twelve shillings. The duty aforesaid is to be paid by the person keeping a dog, or having the same in his custody or possession, whether the same be his property or not, such person not discovering the owner thereof, who shall have been duly assessed for the same. No person is to be chargeable with duty to any greater amount than £39 128. for any number of hounds, or £9 for any number of greyhounds kept by him in any one year. The only exemptions to the tax are, a dog belonging to her Majesty, or any of the Royal Family, or a dog or whelp which at the time of returning the lists of dogs as required by the Act, shall not actually be of the age of six calendar months, or any dog bona fide and wholly kept and used in the care of sheep or cattle, or removing the same, provided that no such dog shall be a greyhound, hound, pointer, setting dog, spaniel, lurcher, or

terrier.-E. R.

[We sincerely hope that the tax upon people who keep dogs, will be rigorously enforced. The number of snarling curs, (half starved, and more than half mad), that infest our streets, is perfectly abominable.]

Vegetable Life-As long as a plant continues to vegetate, we say it lives. When it ceases to vegetate, we conclude that it is dead. The life of vegetables, however, is not so intimately connected with the phenomena of vegetation that they cannot be separated. Many seeds may be kept for years without giving any symptom of vegetation; yet, if they vegetate when put into the earth, we say that they possess life; and, if we would speak accurately, we must say also that they possessed life even before they were put into the earth-for it would be absurd to suppose that the seed obtained life merely by being put into the earth. In like manner, many plants decay, and give no symptoms of vegetation during winter; yet if they vegetate when the mild temperature of spring affects them, we consider them as having lived all the winter. The life of plants then, and the phenomena of vegetation, are not precisely the same thing, for the one may be separated from the other, and we can even suppose the one to exist without the other. Nay, what is more, we can in many cases decide, without hesitation, that a vegetable is not dead, even when no vegetation appears, and the proof which we have for its life is, that it remains unaltered. For we know that when a vegetable is dead, it soon changes its appearance, and falls into decay. Thus, it appears, that the life of a vegetable consists in two things-1. In remaining unaltered when circumstances are unfavorable to vegetation. 2. In exhibiting the phenomena of vegetation, when circumstances are favorable. When neither of these two things happen, we may say that a vegetable is dead-R.

The Eyes of Birds.-I send you the following curious particulars of the eye of a bird. They are attributed to the observation of Lord Brougham-"A singular provision is made for keeping the surface of the bird's eye clean-for wiping the glass of the instrument as it were, and also for protecting it, while rapidly flying through the air and through thickets, without hindering the sight. Birds are for these purposes

furnished with a third eyelid, a fine membrane or skin, which is constantly moved very rapidly over the eyeball by two muscles placed in the back of the eyes. One of the muscles ends in a loop; the other in a string which goes through the loop, and is fixed in the corner of the membrane, to pull it backward and forward. If you wish to draw a thing towards any place with the least force, you must pull directly in the line between the thing and the place; but if you wish to draw it as quickly as possible, and with the most convenience, and do not regard the loss of force, you must pull it obliquely, by drawing it in two directions at once. Tie a string to a stone, and draw it towards you with one hand; then make a loop on another string, and running the first through it, draw one string in one hand, not towards you, but sideways, till both strings are stretched in a straight line; you will see how much more easily the stone moves quickly than it did before, when pulled straight forward.-WILLIAM P.

The Advantages arising from the Admission of Air to the Roots of Plants.-The advantages of the admission of the air about the roots of a plant are not, apparently, sufficiently appreciated in this country. In the south of France, when vegetation does not advance satisfactorily, a gardener will go over his crops, stirring up the soil to a considerable depth with some such tool as a little bigot. Indeed, the free admission of air to the ground is considered of so much importance, that light rains are deprecated; hence, on an occasion when a market-gardener was congratulated on the growing showers that had fallen in the night, he replied in a pet, "Bah! La pluie ne vaut rien pour les jardins." He added, that rain hardens the surface of ground without reaching to the roots of plants; but that when water is let into the channels between beds in ridges, it goes straight to the roots of the plants on them without deThis observation may be priving them of air. applicable to the practice of watering gardens with the rose watering-pot or engine.-B.

Habits of the Ostrich.-Knowing how indefatigable you are in penning down all that becomes known about that singular creature the ostrich, I send you the subjoined, copied from "A Hunter's Life in South Africa."-"We fell in with several nests of ostriches, and here I first ascertained a singular propensity peculiar to these birds. If a person discovers the nest, and does not at once remove the eggs, on returning he will most probably find them all smashed. This the old birds almost invariably do, even when the intruder has not handled the eggs, or so much as ridden within five yards of them. The nest is merely a hollow scooped in the sandy soil, generally amongst heath or other bushes; its diameter is about seven feet. It is believed that two hens often lay in one nest. The hatching of the eggs is not left, as is generally believed, to the heat of the sun, but on the contrary, the cock relieves the hen in her incubation. These eggs form a considerable item in the bushman's cuisine, and the shells are converted into water-flasks, cups, and dishes. I have often seen Bush-girls and Bakalahari women, who belong to the wandering Bechuana tribes of the Kalahari desert, come down to the fountains from

at once ruining their plumage, and gradually consuming their insides. Whilst they are moulting, it may be sparingly given. No doubt he does cunningly watch for it. In all other respects you treat him properly. Canary and flax should be his general food. His feet should certainly be kept clean, and his legs ought to be soaked in warm water. In the spring, he should have a square water-bath attached to the open door of his cage. He will then wash regularly. These birds should not be unnecessarily handled. We still continue to recommend the Zollverein cages, which exclude vermin. They can be made so as to prevent the waste of seed which yon complain of. If we can aid you further, pray say so. We always take delight in giving advice to those who love their pets.]

How to cure a Cold.-A cold, my dear Sir, is an unpleasant companion; although, in a former number, you have sung so sweetly about being "nursed by those one loves" during its continuance. That is "poetry; " but let us try "prose." Hundreds of remedies are daily prescribed for a cold-many of very opposite tendencies; and as it is the nature of the complaint to disappear of its own accord in a very few days, every remedy in succession has come in for a share of praise! They may be all summed up, however, in watergruel or spare living, moderate warmth and perspiration, and one or two gentle purgatives. Some, not satisfied with this method of starving a cold, have maintained that quite an opposite plan of diet and treatment is the proper one. A fit of intoxication has, no doubt, sometimes cured a disagreeable cold, as well as plunging into a cold bath, or a surfeit in a warm, crowded room. But these are uncertain and doubtful expedients, and their consequences may, in nine cases out of ten, be hurtful. Unquestionably, the most rational plan is the starving system. For allaying the tickling cough, an infusion of linseed may be freely taken; infusion of quince seeds; or a solution of gum arabic in water. These are preferable to the sweet sirups in general use, as the former may be taken in large quantities, and repeatedly, without loading the stomach. I throw these observations out now, as being "seasonable." We, English, are seldom free from colds. You tell us very plainly "why" it is so!-SARAH R., Clifton.

an

[Say, Miss Sarah, in your next, whether you follow our advice, and look well to your "understanding." Dry feet, obtainable only by wearing strong and reasonably thick boots, is the great secret of keeping free from colds. Your advice is how to cure a cold,-our's how to avoid its visitation. We shall be "at" your sex again on this matter, very shortly! We cannot, somehow, help loving you,-with all your faults!]

Canaries Living and Breeding in the Open Air-I send you special notice, my dear sir, of nother interesting fact, the more interesting as it occurs so late in the year (Oct. 3). One of my pet canaries has this very morning presented me with a nest of four young ones. It is her fifth brood this season,-making altogether twenty-one birds hatched and reared by herself. I may add, that she has, during the summer, abandoned two

nests, one of which contained four eggs. This last, our gardener believes to have been destroyed by a jay. I wish you had been here this morning! We mustered nineteen birds on the wing, all in splendid plumage, and flying about in every direc tion. You really must come down oftener. If you have not time,—see if you cannot "make" it.— HENRY WOLLASTON, Welling, Kent, Oct. 3.

[We really do take shame to ourself for having, apparently, so neglected you. We can only plead the multiplicity of our avocations and engagements, asa reasonable excuse for our prolonged absence. Our pen is never slumbering; our body knows but little rest; our mind is rarely at repose; and as for our legs-they bid fair to discover "the perpetual motion." Our eyes are not short-sighted; our tongue is not tied; our hands are not idle. We name this to you, my dear sir; but it is meant for many others also. We have no time to "write" formal excuses. We rejoice exceedingly at your good fortune; and hope next season will be a still more prosperous one for you.]

Fossil Turtle.-Mr. Geo. Fowlstone, lapidary, in the Arcade, Ryde (formerly of Doncaster), has lately procured from the quarries at Swanage, one of the largest and most entire fossil turtles ever discovered. The top shell is quite perfect, and measures 20 inches by 15 inches, and is 4 feet 91 inches in circumference. The fossil is imbedded in a block of stone, weighing 3 cwt. He has also a portion of another fossil turtle of nearly the same dimensions, which was broken in quarrying. C. P.

Are Variegated Leaves produced by Disease?— If variegation proceeds from a disease in the plants, the following account of a variegated holly shows that some plants fatten pretty well in their "illness." I cannot ascertain the age of the tree I allude to; but the circumference of the stem (one foot from the ground), is 5 feet 6 inches; and six feet from the ground, 4 feet 10 inches. The diameter of the branches is 30 feet; and the height of the tree, 35 feet. It would have been larger if it had got fair play; but it is much injured by its neighbors, which are two large trees, namely, an ash, and an elm.-P. MACKENZIE.

Leaf Mould.-Now that the autumn, the season of falling leaves, has arrived, I would make a few brief observations on the subject of obtaining a supply of leaf-mould for the ensuing season. Every person is fully aware of the very beneficial results of using this ingredient in the formation of composts for numerous families of plants; and at this season every means should be resorted to for procuring a sufficient quantity. Oak leaves are said to be the best for this purpose, from the presence of the substance known chemically as tannin. I believe beech, chestnut, and various other leaves are very little inferior to oak leaves. The leaves having been collected together, should be thrown into a pit, and left there till fermentation takes place. Frequent turning will be found to greatly facilitate the decomposition of the leaves. In the spring, when dry, warm weather occurs, I would advise the removal of the leaves from the pit or heap in which they have been rotting during the winter, to an open, airy situation, where there

is a possibility of their becoming moderately dry. I would recommend the mould to be spread out on a dry portion of the ground for this purpose; and when it has become sufficiently dry, it may be removed to a shed, or any other place where it will be protected from heavy rains, and also be dry enough for using at a moment's notice. At the present time, all kinds of soil should, if practicable, be placed in shelter of some description; as it will be found much more useful in the winter and early spring than if allowed to become completely soddened by incessant moisture.-W. B.

Female Confidence and Reliance.-I send you the following, cut from a local newspaper. It is an extract from some book, no doubt; but it is "the fashion," now-a-days, to "steal" and never acknowledge the obligations, even for an idea, one is under. However, here is the extract; and as it is full of poetical feeling, it will, I know, please you and your readers :-"There is no one thing more lovely in this life, more full of the divinest courage, than when a young maiden, from her past life-from her happy childhood, when she rambled over every field and moor around her home; when a mother anticipated her wants, and soothed her little cares; when brothers and sisters grew from merry playmates to loving, trustful friends; from Christmas gatherings and romps; from summer festivals in bower or garden; from the rooms sanctified by the death of relatives; from the secure backgrounds of her childhood, and girlhood, and maidenhood-looks out into the dark and unilluminated future, away from all that; and yet, unterrified undaunted, leans her fair cheek upon her lover's breast, and whispers, "Dear heart! I cannot see-but I believe. The past was beautiful, but the future I can trust-with thee!" It may be said, that this is very pretty to read, but that it never occurs in real life. Let us say "seldom," for I would fain hope we are not quite all unnatural.-PHOEBE, Brighton.

Birds Confined in Cages.-I wish you would raise your voice against the cruel practice of confining birds in cages. Some are incarcerated in such small prisons of wire, that they can get no exercise whatever. Their feet too are clogged up with dirt, and their food is very frequently musty. How many thousands of innocent victims die yearly from neglect! And yet people say they are "fond of birds! Cruelty to dumb animals is all the fashion. Birds are robbed of their eggs, and people buy them; of their young too, and people buy them. Aye, and they let their children tease them from morning till night. Is not this too bad?-HELEN B., Mile End.

[You are quite right, Helen. Confining birds in cages is barbarous. But the public are as hardhearted as a flinty rock. Neither we nor yourself can make any impression on them.]

The New Receipt Stamp.-The new act relating to the penny receipt stamps came into operation on the 11th ultimo; and as it has been officially announced that the stamp office intend to proceed against all persons for giving receipts on unstamped paper, or for otherwise infringing the new law, and to give part of the penalty to the informers, it may be useful to call attention to the leading features

of the measure. There are two kinds of receipt stamps for the choice of the public,-viz. the stamped paper and an adhesive stamp, bearing the Queen's head printed in blue, and somewhat larger in size than the postage stamp. One of these must be used for all payments amounting to 40s. and upwards. If the adhesive stamp be "used," it must be obliterated by the name or initials of the person giving it, so that it may not be twice used. The penalty for not defacing a stamp is £10, and for using a stamp twice, £20.-Civis.

Habits of the Herring.-When a shoal of herrings swims near the surface of the water in calm weather, the sound of their motion is audible at a small distance, like rippling of water or the pattering of rain; and when they move rapidly at night, they throw off a phosphorescence which appears like a beautiful bright line or belt. But all the full-grown and healthy herrings generally swim at a considerable depth, and only the young, the full, and the sick, swim near the sur face; so that the indication waited for by the fishermen of the north-west of Scotland and other districts, of flocks of gulls, large fishes, and other appearances of the pursuit of shoals, is exceedingly deceptive, and points only to small and worthless detachments, at the expense of neglecting the main army of the herrings. Shoals are considerably controlled in their destination by comparative excess of light and heat, and spawn in much deeper water, and at a much greater distance from the shore, in a summer of extraordinary sunshine and warmth, than in an ordinary or especially a cloudy and coldish summer. Hence the deep-sea herring fishermen of Holland are sometimes eminently successful, when the in-shore herring fishermen of Britain encounter more or less failure.-Angelina.

On the Feeding of Poultry.-In a little work on the Domestic Management of Fowls, &c., I observe the following, which is so much to the point of properly feeding them, that I send it for insertion in OUR JOURNAL. "It cannot be too strongly impressed on all feeders of stock, that the food eaten has to serve several distinct purposes when taken into the body. One portion is consumed in supporting the natural warmth of the animal; another set of substances supplies the nourishment required for the growth of the body, and replaces the general washing that occurs; a third yields the materials from which the bones are formed; and a fourth supplies the fat: we may therefore speak of the following classes of food:-1. Warmth-giving Food:-As starch, which forms almost the entire bulk of rice and potatoes.-2. Flesh-forming Food:Which exists in large proportions in wheat, oatmeal, peas, beans, middlings, and sharps, and in somewhat smaller quantity in barley, Indian corn, &c.-3. Bone-making Food:-Which is found in larger proportion in the husk, or outer part of the grain, than in the inner part.-4. Fat-forming Food:-Consisting of fatty or oily substances; these occur to a considerable extent in Indian corn (the yellow variety), middlings, bran, &c. For eggs which have to travel, a Mr. Tegetmeier recommends a packing of hay in preference to any other material. He says: "This season, I

forwarded two sittings of eggs to the far north of England, one packed most carefully in bran, the other in hay; of the first not one egg was hatched, whilst every one of the second produced a chick; and of a sitting that I received this season, which was similarly packed, every egg was fertile, although the basket had travelled from the north, by coach, rail, and carrier.-ANN R., Halsted.

The Climate of England.-When we speak of the climate of England, we take in a very wide range of temperature. The air on the south-west coast of England is, at an average, seven degrees higher at night than it is in London, and ten degrees higher than in the midland and eastern counties. The harvest of the south is always a month, and sometimes nearly two months, in advance of the harvest of the north. The island of Great Britain is a little type of the world itself; and invalids, instead of travelling abroad for health, may easily find, within a few miles of home, the species of climate which their disease requires. The heat may be less intense than it is in continental places of resort, but the cold is less intense also. The extremes of climate are both reduced and moderated in England in a most remarkable manner. The frosts of London are not so severe as those of Madrid, where the sentinels have been known to be frozen to death at their posts; neither are they so severe as they are in Rome, and many other cities which enjoy a much higher temperature in the summer months. Moreover, we are free in this country from the malaria which prevails almost everywhere else; so that, with all our disadvantages, we have reason to congratulate ourselves upon the favorable position which we occupy on the globe. The uniform temperature of the Atlantic ocean, which almost surrounds us, tends to preserve this uniformity, which so happily distinguishes even the changeable climate of England. If we may judge from the physical, intellectual, and moral character of the English, from the duration of life, and the progress of civilisation, there is no country in the world which has more to boast of; yet many countries have mild evenings and warm nights, and long seasons of cloudless skies, which we do not enjoy -they have vineyards also, and olive gardens, and orange groves, of which we know nothing. But they also have evils to counterbalance these blessings-evils of which we are ignorant. One thing is balanced with another in this world-blessings and curses, like two hampers on an ass's back, go always together, and the weight of the one seems generally to correspond to that of the other.LECTOR.

The Dardanelles.-Apropos des bottes. The strait of the Dardanelles, which divides Europe from Asia, is upwards of fifty miles in length, with an average breadth of two miles. The shore on either side is fringed with cypress groves, and the strait itself presents a very animated appearance; thousands of white-sailed caiques gliding lightly over the waves, and coming and going incessantly from shore to shore. There is a strong current setting constantly from the sea of Marmora in the Archipelago, and this, added to the defences of the place, render the forcing of the passage by

armed vessels a very hazardous undertaking. The fortifications originally consisted of four castles; two on the European, and two on the Asiatic side. Of these, two stand at the southern extremity, and two about eighteen miles further up the strait. The name Dardanelles is now especially applied to some fortifications erected in modern times between the new and the old castles, a short distance from the entrance of the straits. The number of guns mounted on these fortifications, and some others of lesser importance, is nearly seven hundred; besides eight large mortars for throwing shells. Among them are several immense guns, from which stone shot are discharged. The quantity of powder which these guns require is enormous; the largest is charged with 330lbs of powder, and throws a stone shot 800 or 1000lbs weight. They are more formidable in appearance than reality, and the firing of such large pieces of ordnance is not unattended with danger to their own artillerymen.— PHOEBE, Brighton.

Bronchitis.-A writer in the Baltimore Sun, whose family has been severely afflicted with bronchitis, recommends the following as a remedy from which he experienced great relief:-"Take honey in the comb. Squeeze it out, and dilute it with a little water; occasionally moistening the lips and mouth with it. It has never been known to fail; in cases even, where children had throats so swollen as to be unable to swallow." This is certainly a simple remedy; and it may be a very efficacious one. The simplest remedies are almost ever the best.-VIOLET, Worcester.

How to Protect Plants from Frost.-Great protection will be afforded to plants, if near a wall, by the following very simple method. Tie together small handfuls of straw--say perhaps forty in each

suspend them on lines before the plants or trees, letting one line overlap the other. Small branches of birch, beech, or fir may be used instead, suspending it on cords in the same manner. A neater practice is found in the use of the woollen net. This article is woven for the purpose, with a mesh of from half an inch to an inch square. If a board two feet wide be affixed to the top of the wall, in a roof-like direction, and the net be fastened to its edge, and extended thence to the foot of the wall, a neat and efficient protection will be afforded, and no disfigurement to the most ornamental garden.— ANGELINA.

The Sun, glorious in his great Might.-The action of the sun, says Dick, upon all things that receive his rays is, in a general way, a matter of common notoriety. But we suspect that few persons are aware of the amount of that force, or of the views of modern philosophers as to the manner in which it takes effect. We may view the surface of a lake exposed to the sun's rays during a warm summer's day, whilst the whole scene may seem to be one of the utmost tranquillity, so that we might naturally conclude that no movement of any importance was then going on. It will be found, however, that such, in reality is not the case; for the rays of the sun exert a force of which we can scarcely form any adequate idea. Supposing the lake is only two