Chapter XVI: A Bad Awaking (2)

When inlaying is done with pieces of stone, it is called mosaic. It will be observed that in making solid marquetry, all the difficulty is limited to marking out a pattern on a smooth piece of hard white wood, and then tracing it carefully with the point of a penknife or with a cutting-wheel. The whole work is not much harder than cutting out a picture with the point of a penknife. The dye is more apt to spread evenly if, in applying it, you first give the surface a thin wash of water.

It should be remembered that where two lines are run together in parallels, as for instance, in long stems, the wood lying between is very apt to break off. This can only be prevented by using the point of a thin penknife-blade or a very small wheel, with very great care. For some work a wheel the third of an inch diameter should be used. In cases where the design is very delicate, the line need be merely scratched into the wood. Any indenting which will restrain the flow of the dyes, and indicate a distinct outline is sufficient. Great attention should be paid to this. Do not expect to make a perfect piece of marquetry at a first effort.

There is a piece of Venetian marquetry in the South Kensington Museum, London, which was presented by the last Doge of Venice to Sir Richard Worsely. It last came from Apeldoorcombe, in the Isle of Wight. It is at present the property of Sir Thomas Winter. The _Court Journal_ said of it, that even Her Majesty the Queen has not so fine a piece of furniture in all Windsor Castle. Its date is 1602. My attention was directed to it by a London merchant who deals solely in marquetry. And by this the reader may learn that Venetian marquetry is really capable of producing great artistic results.

Oh where are you going my dear little maid?
To the school o' fine arts--if you please, she said
To learn how to paint on china and glass
On velvet and satin, silk, linen and brass
On wood, tin and canvas, on matting and zinc
Slate, marble and tiles, and leather I think.
I have already painted a screen and three plaques
A whole set of dishes and two little racks
A stand for umbrellas--
A lovely one too--
With a ground of sienna--
And bands of light blue.
And cat tails, a dozen, so straight and erect
Growing up all around with artistic effect
There are other things too--
Which I can't stop to tell,
But I think for six lessons
I've done very well.

A Lesson in Geography

By M. B. Jordan

"A Lesson in Geography,
With all the States to bound!"
My boys grew sober in a trice,
And shook their heads and frowned,--
And this was in the nursery,
Where only smiles are found.

Then suddenly up jumped Boy Blue,--
Youngest of all is he,--
And stood erect beside my chair.
"Mamma," he said, "bound me!"
And all the other lads looked up
With faces full of glee.

I gravely touched his curly head;
"North, by a little pate
That's 'mixed' in 'mental 'rithmetic,'
And 'can't get fractions straight.'
That never knows what time it is,
Nor where are books or slate.

"South, by two feet--two restless feet
That never tire of play,
But never fail to gladly run
(Even on a holiday)
On others' errands willingly,
In most obliging way.

"East, by a pocket stuffed and crammed
With, oh so many things!
With tops and toys and bits of wood,
And pennies, knives, and strings,
And by a little fist that lacks
The glow that water brings.

"West by the same; and well explored
The pocket by the fist.
The capital, two rosy lips
All ready to be kissed.
And,--darling, now I've bounded you;
The class may be dismissed."

HURLY-BURLY.

(_A Nonsense Rhyme._)

BY EMMA MORTIMER WHITE.

When the Mother Goose cow jumped over the moon,
And the little dog laughed to see,
The horse hurrahed and tossed up his hat,
And "whistled an air, did he."
The camel danced the Highland fling,
And the elephant put on skates,
While the cat went into the butcher trade
And charged the highest rates.
The mackerel rode a circus colt;
The whale leaped over the trees;
While the catfish rode on a bicycle,
That ran itself with ease.
The tiger went to bed in his boots;
The lion shot at a mark;
The eagle banged his hair in front,
And offered himself to a park.
The horned owl laughed till he almost cried,
Then cried till his eyes were dim;
But the wisest of all was a wise old hen
Who taught herself to swim.

JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT.

Well, my hearers, how do I find you this time? Getting ready for school, do you say? Ah, of course! Your Jack knows all about it. The season will soon begin at the little red school-house, and it will be a joy to see the bright procession that will go marching by my meadow every morning, the girls chatting and humming in the cheeriest way, and the boys all whistling gayly--whether just for the fun of it or to keep up their courage, I'll not attempt to say. And the dear Little School-ma'am--bless her!--she'll be in a perfect glow of delight!

It seems to me that the very walls of the school-houses ought to throb with pride over the wise young heads and the clear, happy voices that will soon make them echo with sounds of busy work and play. And so success to you all, my dears, throughout the whole term!

POOR LARK!

It's no longer "Up with the Lark," I hear, for that oft-praised bird gets up, it seems, altogether too late. An enthusiastic naturalist has amused himself by investigating the question at what hour in summer the commonest small birds wake up and sing. He says:--The greenfinch is the earliest riser, as it pipes as early as half-past one in the morning. At about half-past two the blackcap begins, and the quail apparently wakes up half an hour later. It is nearly four o'clock, and the sun is well above the horizon before the real songster appears in the person of the blackbird. He is heard half an hour before the thrush, and the chirp of the robin begins about the same length of time before that of the wren. Finally the house sparrow and the tom-tit occupy the last place on the list. This investigation has altogether ruined the lark's reputation for early rising. That celebrated bird is quite a sluggard, as it does not rise till long after chaffinches, linnets, and a number of hedgerow birds have been up and about for some time.

But hold! There's such a thing as overdoing a good habit. Some of these birds seem to have lost their reckoning. There's the greenfinch, for instance--the idea of getting up at the ridiculous hour of half-past one in the morning! If he keeps on, he'll soon have to begin each day on the day before! No, no! Such early risers as he are not to be imitated. So we may have to go back to the lark after all. Or there's the tom-tit. He's a contented, sensible little fellow, and gets up at just the right time, I should say. Yes, let it be "Up with the tom-tit!" What say you, my dears?

THOSE MOCKING-BIRDS AGAIN.

TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS.

DEAR JACK: I have been long acquainted with you and ST.
NICHOLAS. I live about two miles from Austin, the capital city
of Texas. Birds of all kinds found in Texas may be seen about
the place at proper seasons. Mocking-birds build their nests in
the trees within a few yards, or steps, of the house. Last
July, two young mocking-birds were taken from a nest of five.
The two young mocking-birds taken from the nest were placed
carefully in a large-sized cage, and the cage was suspended
from a hook at the side of the front hall-door. The young birds
were constantly and regularly fed for two weeks, night and
morning, by both parent-birds, who hovered about the young ones
during the day singing and frisking, and upon numerous
occasions fighting off objectionable intruders and making great
fluttering and noisy remonstrance when cats, dogs, or chickens
appeared beneath the cage.

At the end of two weeks, the young mocking-birds then being
about able to fly, the cage was taken inside the hall-way, and
there hung, covered with a mosquito-bar, to protect the little
prisoners from stinging insects.

In the hall-way, the old birds could not reach the young to
feed them, but they would fly in and through the house; this
they did for several days, and then, apparently, they abandoned
our locality and their young altogether. As we thought the old
birds would not return, we again placed the cage outside the
house, in its first position, but on one occasion we failed to
entirely cover the cage with the mosquito-bar; and that very
evening, at the usual feeding-time, about dusk, both old birds
were seen, for the first time since their departure. Each bird
had food or poison in its beak, and each was seen feeding it to
the young birds; and then they flew away and did not return.
Not suspecting any danger to the young birds, we allowed the
cage to remain in the same place all night.

Next morning early, we found one young bird dead in the cage,
and the other barely alive, reeling and dazed as if under the
influence of a poisonous weed or narcotic. Within a few hours,
it too was dead. I am sorry that I lost two very beautiful
birds; and I think the parent-birds poisoned the young
captives, as the old birds were not seen by us again. Shall not
the verdict be "guilty" instead of "not guilty"? Decide the
question, Dear Jack.

Yours truly, LOUISE A-----.

No, thank you! You can't persuade me to be the judge in _such_ a case. For if I should undertake to decide the question of guilt, I'd be sure to point out the fact that in every instance the poisoned birds were in cages, not in nests. And then you wise human folk would be sure to say that that wasn't a fair way of stating the case, or that I was prejudiced. And perhaps I am. I'm neither a bird nor a human being, you see; I'm only Jack-in-the-Pulpit. So settle this matter for yourselves.

A LIVING ISLAND.

DEAR JACK: The alligator is not in any way an attractive
animal. On the contrary, it is about as repellant in looks and
disposition as any living creature very well can be. And yet in
one respect, at least, it is to be envied: It can go through
life without ever needing a dentist, unless it be to eat him;
for it never keeps its teeth long enough to give them any
chance to decay or ache or get out of order in any way. When an
alligator's tooth is worn out or broken or in need of any kind
of repair, it drops out, and, behold! a new one is ready to
take its place. But I hardly need say that the alligator's
teeth are a joy only to itself.

Another peculiarity of the alligator is its ability to sleep.
Like other reptiles, it is so cold-blooded that it likes warmth
and hates cold. It needs water, too, and as the dry season and
the cool season come on together in Florida, there is a double
reason why the Florida alligator should go into winter
quarters. It buries itself in the mud after the manner of its
kind and settles down for a long nap.

Sometimes it happens that grass and quick-growing shrubs spring
up on the back of this torpid animal. As a rule these are all
shaken or washed off when, with the first warm rains, the
alligator rouses itself and makes for the water; but
occasionally, for some reason, the mud clings and with it the
plant growth, so that when the half-awakened creature slides
into the water and floats stupidly off, it looks like a
floating island.

In one such instance, a plover was so deceived as to build its
nest in the plant-growth on the alligator's back. The living
island so freighted floated slowly down the stream until it was
noticed by a party of boys who were out fishing. They saw the
plover rise from the little island, and suspecting a nest to be
there, they gave up their fishing and rowed out to it.

They never suspected the nature of the island until they had
bumped their boat rather rudely into it once or twice, and so
vexed the alligator that it opened its huge mouth with a
startling suddenness that brought a chorus of yells from the
nest-robbers, and sent them off in a fit mood to sympathize
with the plover, which was fluttering about and crying
piteously at the raid upon its nest.

The poor bird was doomed to lose its nest, however, for the
alligator, having at last been thoroughly roused, discovered
how hungry it was, and dived down in search of food, thus
washing off island, nest and all.

Yours very truly, JOHN R. CORYELL.

WRONG NAMES FOR THINGS.

Dear, dear! Here's a startling list of accusations! If any of you young wise-acres have made up your minds to write a dictionary when you grow up, here's a warning for you! Is it possible that there are so many things in the world that have been wrongly named? Just listen to this letter from my friend, M. E. L.

DEAR JACK: It is odd how names mislead. The calla lily is a calla,
not a lily. The tuberose is not a rose at all. The strawberry and
the blackberry are not berries. German silver came not from Germany,
any more than did the Turkish bath from Turkey. French calf and
Russian leather are both American. There is no wax in sealing-wax,
and not a bit of bone in all the whalebone in the world. China-ware
is made in our own country. Pinks are not all pink. Not every one
called Black is a colored person; and how very many are called Wise
who are not!

Yours truly, M. E. L.

WHO CAN ANSWER THIS?

DEAR JACK: Like the Little School-ma'am's friend, Dorothy G----, I have been reading the "Life of Longfellow," and I found in it the following extract from his diary, which has puzzled me:

"R. at tea. He gave us the following verse for finding on what
day of the week the first of any month falls:

'At Dover dwells George Brown, Esquire,
Good Christopher Finch and Daniel Frier.'"

Now, can you, Dear Jack, or can some of your wise friends tell me how to discover on what day of the week the first of any month falls, by the aid of this couplet?

Yours truly, M. W----.

THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION

SIXTY-FIFTH REPORT.

AGASSIZ AND AUDUBON.

In many respects the characters of these two great naturalists were alike,--and especially in their affectionate gentleness and mercy. Although, in the interests of science, both were led to destroy the lives of many animals, no men were more careful to avoid needless slaughter and unnecessary pain. It was Audubon who said, "_The moment a bird was dead, however beautiful it had been when in life, the pleasure arising from the possession of it became blunted._" This saying has become the motto of a large and rapidly growing society, organized in 1886, and known as the AUDUBON SOCIETY, for the protection of birds. This society, recognizing the increasing influence of the AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION, has sent to us a special invitation to co-operate in its work. The circular of the AUDUBON SOCIETY shows, first, the alarming rate at which our birds are being exterminated. It gives a series of startling facts; for example, "One New York firm had on hand, February 1, 1886, 200,000 skins," and it closes this paragraph as follows: "These figures tell their own story; but it is a story which might be known even without them; we may read it plainly enough in the silent hedges, once vocal with the morning songs of birds, and in the deserted fields, where once bright plumage flashed in the sunlight."

The purpose of the Society is to prevent, as far as possible,

1. The killing of any wild bird not used for food.

2. The taking or destroying of the eggs or nests of any wild birds.

3. The wearing of the feathers of wild birds.

THE plan of work is very simple.

There are no expenses of any sort whatever. There are no conditions of age. No formal organization is required. Each one can join by agreeing to any one of the three following pledges:

PLEDGE NO. 1.--I pledge myself not to kill, wound, nor capture any wild bird not used for food so long as I remain a member of the Audubon Society; and I promise to discourage and prevent, so far as I can, the killing, wounding or capture of birds by others.

PLEDGE NO. 2.--I pledge myself not to rob, destroy nor in any way disturb or injure the nest or eggs of any wild bird so long as I remain a member of the Audubon Society; and I promise to discourage and prevent, so far as I can, such injury by others.

PLEDGE NO. 3.--I pledge myself not to make use of the feathers of any wild bird as ornaments of dress or household furniture, and by every means in my power to discourage the use of feathers for decorative purposes.

These pledges are not to be understood as hindering the signer from taking such birds, eggs or nests as he may require for _scientific purposes_, but refer only to wanton or mercenary destruction and robbery. Therefore no member of the AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION can feel any hesitation about allying himself also with the AUDUBON SOCIETY. Boys and girls can often do more than others to protect nesting birds.

FROM MEXICO.

We are in the State Michoacan, the Garden State of the Republic, with thirty or forty thousand inhabitants. It is a pleasant place to live in; seven thousand feet above the sea; fine air, good water, and very healthy. The corridors of the house are inhabited by a colony of birds. The female looks like the female English sparrow. The male has a scarlet breast and cap. The egg is robin-blue, with a ring of black spots around the larger end. It is called the _Gorriones_. The buzzard is very common here. On a trip we took, we saw the fine Mocha coffee growing, and some of the cities could not be seen on account of the banana plants which shade the coffee. Here we have all the familiar wild flowers, and many strange ones. I belong to an Ohio Chapter of the A. A.--G. A. Harriman.

ASSEMBLY REPORT.

We hope to receive regular annual reports from all assemblies of the A. A., as well as from the individual Chapters, and have the pleasure this month, of giving the following from the Assembly of Essex County, N. J. "The first call for an Assembly meeting was sent out by East Orange, B. Four Chapters only responded. We decided to have five delegates from each Chapter. We have meetings on the last Saturday evening of every other month, from September to June; five meetings for the year. We have reports of progress from the associate Chapters, papers by members, discussions of methods of work, and occasional addresses. We have had many difficulties to contend with, but feel that our meetings have been pleasant and helpful, and should say from our experience thus far, by all means encourage the formation of Assemblies.

Very sincerely yours, N. M. DORR.

BOSTON ASSEMBLY.

Chapters 112, 729, 760, and 820 of Boston, Mass., have united for the purpose of forming a Boston Assembly.

All Chapters, in or near Boston, that would like to join, are invited to address

MR. THOMAS H. FAY, Sec. of Committee,
8 N. Grove street, Boston, Mass.

DELAYED REPORTS.

551, _Clinton, Iowa_. We have over three hundred specimens, and a small library. We have been studying turtles, and have noticed that the eye of a turtle shuts from the bottom. We now intend to take up fishes, and as the Mississippi river is within one block of our rooms, we shall not lack specimens. We have held thirty-eight meetings, and cases of absence are rare.--Henry Towle, Sec.

567, _Fort Meade, Florida_.--Our Chapter of five, all of our own family, left Iowa, September 25, 1884. We came down the Skunk river to the Mississippi, thence to New Orleans, thence to Tampa, and are now living nine miles southeast from Fort Meade. We left Sigourney, Iowa, in the Ena, a Racine boat, eighteen feet long, forty-two inches beam, with water-tight compartments. We had tent and camping outfit which we carried in another boat. Our party consisted of the five members of the Chapter, and a baby, one year old. We reached New Orleans Thursday, December 4, just ten weeks from our time of starting. This includes stops at all the principal towns. Our actual running time was 397 hours. Distance, 1812 miles; average, 4.53 miles per hour; least daily distance, five miles; greatest, sixty-five. The first cotton was seen at New Madrid, Mo.; the first cane, below Grady's Landing; first Spanish moss, just below Greenville, Miss.

After being here a year, three of our number made another long excursion. Tuesday, December 1, 1885, we put our boat into Peace creek, thence to Charlotte Harbor, up the Caloosahatchie, through lakes Fliet and Hicapochee, into lake Okeechobee; across the northern end of the lake, into the Kissimee river, up to Kissimee lake, then up Tiger creek into Tiger lake, whence we walked thirty-five miles home, making in the round, 700 miles, in six weeks. Once we were over seven days without seeing a soul outside our own party. One of our lady members claims the honor of being the first white woman that ever crossed Okeechobee in a small boat. In all these travels, we have never been disturbed by man or beast, and have always been treated kindly. The Okeechobee trip was made at an expense of twelve dollars for three of us. The trip down the Mississippi cost about one dollar per day for the six. This, of course, does not include cost of boats, tents, and equipage. We found it a pleasant method of travel, and many of the A. A. might enjoy something similar. My wife and two daughters made the trip, so it is within the range of young lady members, if they have a taste for such travels.--Irving Keck, Sec. "567."

568, _Meadville, Pa._ We number now only four, the others having left college; but what we lack in number is made up in zeal. We study nature with a great deal more care than when we first formed a Chapter, and have spent some of our most enjoyable hours in rambling though the woods.

We send greeting to the Chapters, and say, "Long live the A. A., as one of the best schools in which any one can learn."--F. L. Armstrong, Sec.

574, _Indianapolis, Ind._ The future looks bright. We are all interested, and, although very lately reorganized, we hope to grow rapidly.--Tom Moore, Sec.

CONCERNING "PUFF-BALLS."

All our botanical friends will be interested in the following paper
on the curious fungi commonly called "puff-balls"; but I must
emphasize the words of caution given by Professor Trelease and warn
you not to eat any puff-balls whatever, until you have been taught
to distinguish the good from the poisonous, by a competent botanist,
with the actual specimens in his hand. So long as you have the
slightest doubt, remember the old test--"Eat one,--then if you live,
it was an edible mushroom; if you die, it was a poisonous fungus!"
Here is what Professor Trelease says:

I have been asked several times by the boys of the Agassiz Association to go with them on little collecting excursions, and I have always found them much interested in toadstools, and other fungi. From what I have seen on these and similar excursions, I have been led to think that if given a little idea about some of these plants a good many people would be glad to observe them more closely.

One group of fungi in particular--the puff-balls--has a great deal of interest for me. It is a very difficult group to study, and if the sharp-eyed boys of the Agassiz Chapters all over the country will be on the lookout for puff-balls this summer and fall, they can be of assistance in some work that there is much need of doing with these plants.

Every boy who lives in the country must have seen the giant puff-ball (_Lycoperdon bovista_) that grows in pastures, looking like a great white egg, sometimes nearly two feet high, set up on its small end. It is not easy to see where these curious growths come from, for they sometimes appear as large as one's fist, or larger, in the morning, in places where there was nothing of the sort the night before. Then they often grow for several days, and finally turn brown and break up into a dusty mass that at last blows away like smoke, leaving nothing but a dried, torn remnant behind.

When one of these large puff-balls is seen, scrape the dirt away carefully about it, and the secret of its appearance will be discovered; for a mass of fine white threads spread away from it in every direction. This spawn takes the place of the roots of a tree, absorbing food from the decaying leaf mold, or whatever there may be of the same nature in the ground. All of its food is obtained in this way; so that the delicate spawn-threads may spend a long time in feeding and storing up food before they give any evidence of their existence. But at last a puff-ball begins to grow; at first, very small, then larger, but never very large, until a rain may give it the opportunity to break through the sod, and then, swelling up rather than growing, it suddenly makes its appearance.

While they are young, firm, and pure white, when cut open, these large puff-balls are very good eating, sliced, seasoned well, and fried in butter, and especially if dipped in egg and cracker crumbs. But I must caution my readers to leave other fungi alone, even if they think the specimens they find are mushrooms, _for some of the fungi that look a good deal like mushrooms are extremely poisonous_. Even a puff-ball soon loses its value for food, and should never be eaten after it becomes the least discolored, or offensive in smell. When this change occurs, it seems as if the plant was rapidly going to decay; but this is not the case,--it is simply ripening. For a puff-ball is nothing more nor less than the fruit of the underground mycelium, or spawn; and the dusty mass that it dries into is composed of myriads of spores, which take the place of the seeds of flowering plants. How many puff-balls there would be if every one of these microscopic spores developed! In a puff-ball sixteen inches in diameter, if they occupy only one-third of the space, there are no less than 300,000,000,000,000,000 spores,--an inconceivable number. I do not know why it is, but these spores do not germinate readily, and very few of them produce other plants. Perhaps it is quite as well, as, if they all grew, there would be room for no other kind of vegetation.

Another very good edible puff-ball is the little lead-colored species (_Bovista plumbea_), about as large as a marble, that is very common in hilly pastures. When it is young and white, it is even more delicious than the large species. With these I think I should let my bill-of-fare rest.

A few other common puff-balls are the exquisite earth-stars (_Geaster_), that are commonest in sandy places and under evergreens; the studded puff-ball (_Lycoperdon gemmatum_), very abundant on the ground in woods; the fleecy white puff-ball (_L. Wrightii_) that grows along paths in meadows; and the pear-shaped puff-ball (_L. pyriforme_), found everywhere on old logs, in tufts that are united by firm white cords.

These plants will make an interesting addition to the cabinet of a Chapter that will take the trouble to look for them and preserve them properly. They ought to be gathered in two states,--just before they open to discharge their spores, and when perfectly ripe. They must not be handled so as to rub off the mealy or warty covering that some have, and should be carefully taken home in a basket and laid in a good warm place to dry. Some of the larger species soften and become so offensive when first beginning to ripen that they may appear to be spoiled; but if put in an out-of-the-way place, where they will annoy nobody, they usually come out all right. When fully dry they should be laid in pasteboard trays or boxes, properly labeled, and put into the cabinet.

I shall be very glad to name puff-balls for members of the Agassiz Association as far as I can. Specimens sent for identification must be dried, carefully wrapped in tissue-paper, and packed with cotton or soft paper in a tin or wooden box, addressed to me as below. Each specimen sent should be marked with a number corresponding to that of the duplicate kept for the Chapter cabinet, so that my names may be given with reference to the numbers. If any specimens are to be returned, this should be indicated in the letter accompanying them, and the proper amount of return postage included.

WILLIAM TRELEASE,
Shaw School of Botany, St. Louis, Mo.

NOTES.

_Frogs' Eggs._ I think I can tell Mrs. N. B. Jones (see April number) what her "jelly-like mass" was. Last spring our boys brought home similar masses, some globular, some in strings. We put them in water in a sunny place. In less than a week we had tiny tadpoles swimming about. Unfortunately the curiosity concerning them was so great that they were continually lifted from the water, and after a few weeks all died. We thought the eggs must have been frogs' eggs, but we had two or three varieties. I hope to repeat the experiment, and continue it long enough to see exactly what animal will develop.--Mrs. J. C. Kinear, Sec. Ch. 598.

_Mocking-bird._ One or two subscribers have stated through "Jack-in-the-Pulpit," that the mocking-bird, (_mimus polyglottus_) is not guilty of poisoning its young; but I have positively seen it done. The birds will feed their young for a while and when they find that it is impossible to get at them through the wires of the cage, they bring a poisonous red berry, which the young eat. I can furnish the signatures of six or eight persons who have seen this with their own eyes.--P. L. Benedict, Sec. 331.

[_This establishes the fact that mocking-birds have brought
berries believed to be poisonous, to their young. But it is
unsafe, as I have before shown, to infer the bird's motives
from its acts. We can not know that the bird changed the diet
of its young "because it could not get at them," nor do we know
that it knew the deadly nature of the berries. A jury could not
convict of murder._]

_Devil-fish._--_And Ostriches._ Last summer we saw a devil-fish of the ray family, genus _Cephaloptera_. It had something like great wings on its sides. These were called pectorals. From tip to tip across these it was sixteen feet, four inches, and from head to junction of tail, eight feet six inches. Its tail was about two feet long, and not more than an inch in thickness. A flour-barrel was put in its mouth.

We had also, fortunately, an opportunity of seeing thirty-six live ostriches. They belonged to Dr. Sketcherly, who bought them in Port Natal, and was taking them to his ostrich farm in Los Angeles, California. We noticed that the males were all black, with white tail and wing-feathers, and pink bills; while the females were gray, with white tail and wings like the males, and black bills, which were triangular, with one end rounded off, and not duck-bill shaped, as I have read. Their legs resemble those of a horse, only they have two toes. Their eyes were large, dark, and mild. Two males were said to be very dangerous. A whole turnip was picked up and swallowed by one of them, and it was quite surprising to see it gradually turning from the front of his neck around to the back portion of it, and finally disappear suddenly into his back between the wings, where the craw was said to be situated. Five natives were in attendance. Their features were regular, and their complexion dark brown; they had straight, black hair. One of them spoke English.--Mrs. E. E. Walden, Galveston, Texas.

_Buttercups._ I have noticed that buttercups often make a mistake and grow six petals, instead of five.--C.

[_Such variations are common. I have seen trilliums with four
parts throughout; Houstonias, with five and six divisions; and
Hepaticas completely double, like tiny roses._]

_Bees._ A simple remedy for honey thieves. A gentleman who owns a bee farm discovered a large swarm of bees stealing honey from one of his smallest hives. The latter, because of their inferior numbers, were unable to protect their stores, and he tried various methods to aid them.

One day, at the suggestion of a friend, he laid a branch of asparagus before the entrance, completely concealing it from the eyes of the marauding bees, which flew wildly around, searching in vain for the opening, while the occupants of the hive, having made their exit through the asparagus, knew what lay behind it, and afterward stored their honey unmolested.--Agnes Lydon, Sec. Milwaukee Chapter E.

MINUTES OF A GOOD MEETING.

"Meeting called to order at 1.10 P. M. For the benefit of new members, an explanation of the organization of the Chapter (No. 331) was given, also of the origin of the A. A. The hand-book of the A.A. was then reviewed, each topic taken up and explained, portions of the constitution, by-laws, etc., being read. Next came the report of the secretary. Next, that of the treasurer. The question, 'Ought the English sparrow in this country to be considered an American bird?' was decided in the affirmative. Then came the election of new members. Three were elected. The revised copy of by-laws was then signed by all present. Secretary then read extracts from the A. A. columns of ST. NICHOLAS, and explained about 'centuries.' He also read from the reports of other Chapters. A motion was then made that some one member bring in at each meeting an essay. Secretary then read annual report to be sent to Lenox. Approved. The next step was the paying of initiation fees by the new members. The treasurer was authorized to send to Lenox for a 'charter.' The questions in ornithology in December ST. NICHOLAS, and the answers to same in March number, by Percy L. Benedict, Sec. 331, were read by the Vice-President. Next came a chemical experiment on the nature of flame,--the three cones, luminous, semi-luminous, non-luminous. A bent glass tube was thrust into the non-luminous cone and lighted at the other end,--a proof that the gas around the wick was not ignited."

Question for next meeting, "Which is the most useful animal?" Meeting adjourned at 2.50 P. M.--Percy L. Benedict, Secretary.

KIOTO, JAPAN.

I was unfortunate enough, last March, to have all my letters, letter-book, hand-books, and other matter relating to the A. A. as secretary of Chapter 789, burn, together with everything else in my house, and the house itself. I have thus lost the addresses of some persons who had written to this Chapter. I mention this only to explain to those who might otherwise have occasion to think this Chapter negligent, the reason we can not answer them, unless they will have the kindness to write again.--C. M. Cady.

_Every member of the A. A. will regret to hear of the misfortune
that befell Mr. Cady in the burning of his house. Doubtless those
members who had written to the Japan Chapter will now write again._

EXCHANGES.

Every collector is invited to send for my exchange list.--S. O. Pindar, Hickman, Ky.

I wish to correspond with all Chapters intending to raise silk-worms next year.--Chas. A. Jenkins, Sec. Ch. 447, Chittenango, N. Y.

Mr. L. L. Goodwin, Daisy, Tenn., will exchange fragments of ancient pottery, arrow-heads, stone axes, and tomahawks--genuine and scarce; write first. I specially desire a large star-fish, entire jaws of a shark, a large lobster, and jaws and teeth of sea-fishes.

CHAPTERS, NEW AND REORGANIZED.

_No._ _Name._ _No. of_ _Address._
_Members._
972 Anadarko, Ind. Ter. (A) -- Charley A. Reynolds.
234 New York, N. Y. (G) 4 Miss Isabella Roelker, 237 W.
51st Street.
63 East Dennis, Mass. (A) 20 Harry E. Scars.
535 Hallowell, Maine (A) 4 Miss M. Lillian Hopkins.
40 Sauquoit, N. Y. (A) 12 Miss H. Josephine Campbell.
156 Peoria, Ill. (A) 5 W. T. Van Buskirk, 111 Penn.
Ave.
973 Ludington, Mich. (B) 13 Miss Emma Gaudette.
592 New York, N. Y. (P) 4 Miss Cecilia A. Francis, 54 W.
58th Street.
974 Richmond, Va. (C) 4 Miss Rebekah N. Woodbridge, 8 E.
Franklin St.
193 Providence, R. I. (A) 5 Harry I. Griffin, 110 Carpenter
Street.
250 Houghton, Mich. (A) 36 Morton C. Getchell.
16 Kerr City, Florida (A) 6 Miss Emma Hammond.
165 Norwalk, Ct. (A) 6 Mr. A. Quintard.
705 Philadelphia, Pa. (Y) -- Miss Edith Earpe, 641 N. 43d
Street.
723 Hopkinton, Mass. (A) 5 Geo. W. Chandler.
841 Montclair, N. J. (B) 4 Mr. Wm. Hollins, Box 277.

DISSOLVED.

458 Haverhill, Mass. F. H. Chase.
620 Manlius, N. Y. Geo. C. Beebe.
900 San Francisco, Cal. H. H. Loy.

NOTICE.

Secretaries of Chapters 701-800 are requested to send in their reports as near _Sept. 20_ as possible.

All are invited to join the Association.

Address all communications for this Department to
MR. HARLAN H. BALLARD, Lenox, Mass.

THE LETTER-BOX.

Contributors are respectfully informed that, between the 1st of
June and the 15th of September, manuscripts can not conveniently
be examined at the office of ST. NICHOLAS. Consequently, those
who desire to favor the magazine with contributions will please
postpone sending their MSS. until after the last-named date.

* * * * *

WASHINGTON, D. C.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: This is the first letter I have ever written you. I like your stories very much; the best one of this year, I think, is "Little Lord Fauntleroy." Only I did not like to have the new Lord Fauntleroy coming in to take his place. I hope Mrs. Burnett will have the Earl buy the new Lord Fauntleroy out.

Your interested reader, MARY G--

* * * * *

CLIFTON, NEAR BRISTOL, ENGLAND.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: We are an English family with big and little members in it. Whenever ST. NICHOLAS comes there is a great rush for it. We think it much better than any of our English magazines. We live near the Suspension Bridge, which is 254 feet above the river. Our horses eat sugar, apples, and salt out of our hands. One is called Howard, the other, Chester. We hardly ever get any ice here, and very little snow. We think that "Little Lord Fauntleroy" is a real good story; it is very like English life. We enjoy the letters from the little American boys and girls very much. Please print this letter, as it comes a long way--from England. I am a big member writing for the rest of our family.

Always your faithful readers, THE SPARKE FAMILY.

* * * * *

B: The story you name is founded on an actual tricycle journey by a
group of friends.

* * * * *

"CORTLANDT," OMAHA.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have never seen any letters from Omaha, in your delightful pages, so I think I must write, and hope you will print this letter. My mother and I think that "Little Lord Fauntleroy" is the most beautiful story we have ever read, and we have persuaded my father to read it, and he enjoyed it as much as we. My mother thinks Cedric will die before the end, but I hope not. I do not go to school, but I take French lessons of such a jolly little American "Mademoiselle!" Would it not be fun for a certain number of boy and girl readers of ST. NICHOLAS to send a list of five or ten of their favorite books and the authors' names to you, and be printed! I hope this letter is not too long to print.

Your loving friend, MENIE C. W--

* * * * *

CHRIST-CHURCH, NEW ZEALAND.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I thought you would like to get a letter from New Zealand, as I don't think you have had one from such a long way. We have had your magazine for two years, and we all like you very much and look forward to getting you from the booksellers every month; and I am afraid we sometimes squabble over it, as we are three children and we all want it at once. Margaret, my eldest sister, generally gets it first because she can cut it best. We have a nice pony, and we call him Joe, or Joseph, because he is a piebald and has a coat of many colors. The rabbits are so bad in New Zealand that we have to keep ferrets to kill them. Father has a station, or sheep-run, with 28,000 sheep, and we are afraid of the rabbits overrunning it and eating up the grass, so father says I must bring up all my young kittens to be turned out on the run to kill the rabbits. We went to England when I was four, and I liked it very much, and was so pleased to see Granny and the aunties; but, oh, dear, the voyage made me so sick! Now, dear ST. NICHOLAS, I hope you will find room to put this in your magazine some day. Good-bye.

Your devoted reader, ADINE ACTON A--

* * * * *

PARIS.

MY DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am a little American girl, but I am in Europe now, with my mother. We were in London the other day, and I went to Madame Tussaud's wax-works. The figures are, perhaps, better than those of the "Eden Musee," but the likenesses are simply miserable, especially Washington's, which resembles "Bunthorne," in "Patience"; and Lincoln, who was a much taller man than the late General Grant, was represented as a much smaller one.

Your very loving PAQUERELLE.

* * * * *

NEW YORK.

DEAR OLD ST. NICHOLAS: This is the first time I have ever written to you, although I have taken you for thirteen years,--ever since you were published,--and have quite often thought of doing it. I am only a New York girl, and can not write you about lovely scenery and stirring events like the girls and boys who live at a distance, but can only say again and again how dearly I love you, and how eagerly I look for you every month.

I have enjoyed the series "From Bach to Wagner" _so_ much, as I am very fond of music and take violin lessons. I like "Little Lord Fauntleroy" better than any story you have had in a long time,--but Mrs. Burnett is always delightful,--and it makes it so nice to have it illustrated by Mr. Birch, whose drawings I admire greatly. I hope you will not find this letter too long to print or consider me too old to be one of your admirers, as I am not yet seventeen. I do not belong to the A. A., much to my regret. I used to be a member of the "Town and Country Club," but had to give it up for want of time. Good-bye, dear ST. NICK, and believe me,

Affectionately yours, AMETHYST.

* * * * *

PORTLAND, OR.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I have been taking you for nearly three years, and think you are very nice. I think "Little Lord Fauntleroy" and the "Brownies" are splendid. I like to read the Letter-Box. I am eight years old and have lived in Portland nearly five years; and I go to see my grandpa in the East sometimes. I have crossed the continent five times, and, my Mamma says, have spent about five weeks of my life in a sleeping-car.

Yours truly, LOUISE K. S.

* * * * *

16 CARLTON ROAD, FITZHUGH, SOUTHAMPTON.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: We are very fond of you; we jump for joy when you come each month. We have taken you for two years in Buenos Ayres; now we are living in England, but in a little while we are going to Geneva; but wherever we are, we hope to see you. Our favorite stories are: "His One Fault," "Oh, Dear," "The Brownies," "Little Lord Fauntleroy." Mother likes "Personally Conducted." This is the first letter we have written; we should like to see it printed.

Your little friends, BELLA, WILLIE, AND MIDGE.

* * * * *

LIVERPOOL, N. Y.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am a little girl nine years old. I have a little sister and a baby brother. My little sister Enid thinks the "Brownies" going to the "surtus" is the best. I think "Little Lord Fauntleroy" is very nice. We have a big mastiff dog named Zippo. He weighs one hundred and forty pounds. He came from England when he was eighteen months old. He was raised by an earl. Perhaps it was Little Lord Fauntleroy's grandfather. I hope you will print this in your Letter-Box.

Your Constant Reader, BESSIE C.

* * * * *

WASHINGTON, D. C.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: We have neither of us ever written to you before, but now we want to tell you something. We were seated at our desks in school, when the door opened and the principal entered, followed by four great Indians. None but the interpreter could speak English. They were dressed in citizens' clothes, so were not so interesting as they might have been. The next day several of us sent our albums to them, and the interpreter wrote the names of each, and then he whose name was signed, made his own cross underneath. Three of their names are:

"Young Prophet."
"Stiff Wing."
"Young Bear."

Your devoted readers, ED. AND KITTIE.

* * * * *

PHILADELPHIA.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: My age is twelve years, and I am so fond of my mother; so I must tell you how much we are all pleased with "Little Lord Fauntleroy" and his "Dearest" mother.

My father is an Englishman, but we live in this country; we all love the Queen, and we have a very high regard for the President and this Government.

My father has been a great fisherman, and has fished in many waters in this country; one time he caught a large pickerel, and the boy that was rowing the boat had no shoes on, so when the large fish was drawn in the boat it had its mouth wide open, and it slid to the boy's foot and came near decapitating his big toe. Another time he hooked a large rock fish, and it pulled him in the river, out of the boat, and he came near drowning.

We all love the ST. NICHOLAS, for the many, many pretty stories you give us. Now, "Dearest" No. 2, I will say good-bye.

JAMES LARDNER H.

* * * * *

BANGOR, ME.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am reading the story of "Little Lord Fauntleroy," and I like it very much. I do not like the grandpa very much; yet I think when the grandpa sees Lord Fauntleroy's mother, he will like her, and have her come up and live with them. From your friend,

L. C. B.

* * * * *

LOUISVILLE, KY.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I often thought I would like to send you some of my poetry, and will inclose a piece that I composed last September, while sailing my boat at Barnegat. I am eleven years old, and have been writing poetry and stories for several years. I would be so much pleased to see this letter and poem printed in ST. NICHOLAS, and if you do not like this poetry I could send you other pieces called "The Frisky Calf," "Blacksmith's Song," "Rivuletta," etc. Good-bye, dear ST. NICHOLAS.

Yours truly, ELLEN N. L.

THE FATHOMLESS DEEP.

Ships have gone down, and bags of gold,
And copper and silver and riches untold
Lie on the bottom of the fathomless deep,
Where so many souls have gone to sleep.

Ships have gone down with lively crews,
And there is no one to tell the sad news
About how many souls unwillingly sleep
On the bottom of the fathomless deep.

Lobsters and crabs and fishes all,
From the big whale down to the minnow small,
And porpoises frolic and jump and leap
In the waters of the fathomless deep.

The waves break with a rush and roar
Upon the sands, as they did of yore;
And often and often people weep
For the souls that have died in the fathomless deep.

Sailors sail on the ocean green,
And will continue to do so, I ween;
For they wont take warning from the souls that sleep
On the bottom of the fathomless deep.

BARNEGAT CITY, N. J., Sept. 11, 1885.

* * * * *

"A JEWEL":--Your little story is very clever, as the work of a girl
of your age, and we should gladly print it in the Letter-Box if
there were space for it. But we are sorry to say that we can not
possibly make room for the story in our already over-crowded
columns.

* * * * *

PARIS, FRANCE.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I am an American boy, living in Paris; I do not like it much here. I have been to the Louvre several times since I have been here, and the delightful "Stories of Art and Artists" have a double interest, for when I go to the Louvre I can look for the works of artists mentioned in those stories. I have seen the picture of Mme. le Brun and her daughter there, and it is beautiful. I have seen also a good many of David's. I am eleven years old, and have two sisters and one brother, all younger than myself, and we all wait for you with impatience. I have taken you now for three years, and to part with you would be like parting with an old friend.

"Little Lord Fauntleroy" is the nicest next to "Art and Artists," I think. I go to a school with over eleven hundred boys. I leave the house at ten minutes of eight, in the morning, and I do not get home until six at night.

I hope you will print this, as it is my first letter. Now, with much love to you and the Little School-ma'am, I remain,

Your constant reader, J. H. T.

* * * * *

In the article in our last number, entitled "A Royal Fish," the
author stated that in this country a salmon weighing fifty pounds
was considered a very large one. But a correspondent now sends us
the following item describing a salmon which weighed seventy-two
pounds. No salmon of this weight, however, has ever been caught
_with a rod_ on the American side of the ocean. Here is the item:

"Crowds of well-dressed people, men and women, went to Fulton Market yesterday and looked at an enormous salmon which was on exhibition. Mr. Blackford, to whom it belonged, had put a row of big strawberries along its back and stuffed green moss into its capacious mouth. The fish came from the Dalles, a noted fishing place on the Columbia River, Oregon. It measured fifty-two inches from its nose to the tip of its tail, was twelve inches broad, and weighed seventy-two pounds. It was caught in a net."

* * * * *

BALATON FURED.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I like you very much and most of all Sophie Swett and Frank Stockton and Miss Alcott and Mary Mapes Dodge. I am a little English girl, and I live in Hungary. We are going away in the spring, and father has gone already.

Your loving reader, KATHLEEN YOUNG.

* * * * *

BALATON FURED, HUNGARY.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I feel I must add a few lines to my little daughter's note, to tell you that, as she is suffering from spinal complaint, she is obliged always to lie on her back; so to her--cut off from so many of the pleasures of stronger children--you are doubly welcome. Indeed, we all are very partial to you; your magazine has the distinction of being the most shabby book on our book-shelves. In our home, as no doubt in hundreds of others, you are a household word. Kathleen begs you, if you have room, to print her letter. With every good wish, very truly yours,

MARIA YOUNG.

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