lar soldiers actually in barracks, Win
| 800. 900 recruits coming up every yea
| force with which not only Asia, but the
world, might be subdued.
A swallow is considered one OF the las.-
est flying birds, and 1t was tnougnt IN ~
til recently that no insect could escape IL.
A naturalist tells of an exciting chase ne
saw between a swallow and DRAGON n.y.
which is among the swiftest OF lnsects'
the latter finally escaping.
DIR. Scheele, chemical expert, says
that 80 per cent. of the beer breweo IN
America will not come up to the test pre-
scrihed by the German government,
which is not a severe one, only INSISTING
that pure beer shall be brewed, and nxlng
severe penalties for the production Oh any
other kind. =..-,.-
The following amongst the great va
riety of natural history specimens nay ~ Q
recentIv been added to the Geological So
ciety's collection, London: The Selater
currassoWs, one golden eagle, two stone
curlews. and two streaky-headed gros-
| beaks, The latter species are from oou'h
| Africa, and are new to the collectioh.
The Irish railways have their 1auitss
| but they have recognized the necessity VI
oarrvinp cycles at a reasonable rate,
| which is more than the majority OF En ls,,
| lish railways have done. Slxpence VIII
| carry your bike the same distance as
| two shillings will in England. for oIe
| shilling you can practicaiiS 'aAe 'oo
| bike by rail any distance.
| Owing to the inhabitants OF Sweue1
| being very partial to the eggs OF the wooa
| cock. it is more than probable tnat tne
| breed will be greatly diminished, IL mo-
| at last totally extirpated. Inc eggs u
| the above species are to De seen lol , sate
| In large numbers in the various markets
| in Stockholm.
| Tn Persia. among the aristocracy, a
visitor sends notice an hour or two pc
| fore calling, and gives day notice ~
| the visit is one of great Importance. t he
| is met by servants before he reaches tne
| house. and other considerations are
| shown him, according to relative rank
| The left and not the right is considered
| the position of honor.
One of the oueerest newspapers In the
| world is La Monaco" 1t is lssueo
| weekly. is admirably printed ON expen'
| sive paper, and it's news consists az
| most exclusively of figures arranged In
| long columns. These figures tell in Whal
| compartment of the roulette wheels al
| Monte Carlo and Spa the little balls nave
| come to rest during the weeks eusi-
| ness"
A mystery was recently found In the
| heart of an oak. From a tree OF this
| kind a large block, about eighteen inches
| in diameter, that had been knocking
| about in various yards and woodsheds
| was split up some time ago, ana IN II
| was found an augur hole about three
| quarters of an inch in size, containing 9
| bunch of human hair, done up IN piece
of printed paper.
The Archduchess Maria Therese, Of
Austria, by steady course of gymnas-
| ties and calisthenics, has developed sucf
| extraordinary muscular uower that, after
| going from dumbbells to Indian clubs ano
| from clubs to trapeze, she can raise 9
| full-gro man from the ground with one
| hand and hold him in the air for several
| seconds. So say the Austrian papers.
Directly a Russian maid-of-honor en-
| tiers upon her duties she is considered a
| member Of the court, and has the right
| to attend all the official ceremonies. The
| costume on these occasions is most sump-
| tuous; a rich white satin gown, buttoned
| from neck to hem with precious stones,
| over this tunic of purple gold embroid-
| cred velvet with long train and large
| hanging sleeves.
| Among the curiosities of tropical
.I- Con df,rv nGifu a
| ly in the cocoanut palm of the Philippine
| islands-pearls which, like those of the
| ocean, are composed of carbonate of lime.
| The bamboo, too, yields another pre-
| cious product in the shape of true opals,
which are found in it's joints. In each
| case this mineral matter is, of course, OBJ
| tanned from the soil.