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the purpose of detecting gas-escapes without the usual catastrophe. It consists of a similar of geology, but who think that they are deterred platinum wire inclosed within a safety envelope of wire-gauze. When brought into a gaseous atmosphere, the temperature of the platinum is much increased, and a warning bell is set ringing. Some experiments in ocean telegraphy are about to be tried in the Mediterranean, which, if successful, will have important and farreaching applications. It has been suggested by a French officer of engineers that deep-sea cables could be furnished at certain intervals with branch lines leading to the surface of the water, and that these lines could be buoyed in such a manner that passing vessels could attach to them the necessary appliances for communicating with the shores. The present experiments are to be tried upon the cable between France and Algiers; but a more important field for the system would be on the broad Atlantic, where not only could ships send news of their own safety and of the well-being of ships they had spoken with, but storm warnings of the greatest value for weather forecasting could also be sent home. The result of the Mediterranean experiments will be looked for with great interest.

from practical work by living in great cities with few opportunities of getting outside the region of bricks and mortar, would do well to pay attention to a lecture upon the Geology of the Metropolitan Streets, lately delivered by Mr Skertehly, F.G.S., at the London Institution. In speaking of the building-stones of the great city, he showed how formerly they were confined to easily worked limestones and sandstones. But of late years a great and welcome change has occurred, for architects have availed themselves of crystalline rocks-the many-coloured granites-and heretofore-plainness is gradually giving place to artistic erections. student of geology may therefore now find many examples of interesting and picturesque rockbuilding material, whereas formerly, London and Waterloo bridges were the only examples of them to be found within the metropolitan area. The lecture was well illustrated both with large specimens and sections of rock, the structure of which was shown by means of the microscope.

This year will see the completion of one of the greatest submarine engineering feats ever undertaken in Britain. The Severn tunnel was first begun by the Great Western Railway sixteen years ago, and the accomplishment of the great work has been delayed by difficulties which a few years back would have been thought insurmountable. Twice has an enormous volume of water flooded the works, through the accidental tapping of land springs; besides which, fissures in the rock were met with which let the tidal waters into the tunnel. The river is two and a quarter miles broad at the site of the works, but the tunnel itself is nearly double that length, in order to allow for the necessary gradient on either side, the crown of the tunnel being fifty feet below the deepest part of the river. The enterprise has cost considerably more than a million of money.

The stupendous task of printing the entire catalogue of books in the British Museum Library, numbering one million three hundred and fifty thousand printed books and fifty thousand manuscripts, has for some time been steadily progressing. The system in vogue up to a recent period was to write the names of the books with their reference numbers, &c., upon slips of paper, which were afterwards pasted into the catalogue volumes in alphabetical order. From two such volumes, which sufficed to describe the collection in 1787, the number had swelled to two thousand volumes in 1878. The number of printed volumes now amounts to seventy-four, and the importance of the reform will be recognised when we state that these seventy-four new volumes replace no fewer than two hundred and seventy-six of the far more cumbrous manuscript volumes. It may not be generally known that any subscriber of three pounds ten shillings annually can obtain copies of these catalogue volumes as they are issued, the present rate of issue being thirty each year. The government grant for this truly national work is only three thousand pounds per annum, and we are inclined to think that the most captious parliamentary critic would not raise an objection if this sum were considerably increased.

The

According to all accounts, the roller-pulp machine invented by a Mr Pond is capable of very marvellous results. It will turn sawdust, shavings, chips, and any fragments of wood into all descriptions of paper, and this without the admixture of rags. It will also render available the stalks of sugar-cane, cotton, hemp, and other plants at the rate of two to three tons per day. A Vermont newspaper is entirely printed on paper made from sawdust treated by this machine, its tensile strength being such that it will stand a test of seventeen pounds to the square inch. Besides paper-manufacture, the wood-pulp can be moulded papier-mâché fashion into pails, barrels, and many other utensils. Even for railway carriage-wheels, prepared wood-pulp has been found serviceable; and if so, why should not the experiment be made of testing its efficacy for the rails themselves? Wooden sleepers, closely placed, have latterly enhanced the pleasure of a railway journey. The ease of transit, and possibly the safety, may by-and-by be secured by hardened pulp. The woods best adapted to the process are those of soft quality, such as fir, pine, poplar, &c.

'Australian System of reducing Iron Ores' is the title under which a process has been patented by Mr W. H. Harrison of Sydney, for dealing with the valuable native ores of New South Wales. Numerous attempts have been already made to manufacture iron and steel from them; but these have failed, it is said, because the experimenters have adhered too rigidly to British modes of working, without considering certain peculiarities in the Australian ores, which require special modes of treatment. Mr Harrison separates the impurities which form the chief difficulty by means of hydrogen, which carries off these impurities in a gaseous condition, leaving the pure metal behind. It has been said that this new process is likely to do for our Australian colonies what the Bessemer process has done for the mother-country. Whether this is an exaggeration or not will erelong be ascertained, for works on a large scale will presently be complete for working the process. If it be successful, the saving to the colony in the import of English ores will amount to a vast sum annually.

It seems astonishing that in these days of Anthropological Laboratory, where, on payment luxurious railway carriages, the comforts of which of a small fee, any person could be measured, have been extended to the third-class passengers, weighed, have his sight tested, his strength of pull a better system of heating than the cumbrous recorded, his lung capacity measured, &c. The and uncomfortable foot-warmers has not invari- results in each case were tabulated upon a card ably been introduced on the British lines. In and handed to the visitor. This laboratory was Sweden, the waste steam is utilised-at very organised by Mr Frances Galton, who has done trifling expense and by simple appliances-to much other original work in the study of his secure an equable heat in the coaches; but for fellow-beings. He has lately published the some unknown reason, the railway directors in general results attained at this unique laboratory, this country as a rule prefer the antiquated system and they are both curious and instructive. We of scorching the feet and leaving the rest of the learn, for instance, that the breathing capacity body uncared for. Splendid speed is attained of men is much greater than of women. The by our locomotives, which, for instance, bring average height of the two sexes was five feet London and Edinburgh within nine hours of each eight inches and five feet three inches respecother. Why not utilise the engine's heating as tively. In keenness of sight, the ladies, we are not well as her break-powers? surprised to hear, were about equal to the sterner sex. We are disposed to think, in looking at these figures, that the average is placed too high, and for this reason: persons of good build and great strength would feel a natural pride in seeing their personal advantages recorded. But at the same time, undergrown, weakly men and women would shrink from exhibiting their shortcomings. In this way, may not Mr Galton have had the flowers of the flock from which to draw his conclusions?

A paper lately read before the Society of Chemical Industry by Mr Redwood gave many interesting particulars of the Russian petroleum wells. Although it has been estimated that the area of oil-producing territory in Russia measures fourteen thousand square miles, the field at Baku is the only one worked, and this covers a space of three and a half square miles only. Its enormous output is said to be sufficient for the requirements of the whole world. Mr Redwood happened to be present when one of the wells was opened. He tells us that a mighty column of oil spouted up to the height of one hundred feet, carrying big stones with it, and that it continued gushing out until a huge lake of petroleum was formed. The product is refined on the spot by a process of distillation, the residue being used as fuel both for steamers on the Caspian and upon many of the Russian railways. The by-products of the distillation, such as naphthaline, benzole, &c., meet with some attention; but that branch of the manufacture is at present in its infancy. The oil-wells of America have always been considered remarkably productive, but they are certainly rivalled by those at Baku.

The Indian Rhea plant possesses such a tenacious fibre, that it was long ago pointed out that it would be of great value for various manufacturing purposes; but a difficulty stood in the way, because of there being no machine known by which the grower could produce from it a clean and unbroken fibre fit for market. Thereupon, as we formerly informed our readers, the Indian government offered a valuable prize to the inventor of the coveted machine. At the recent Calcutta Exhibition, nine machines were shown of more or less merit, but only one fulfilled all the conditions laid down by the authorities. This is called the Universal Fibre Cleaning Machine, and its main feature consists of an iron drum upon which several metal beaters are bolted. As it revolves, a jet of water releases the refuse loosened by the beaters, and also softens the gummy matter by which the fibres are bound together. The cost of the machine is small, and it can be driven by steam or by bullocks. It is anticipated that this invention will open up a new source of textile industry, and will be especially valuable in certain districts of India where the Rhea plant grows wild, and has been hitherto looked upon as cumbering the ground.

Visitors to the Health Exhibition last year may remember that there was to be found there an

Two famous aeronauts and engineers have lately died in France. The one was M. Giffard, the constructor of the famous captive balloon of 1878, the largest and most powerful aerostat ever made. He is, however, better known as the inventor of the famous steam-injector, which is now used all the world over for filling the boilers of engines with water. The other was M. Dupuy de Lome, the engineer of the first French ironclad, La Gloire. He was the prime mover of the balloon mail-service which was established in Paris at the time of the memorable siege.

In the Report for 1884 of the Council of the National Smoke Abatement Institution, many proofs are given that the labours of the Society have met with some success. Gas stoves let out by the gas Companies to private consumers have in many cases taken the place of coal-fires. Large quantities of bread are now baked in various districts without any smoke being produced. It appears that the recommendations in various quarters to use slow combustion stoves to reduce smoke from open grates have been made on erroneous data. The Council plead for an extension of the Metropolitan Smoke Act beyond its present boundaries, and also recommend a more stringent application of its provisions, now that in various trades the suppression of the smoke nuisance is merely a matter of care. state in this connection that it has been calculated, from the extra consumption of gas necessarily involved, that a single foggy day costs the consumers ten thousand pounds, to say nothing of its effect upon human life.

We may

The Trawling Commissioners have presented their Report to the Home Secretary, and it is now issued in the form of a White-book, extending to over forty pages. It deals with the subject in a most exhaustive manner, as the following summary (for which we are indebted to the Scotsman) will show: The Commissioners find that in territorial waters from the Moray Firth to Grimsby there has been a falling-off of flat fish, and a decrease of haddocks in certain places;

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that in offshore waters there has been no decrease in the total takes of fish in the North Sea, except in the case of soles; that the beamtrawl is not destructive to cod and haddock spawn, and there is no proof of injury to the spawn of herrings or other edible fish; that there is no wasteful or unnecessary destruction of immature food-fishes by the beam-trawl; that the number of fish on particular grounds, especially in narrow waters, may be sensibly diminished by the use of the beam-trawl; that the injury done by the beam-trawl to the food of fish is insignificant; that it has not been proved that the use of the beam-trawl is the sole cause of the diminution of fish in territorial waters; that in the absence of a proper system of fishery statistics and scientific observations, it was impossible to discover the causes of or measure the fluctuations of the fisheries; that much damage has been done to drift-nets and haddock lines, particularly by steam-trawlers; and that peculiar difficulties attend the recovery by fishermen of compensation under the Sea Fisheries Act, or of civil damages. The Commissioners make various recommendations suggested by the conclusions arrived at.

The question of the raising of the temperature of buildings lighted by gas or electricity has been cleverly determined at the Royal Theatre, Munich. It had been arranged that, before the commencement of the performance, the curtain should be raised and all the lamps should be allowed to burn for an hour. At the end of that time, observations on the temperature were taken at intervals of five minutes, simultaneously in the boxes, pit, and gallery. Again, the same observations were continued every ten minutes, after the audience had assembled and throughout the performance. By these experiments it was proved that the electric light-unlike its rival, gas-actually diminished the temperature, instead of adding to it. Instead of helping in the generation of carbonic acid gas, and thereby increasing the discomfort of public buildings, especially when filled by a large audience, the reverse appears to be the case; which, if really the case, must ultimately prove of immense advantage in theatres, music-rooms, churches, or other large structures; and this to say nothing of the enormous superiority of the electric light-would alone give it a place as the most brilliant light in the world.

nearly one hundred in number, and the damage otherwise was considerable.-A scientific contemporary has the following very interesting remarks on the curious effect of the action of the dynamite: The window in its present damaged state exhibits a remarkable and interesting evidence of the power of suction peculiar to dynamite in explosion. The panels of leaded glass, which are much distorted by the force of the explosion, are nearly without exception bulged inwards; whilst the plain diamond-shaped glazing, which formed an outer guard or protection to the stained glass, is bulged outwards at every point; but the inner window bears unmistakable evidence of a sudden and violent contraction of air immediately subsequent to the first expansion recorded by the state of the outer glass. would seem that the same force would account for the fact of the two constables and Mr Green being found drawn into the hole which the explosion itself had made.'

CURIOUS ANTIPATHIES IN ANIMALS.

CATS.

It

I HAVE always been very fond of cats, and like all our family we have been in the habit of making great pets of them. They are not, I think, as a general rule, troubled with special or peculiar antipathies, but it is certain that they are endowed with far more intelligence, sagacity, and affection, than most people give them credit for. My experience and observation, extending over many years, convince me that where cats are well treated, petted, and rightly understood, they are capable of great affection for persons individually, and not merely for places, as it is so much the fashion to allege. Many people have a great dislike to the whole race, speak ill of them, and attribute to them every bad and worthless trait. This I consider a great injustice to one of the most beautiful, graceful, and, when properly treated, affectionate of our household pets.

A beautiful and touching anecdote of personal affection in a cat for her playmate, a child, was related recently in the Leisure Hour, where the cat not only refused food when the child died, but, like the celebrated Edinburgh dog, Greyfriars Bobby, passed most of her time in the village churchyard sitting by the grave, and returning home regularly for food. Was the faithful animal aware that the child was lying beneath? And did she expect her return to earth? It would seem that some such thought must have possessed her, and that she therefore resolved to await the child's reappearance.

The great south window in Westminster Hall, which was seriously damaged by dynamite explosion on the 24th of February, was executed between the years 1847 and 1851, and opened the year of the first Great Exhibition. The A splendid tabby Tom belonged to my late artists were Messrs John Hardman & Co., and father-in-law, and was a great pet of his the subjects represented are the arms of all the daughter (my wife) when living at home before kings and queens, and founders of reigning houses her marriage. Tab was very fond of his mistress, of England, from some time before the Conquest always selecting her lap, when possible, for his downwards. The drawings, which were prepared moments of repose. He was so well trained and by Messrs Hardman nearly forty years ago with intelligent that he would follow her about the infinite care and labour, are all fortunately garden or the adjoining fields, and answer to his preserved, and will be employed by those name exactly like a dog; and yet, with all his gentlemen in the restoration of the portions affection, he would not allow my wife to sing, of the window broken by the explosion, or even hum. When she sang, he would jump this work having been intrusted to that firm up, lash his tail-an unmistakable sign of angerby the First Commissioner of Works. The utter short sharp 'mews,' whilst every movement panels of glass, which were much torn and of the animal betrayed extreme uneasiness and twisted by the violence of the dynamite, are annoyance. If the singing did not cease, the

mews would be extended into a sort of howl or cry, and he would stand on his hind-legs and pat the lady's knee with his paw, as a gentle remonstrance; sometimes he would fling himself down at full length, and scratch with his claws at the carpet in the oddest manner. These performances were most amusing. But one day, I am sorry to say, he lost both his patience and his temper, and behaved in a manner highly discreditable to a well-bred and intelligent feline. He was asleep in my wife's lap when she began, quite thoughtlessly, to hum a melody. In a moment Tab was sitting erect in her lap, glaring fiercely up into her face and uttering little angry cries. Rather amused than otherwise, my wife continued her humming, when Tab suddenly sprang up and stuck his claws into both sides of her face, below each ear. Seizing his paws and throwing him sharply down, my wife ceased the music, when-all being silent-Tab looked up, evidently rather surprised at his rough treatment, whisked his tail about, and then, seeming to think better of it, instantly jumped into her lap again, and commenced purring a loud song of -let us hope-repentance for his bad conduct.

This is another and equally mysterious instance of musical antipathy, exhibited towards the singing of one person only; for I never heard that Tab showed the least dislike to the singing of any one else, or took any notice of music in general, whether vocal or instrumental; and in this he resembled the previously related cases of the dog Wag and the horse Jenny,* neither of which could endure the singing of one particular lady.

She

We possessed, at the old home in Surrey, when I was a lad, a remarkably fine white cat. From her great size and strength, Fairy was always supposed to be a 'Tom;' but she belonged to what in her case was undoubtedly the 'fair' sex. was very sagacious and clever. She would sit up and beg, jump through the hands held high, and, what was perhaps most singular, she would keep up a conversation with you by regularly answering, with an odd sort of pretty little short mew, every time you spoke to her. Frequently, when sitting alone by the fire, with Fairy for a companion, she has afforded me great amusement by her conversational powers; and I confess I would often rather have passed an hour in her company than in that of many persons I have since known, who were chiefly remarkable either for the most overpowering capacity for talk, or else for none at all-a state of things equally boring and wearisome.

Fairy was celebrated for her great intelligence in many ways, as well as her strong affection for my mother, who always seemed to be her especial favourite. When she returned home, puss would come forward to welcome her, tail erect, and then turning, would walk before her into the house in the most stately manner, uttering some odd little mews, evidently expressing genuine pleasure. As soon as my mother sat down Fairy would settle herself in her lap, commence a loud song of satisfaction, and positively decline to be removed therefrom; for if she was put down, on one side, she would immediately jump up on the other with the most amusing perseverance.

But with all her affection and sagacity, Fairy

*See Nos. 6 and 37 (1884) of this Journal.

had a particular antipathy to whistling-not necessarily the whistling of a musical melody, but whistling of any sort, such as the calling of a dog, or otherwise. She had a great objection to a long, loud, sharp whistle; the longer and louder it was, the more annoyed and fidgety she would become. She would throw herself at full length on the carpet, then start up and look you full in the face, uttering the usual short mews or cries-evidently intended as a gentle hint or remonstrance against your whistling propensities. If the long sharp notes continued, she moved uneasily about the room, occasionally stopping short, looking straight at the whistler, and giving two or three little short mews, in the drollest manner possible, saying as plainly as an animal could: Why do you continue this stupid noise? Don't you see how very much it disturbs me? I wish you'd be quiet!'

One day I continued whistling loud and shrill notes, and poor Fairy got so annoyed, that after the usual exhibition of mewing and prostrations on the carpet, she suddenly jumped on my knee, and then standing on her hind-legs, repeatedly tapped my chin with her soft velvet paw. When I suddenly stopped, she looked intently into my face, gave a little jerky sort of mew, and then laid herself quietly down in my lap, satisfied, apparently, that I had stopped the peculiar sound which gave her so much annoyance.

'IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.'

Ir might have been! Oh, saddest words of all.
We dream and dream of scenes beyond recall.
Sad thoughts will come, and burning tears will fall,
For might have been.'

Oh, could we live our lives all o'er again!
Could we forget the present, with the pain
Of thoughts that are unspoken! All in vain.
It might have been.

It might have been. Oh, words of wild regret ;
Sorrow for vanished hours, and yet-ah, yet—
Would we, if e'en we could, forget-forget
What might have been?

Ah, well! perchance for all some sweet hope lies
Buried deeply, maybe, from human eyes,
And none but God may ever hear our sighs
O'er might have been.'

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LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART

Fifth Series

ESTABLISHED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS, 1832
CONDUCTED BY R. CHAMBERS (SECUNDUS)

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FOOD FOR THE MILLION. THE question of food and feeding is one of such importance that it well deserves the attention it is at present exciting; and whilst it affects all classes, it is of special importance to those whose limited incomes demand the full value for money expended. Yet it is just this class who, as matters now stand, have difficulty in procuring wholesome unadulterated food at a reasonable cost; for whatever may be said as to the advantages of the present state of trade and competition, it can hardly be asserted that the poor man reaps practical benefit therefrom; indeed, as a rule, really good food is beyond his reach; and it is rare for him to get-in large towns, at least-even his staple article of diet, bread, without more or less of adulteration.

PRICE 1d.

quick to criticise would not be equally ready to vary such an extremely limited bill of fare, at those rare opportunities when money is fairly plentiful. That thousands of unskilled labourers and their families do live strictly within such limits, those who know anything of their life can testify; and the case of a poor woman is by no means exceptional, who, on being asked if she would like a basin of dripping to take home, responded eagerly: "That I should; the childer's mighty fond of a bit of grease with their bread, and they don't often get it.'

'But,' objects the poor man's critic, 'why is not more use made of such things as peas, beans, and lentils, which are both cheap and nourishing?'

Undoubtedly they are, and equally they can be made appetising, but scarcely with the restrictions under which the labourer's wife has to set about her cooking. To begin with, the stock, dripping, or lard which the richer cook uses as a matter of course, are beyond her reach; and even the minor details of herbs, spices, or flavourings are not to be had for the asking. But, allowing that she could lay her hand upon such essentials to tempting dishes, there remains a difficulty so great as to be practically insurmountable. As houses for the poor now stand, it is only the inhabitant of the kitchen who is

As a consequence of the high price of food, the dietary of that very large class, the decent poor, has resolved itself into very narrow limits, and consists, mainly, of bread, potatoes, dried fish, and cheese, with highly adulterated beer and spirits; or tea made from 'siftings,' with or without watered milk. In many such families, the Sunday dinner of meat is looked forward to as the treat of the week, though, in nine cases out of ten, the meat will be of inferior quality and badly cooked. There is a fashion, indeed, amongst some writers and speakers, of crying the possessor of a grate that will cook, or at least down the extravagance of the poor, who in prosperous times are represented as wasting money which should be laid by for a 'rainy-day,' in the pleasures of the table, with a special leaning towards unseasonable delicacies. We do not deny the force of the complaint in regard to the artisan class, who greatly need such instruction in cookery as we referred to lately, by means of which, wholesome and inexpensive food may be made so tempting as to take the place of the present system of 'treats.'

But in respect to the class below the artisan, our experience points in an altogether different direction; though even were there truth in the statement, we doubt whether those who are so

that was originally intended for that purpose. All the other lodgers-say from six to ten families -are without any sort of oven or boiler, and frequently without even a hob on which to rest a saucepan or kettle. In very many cases, the difficulty is increased by the bad state of repair of the apology for a grate; and the large percentage of smoky chimneys would astonish those who have not gone into the subject.

Now, under such circumstances, a thoroughly good and clever cook might manage the soups and stews, which, we are sometimes gravely assured, the French peasant can make out of 'nothing;' but it is certainly a feat of skill far beyond the average working-woman; and even

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