Bob and myself, who rode together. We looked very funny, no doubt, for the drivers kept in line almost all the time. We drove past the Emperor's winter palace, which contains five hundred rooms. It is an immense orange-covered building, with statues on the top all the way around. Since then I have been through one hundred and eighty of these rooms, and I do not think it is nearly so fine as the summer palace of Katherine II., at Tsarkoi Selo, which is a spacious building, profusely gilded on the inside, and was formerly decorated on the outside with gold leaf, which is now almost entirely replaced by bronze. In one room the chandeliers are made of pure crystal, and the walls of another room are entirely covered with amber, while the floor is mahogany inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The church, which is under the same roof, is ornamented with lapis lazuli. In the palace is a room elegantly fitted up for a gymnasium. Among other things is a highly polished, inclined plane, upon which the imperial children coasted on bits of carpet. The guide allowed Rob and myself to slide down five or six times.

I think the little Russians must have a hard time learning their alphabet, as it contains thirty-six instead of twenty-six letters. Rob and I are able to spell out some of the signs as we pass by.

I must now close, hoping soon to see a number of your highly prized magazine. Your loving friend, MABEL S. DUNCAN.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: Here is a little puzzle-story that may interest your readers :

A Dutchman purchased a farm in Minnesota. As he could not speak English, he hired John Jones to act as his interpreter, as well as to assist him with farm work.

One day during harvest, the Dutchman, who was at work in the field, sent word home to his wife that he had hired six extra men, and that she must provide dinner for them. To do this it was necessary that she should purchase provisions from the neighboring town. But John Jones was at work in the field, and neither she nor her son Hans could speak a word of English.

In this dilemma, her eyes fell upon the Bible of John Jones, which was on the table beside of her own Dutch Bible, and the following plan suggested itself. Finding the names of the articles she needed in her own Bible, she marked the corresponding passages in the English Bible.

Little Hans harnessed the horse, and going to town with the two Bibles in his wagon, he had no difficulty in making known his wants. He purchased from the grocer something mentioned in (1) Psalms, lxxxi. 16; (2) Isaiah, vii. 22, (3) 1 Samuel, xvii. 18. From the baker

From the

he bought (4) Psalms, cxxxii. 15; (5) 1 Kings, xvii. 13. butcher he bought (6) Luke, xv. 23: (7) Genesis, xxii. 8. His mother had also marked a passage (8) Hebrews, xiii. 22. Where did he go?

One of the cooking utensils had been broken, and, to replace it, a word had been marked in (9) Leviticus, vii. 9. Some other things had to be replaced, and Hans's mother marked the last word in (10) Judges, v. 25, and a word in (11) Genesis, xl. 11. Hans also found marked the last three words in (12) Exodus, xxxix. 37. In case this could not be had, he was to buy something mentioned in (13) Matthew, v. 15, which would answer the same purpose.

xxiii. 15.

After doing his errands, Hans returned to the grocer's for his parcels, and feeling warm and thirsty, he pointed to (14) 2 Samuel, The grocer pointed to (15) 1 Timothy, v. 23. This Hans refused; but he was grateful when a glass of something mentioned in (16) Hebrews, v. 12 was handed to him. To express his gratitude he pointed to one word in (17) 1 Thessalonians, v. 18, and then, turning to (18) Ruth, ii. 10, he marked the latter half of the

verse.

The grocer, pleased with the lad's intelligence, gave him a handful of the two articles last named in (19) Genesis, xliii. 11, and some of the fruit mentioned in (20) Jeremiah, xxiv. 2.

Hans was so delighted with his success that on his return, when his mother sent him to call the men to dinner, Hans wished to carry the Bible with him, that he might point to three words in (21) John, xxi. 12. This his mother would not allow him to do, although he gave as his reason (22) Exodus, iv. 10. Reference to the last word in (23) Exodus, iv. 2 brought him to instant obedience, and he meekly pointed to the parenthesis in (24) Exodus, ix. 28.

G. L. V.

WE must thank the young friends named in the following list for pleasant letters:

Fannie S. Ludlow, Bunnie Steele, Margaret Candon, H. M. Rochester, Flossie M. Keith, Evelyn, Adele Kinzie, Annie B. K., Bella Emra, Phebe Kelley, Mildred W. Strong, Louis W. M., Ralph M. Fletcher, Willie Heyde, Myrtle H. Foster, E. M. Cope, Herman Nelson Steele, Elsie Rose Clark, Beatrice P. K., Irene M. Hayes, Elsie B., Alice Lynde, "Maude S.," Laura L., Jeannette M., Lloyd R. Blyn, Mary Higley, Jessie Ludlow, Violet Campbell, Cammie Reyburn, H. Clarke, Harry Stearns, Helen Mann, Georgia Bond, F. W. S., Amelia McKellogg, G. Reese Satterlee, Louis T. Wilson, Charlie H. Robertson, Alice Cary, E. Burk, Katrina B. Ely, Ethel L. S., Helen Smith.

"

may

have a

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO OUR MINERALOGISTS. OUR wish is equally cordial that all our other "ists happy year, but we mention mineralogists in particular, because they are peculiarly fortunate in the prospect of the assistance of Professor W. O. Crosby of the Boston Society of Natural History. In reference to our appeal for aid in this department, Professor Crosby writes:

"My college work is well started now, and I have decided to give the work in your departments of mineralogy and geology a trial. Before undertaking a series of lessons, I desire to become more familiar with the Association and its methods of work; and I propose now, if think it expedient, merely to answer questions and identify specimens; i. e. to give assistance and instruction to individuals only, until I am more fully initiated."

you

Professor Crosby will need no introduction to the members of the A. A., for his Common Minerals and Rocks, and his valuable collections of minerals have already made his name familiar and welcome to us all. All wishing to avail themselves of this offer may address him, care of Boston Society of Natural History, cor. Berkeley and Boylston sts., Boston, Mass. Stamps must, of course, be inclosed for reply, and if specimens are sent for identification, the postage for their return must also be inclosed.

There is also good news for our ornithologists and mammalogists, for Mr. A. W. Butler, Secretary of the Brookville Society of Natural History, writes:

"Anything I can do in the way of answering questions, etc., regarding Ornithology and Mammalogy, I will do."

Address Mr. Amos W. Butler, Brookville, Ind.

AWARD OF A PRIZE.

THE prize of fifty labeled specimens of shells offered by Mr. Harry E. Dore, for best collection of Mollusca, has been awarded to Mr. G. S. Marston, of De Pere, Wis., President of Chapter 679. Mr. Dore writes: "He showed much interest in gathering so many species, and deserves credit."

THE NEXT CONVENTION.

AT our very delightful convention in Philadelphia, the opinion was expressed that similar meetings should be held not oftener than once in two years. In accordance with that view, no efforts have

been made in that direction in 1885. But we must be thinking about 1886. Many Western Chapters were unable to be represented at Philadelphia on account of the distance, and there is a strong feeling that this year we ought to hold our convention in such a place as to give them a chance. The indications are that the Association may receive an invitation from Iowa, and there are many reasons which would make such an invitation extremely hard to resist.

A KIND OFFER.

MANY of our young friends will avail themselves of the following offer, which no one can fail to appreciate.

THE ASTOR LIBRARY, NEW YORK CITY. My son and I are both engaged in the Astor Library, and shall be happy to assist any Chapter with reference to books. Our library has a very fine collection of books on all branches of study pursued by the A. A., and if we can be of any service, you are at liberty to use the name of the undersigned for any such purpose.

C. H. A. BJERREGAARD,

One of the Librarians of the Astor Library.

REPORTS FROM CHAPTERS AND FRIENDS.

I took

336, Pine City, Minn. Everything progressing finely. my collection of insects to the Pine County Fair, and took first premium.-Ernest L. Stephan, Sec.

1, Lenox, Mass. I have seen a young bird hatch from the egg. It was in a hanging nest about four feet from the ground, on a small oak. The egg cracked around the large end, and a piece came off like a lid.-Eugene H. Horne, Cor. Mem., Stratham, N. H.

[This observation is quite correct. The young chick does not pick a hole through the shell, as is commonly supposed, nor burst it, but using a sharp point on the upper mandible as a cutter, it turns its head around nearly in a circle, and cuts one end of the shell off “like a lid." The hard, sharp point afterward fails off.]

605, East Orange, N. J. During the past eighteen months Ch. 605 has increased from a membership of five, until we now have twentyfour active and eight honorary members. We have a balance of twenty dollars in our treasury. We have started a small library, the society appropriating fifteen dollars and the individual members contributing books. So you see we are not dead, by any means.Loren. L. Hopkins, Pres.; Walter W. Jackson, Secretary.

569, Ludington, Mich. We start anew this fall. We have twelve boys between the ages of twelve and fifteen, and more to join. We have also four grown members. We study geology and mineralogy, and with the help of some ladies have raised fifteen dollars, with which to get a cabinet and perhaps some books. We are making collections of minerals, shells, woods, corals, etc. We found some very curious lightning-tubes on a sand-hill by the lake. They were caused by the lightning striking some weeds, and fusing the sand around them. They must have been a yard in length, but very brittle. The deeper they were in the earth, the smaller they were. Mrs. A. E. Elsworth.

[The technical name is Fulgurite.]

3635 LOCUST STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA., October 27, '85.

I have to report both satisfaction and regret for my summer work. I did not accomplish near as much as I had hoped to, but have no cause for complaint. I collected a number of alcoholic specimens of marine invertebrates, among which were some very fine stalked barnacles. The New Jersey coast is not all that can be desired for Biological work, though it is quite rich in molluscan life. For some months past I have been pursuing a course in Vegetable Biology, and my two weeks' vacation enabled me to make considerable progress; the mosses particularly struck my fancy, and afforded many exquisite objects for the microscope. At present I am studying in my room two species of moss, corn, earth-worms, and some waterinsects. One thing which, if it turns out well, will give me more satisfaction than any of my summer efforts is the formation of a new Chapter in Doylestown, Pa. I think if members of the A. A. would

try to organize a Chapter in any place that contains none, the A. A. would spread much faster than its present good rate of growth, and would amply repay any trouble spent in such "missionary" work.

In one cell of a mud-wasp's nest, I found twenty plump, fresh spiders, besides the larva; in another, a few dried spiders and no trace of egg or larva; did the mother forget to lay an egg, or did one of the spiders come to, and eat it and the others? Who will enlighten us on this point?- Wm. E. McHenry.

158, Davenport, Iowa. Our Chapter has held meetings every week but one since our last report, which have been well attended. At present we have sixteen regular, three corresponding and nine honorary members. During the summer the society had a delightful camp-out near the city, while individual members took longer journeys, one making a canoe trip down the Maquoketa river in this State, while two others came down the lower part, of the Wapsipinicon river in a skiff. The former of these rivers flows through a deep valley formed in Niagara limestone; the cliffs in many places rising almost vertically from the water to a height of almost two hundred feet. We have published a monthly paper, the Hawkeye Observer. The Iowa Assembly of the A. A. meets here next August. -Edw. K. Putnam, Cor. Sec.

777, Seneca Falls, N. Y. We are thoroughly organized and meet every Wednesday night. We boys have built a club-house on one of the members' land, which is eight feet wide, ten feet long, and seven feet high. We have a stove, so we can keep warm. We have a shelf for our cabinets in one end. We have not got our cabinet in yet, but it consists of collections of birds' eggs and preserved snakes. We have a snake five feet seven inches long which is stuffed. Some of the boys have a collection of bugs. We think we can get along all right. We have ten members; we take two papers, and are getting along very well. We all like the study. Some weeks we have to write about some bird or some animai, and whoever fails to write is charged a fee of two cents; and for absence a fee of three cents more is charged. We held a meeting last night, and a motion was made that I make out my report and send One of the boys has a badge which cost one dollar and a half, and we think of sending and getting one. As soon as our cabinets are in we are going to invite our friends to see them.-Lester G. Seigfred, Sec.

you.

687, Adrian, Mich. As most of our members were away from home the past summer, we did not do very much work, although some of us caught some very fine specimens, and a great many of them under the electric light. We made an exhibit at the County Fair some weeks ago, as you will see by the inclosed clippings, taken from the daily papers. We took twelve dollars in premiums, and our expenses were very light-only for the making of two show-cases, our membership ticket, and some glass that was broken. We have had our rooms with the Adrian Scientific Society for the past year, but we have rented rooms by ourselves, and move this week. We have had several applications for membership, among which are some from ladies. After we get our rooms in shape, we shall admit them. We expect to take up some course of study this winter, but what it will be has not yet been decided, We have purchased Packard's Guide, and find it invaluable in the study of entomology. Several members have other valuable books, which they have kindly loaned.

Before closing I will try and give you a short description of our exhibit at the fair. We had a space 24 x 14 feet. Along the front we had our show-cases, two of them filled with insects, and the other with birds' eggs. There were over 3000 specimens of insects, among which was the Hercules Beetle, and a grasshopper over six inches long. There were over 500 birds' eggs, among which was a set of five Long-eared Owl and a set of Annas humming bird and nest; a fine collection of sea curiosities; alcoholic specimens; an alligator over six feet long; and many minerals and curiosities of all sorts. Considerable laughter was caused by a pig's-tail whistle. I inclose a photo of part of the exhibit; it is not very good, as the light was very bad, and it was only my second attempt at photography. We are in very good shape now, and when we get settled in our new rooms we hope to get down to some sound work. With our best wishes to yourself and the A. A., I am very truly yours,- Edw. J. Stebbins, Sec.

EXCHANGES.

Birds' eggs and minerals, for eggs.-E. A. Burlingame, 337 Broad St., Providence, R. I.

Insects. A large collection. Correspondence desired.- Samuel F. Gross, Jr., Box 177, Morristown, Pa.

Cecropia, Promethea, and other cocoons, for Io, Luna, and other desirable pupa or butterflies.-James L. Mitchell, Jr., Grand Hotel, Indianapolis, Ind.

Birds' eggs, blown through one smooth hole in side, sets or single, for same. Frank W. Wentworth, 1161 Chapel street, New Haven, Conn.

Rhode Island Lepidoptera.- Lucian Sharpe, Jr., 56 Angell St., Providence, R. I.

Microscopic objects, for Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. Send lists. -T. Mills Clark, 117 East 17th St., New York.

Californian ferns, for those of other localities or countries. No poor or mounted specimens desired. Write first, stating what you

have. Address Miss M. E. Parsons, P. O. Box 674, San Rafael, Marin Co., California.

Lava, Sandwich Island shells, petrified wood, sulphur quartz, rattlesnake rattles, gold quartz and mica, for any good specimens of minerals, fossils, or shells.- Miss Gertrude Wheeler, Sec. of Ch. A. of Berkeley, Alameda Co., California.

555. Olympia, Washington Ter., P. O. Box 23. Determined phanerogams of Oregon and Washington Ter., determined Puget Sound clams, Pacific coast wood-mosses, diatoms, crude, cleaned, and mounted, for determined species only. Specific offers requested. - Robert Blankenship, Sec.

Fossil Cyathophyllum, Dictophyton and "petrified moss," magnetic iron ore, and silver ore. Chapters desiring any of these may address W. H. Church, Bath, N. Y., Sec. No. 645.

NEW CHAPTERS.

Across: 1. A city in Massachusetts. 2. A feminine name. 3. To mend. 4. The thin part of milk. 5. An insurgent. DOWNWARD: 1. A consonant. 2. A verb. 3. To lay over. Ages. 5. A bishop's cap. 6. 43,560 square feet. 7. Part of a wheel. 8. Myself. 9. A consonant. "ANN O'TATOR."

RIDDLE.

I'm a word of two words, on that pray depend;

My first is one's comrade, his helper, or friend;

My second's a victor,-'tis first and 'tis last,
'Tis high and 't is low,- 't is with confidence cast;
The king, queen, and courtier must bow down and yield,
As it vanquishes often the best in the field.

Of all my six letters, the first two, you 'll see,

Stand for one of the States of our famous country.

My third, fourth, fifth, sixth, is a fabric so fine,

That patience and skill to produce it combine.

My second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, you will find,

Can reduce any lady to stoutness inclined.

It is white, it is black,- has its friends and its foes,
Whether worn at the waist or quite near to the toes.
In my whole the great monarch relinquishes life;
'Tis the scene of much gayety, splendor, or strife;
The abode of a prince o'er a lordly domain;
Come, read me my riddle,- the answer is plain.

NUMERICAL ENIGMA.

M. B. C.

4.

I AM composed of one hundred and thirteen letters, and form a verse of four lines.

My 104-53-61-16-95-23 is talented. My 74-98-32-82-4 is one of imperfect understanding. My 39-86-44 is very small. My 27-77112-30-35-68-63 is proceeding by degrees. My 71-10-41-1-66-8 is a sickness. My 106-49-80-37-13 is part of a rake. My 101-18-5747 is a garden vegetable. My 25-20-90-84-6 is a tenth part. My 92-110-60 is part of a needle. My 50-65-75-88-91-113 is one or the other. My 55-5-22-99-76 are certain useful animals. My 79-97108 is to compete. My 43-102-51-15-94-9-58-81 is to bear down by impudence. My 42-62-11-111-36 is attracts. My 17-67-89-33105-85-46 is a plant bearing beautiful flowers, which grows abundantly in Scotland. My 72-59-93-29-21-3-107-73 is asperity. My 96-48-78-38-26 is the god of eloquence among the ancient Egyptians. My 83-7-31-52-70 is tendency. My 56-34-24-109 is the fore part of a ship. My 19-87-100-40-69 is two. My 2-45-103-28 is a small pointed piece of iron. My 14-64-54-12 is a Christian name common in Germany.

GILBERT FOREST.