County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

ON WARBLES. A very large number of cattle breeders every year feed a considerable number of disgusting parasites known as the ox warble, very much to the detriment of the condition of the cattle, and almost as injurious to the sale of the hides as branding. The presence of the warble in the form in which it is most commonly known can readily be detected in the early spring by running the hand along the spine of the animal. If there are any there, a lump will be felt just underneath the skin, which is the grub, and the sack of pus which the irritation it has created forms, and on which it feeds. Probably the best thing to do is to hunt. the warbles and squeeze them out with the thumb and finger, so that they will not develop into a fly and become the parent of a new brood.

FEEDING COWS. Unprofitable cows should be fattened while being milked. This can be done by heavy feeding, and there is less loss by so doing than any other way. In feeding cows, the most important point is the palatability of the food. A satisfactory profit comes with a palatable food, and it does not come without it, for the reason that the cow will not consume enough above the food of support to make a satisfactory profit. Most dairymen cut their hay too late or when too much matured to make the most palatable food and to secure the best profit from feeding. For cows, hay should be made when the grass is in full blossom. «»■ i

ITS CHARACTERISTICS. I The build of the rabbit should be compact, the I flesh firm, and the limbs neat and well furnished. I The skin should not be too loose. The coat shouid be short, dense, and soft, and the ears small, neat and erect. The eyes must be bold and bright The markings of the rabbit are perhaps the most important point in the English rabbit, from the fancier's standpoint. The ground colour of the rabbit should always be white, but the markings may be black, blue, or tortoiseshell, so long as they are all of the same colour. They are numerous and varied, and to get them all correctly propor- tioned and in the right positions is no easy matter; hence the interest attached to the breeding of the rabbit, as success depends upon careful mating.

FOWLS NEED GRIT. I Everyone connected with poultry knows the im- portance of some hard material to assist digestion. After the food has been stored in the crop, it gradually passes to the gizzard, to be literally ground up by the strong muscles and tough lining of that important member of digestion. Hard seeds and grain need this grinding process more than softer food. By watching fowls, one can easily see how much they desire some hard sub- stance by their going over the ground and picking op small particles of stone. They are careful about the proper size when they can get it. If the substance is not in too large pieces, it passes in time through with the food; but should they swallow a piece too large to easily void, it stops in the gizzard and wears away till it becomes small enough to pass on.

CALF-REARING EXPERIMENTS. I The results of some calf-rearing experiments I carried out at.Garford during the five years ending with 1903 have just been published in a pamphlet issued by the University of Leeds and the York- shire Council for Agricultural Education. In each year the calves were fed on new milk for the first three or four weeks, various cream substitutes being afterwards introduced gradually for one or more pens. In the first year cod-liver oiland calf meal were tried respectively against new milk in the second and third years, cod-liver oil in the fourth, cod-liver oil of first and second qualities; and in fjhefiftli, cod-liver oil of the two qualities and oat- meal. In the first year, after the trial of cream substitutes began, one pen of calves continued to Receive If gallons of milk each daily, while the Second pen had the same quantity of separated milk and 2oz. of cod-liver oil, the third getting lj gallons of separated milk and lib. of calf meal. 2

NEW MILK COSTLY. I The average monthly increases in live weight up to the time of weaning were greatly in favour of the new milk, as they were in each succeeding year, but at an increased cost not regarded as re- munerative. The cod-liver oil diet came out second. When second-quality cod-liver oil was tried, is was found at least as nutritious as the best, but not as safe, one calf receiving it having died. Oatmeal, 21b. boiled with water for half-an-hour and mixed with 1 gallon of separated milk at the time of feeding, was tried only in the last year, and it gave a greater average increase in the weight of the calves than cod-liver oil. The expenses per ewt. of live-weight increase were 46s. 5d. for new milk, 30s. 8d. for separated milk and best cod- liver oil, 188. lOd. when second quality oil was used. and 26s. 4d. for separated milk and oatmeal. The effect of increasing the allowance of cod-liver oil from 2oz. to 4oz. per calf daily was not decisive. it is concluded that cod-liver oil or oatmeal gruel may be safely and economically used as a substi- tute for the cream in new milk; but further results of trying these two cream substitutes against each other are needed.

I DRESS OF THE DAY. I &0- I SMART AFTERNOON BLOUSE. f Sma.n& blouses of ninon, mousseline de eaie, or kindred materials, are much in vogue just now for afternoon wear, especially as an accom- paniment to a full dressy skirt of voile, crape die chine,, or alpaca in exactly the same tone of colour. Though delicate shades are certainly in evidence, the palm of popularity must un- doubtedly bo awarded to white and ivory tones in every variety of material. One of the favourite combinations of the moment is an ivory-pleated alpaca skirt with a blouse of ninon or muslin, the effect being that of a complete white gown SMART AFTERNOON BLOUSE OF WHITE SILK- EMBROIDERED NINON TRIMMED WITH IRISH CROCHET. at about half the cost. A very pretty blouse of the kind quite suited to make part of a dressy afternoon toilette, is illuistrated in our sketch. The material of which it is fashioned is a trans, parent ivory ninon patterned with a spot, em- broidered in ivory silk. The blouse is extremely simple in shape, and would take but the mini- mum of making, for it consists merely of a very full bodioe, over which are arranged shaped pieces of imitation Irish guipure, bor- deood with a narrow guipure edging. The sleeves are of elbow length, the full soft pufl being finished with minute friHs and a twist of the ninon. The blouse receives a pretty touch of colour in the narrow cravat of pale turquoise velvet which is knotted round the neck, and allowed to hang in two loose enda in front. THE POPULARITY OF BROWN TULLE. I Not only in Paris, but on this side of the Channel as well, tlie-re is a rapidly-growing vogue for bro.wn tulle as a trimming for smart millinery. In combination with hats of the same shade we have already made 'the acquaint- ance of this pretty filmy fabric, but the idea of employing it al3, an adornment for straw hats of a totally different colour is distinctly new. Perhaps the prettiest of the many combinations in which it plays a part is an allian oe, with the soft yet "bright shade of green which is so popular this spring. This mixture of gre-en and brown is, quite extraordinarily fashionable just now, many of the most exclusive new hats being wonderfully clever arrangements of the two colours. Though all shades of brown tulle are used for the purpose, the most modish is a pretty bright chestnut tone, which harmo- nises beautifully with nearly every shade of green. The tulle is finely plea bed or ruched into immense cache-peignes, which almost fill up the space beneath the brim, and come far down on to the hair behind. PRETTY SUMMER GOWN. I Our artist has furnished us this week with a most delectable design for a simple but ex- tremely dainty gown of the. kind. It is, as you will perceive, built on Empire lines—most sensible of modes for loose gowns—and con- sists simply of a short full bodice and ample gathered lower part, slightly trained behind. 0 I PRETTY SUMMER DRESSING GOWN OF PRINTED II COTTON, WITH FICHU OF BRODERIE ANGLAISE EDGED WITH PLEATED LAWN FRILLS. Over the bodice is arranged a pretty little fichu of broderie anglaise on semi-transparent lawn, edged with two rows of frills in plain pleated lawn. Broderie anglaise can be purchased so cheaply nowadays that a fichu of this maiterial would not involve any great outlay. Still, if strict economy is the order of the day, a charming quaint fichu can be made from pLain or spotted muslin edged with frills of the same fabric. A HINT ABOUT CHOOSING GLOVES. I Nowadays, when elbow sleeves are practically universal, at least, for dressy wear, gloves have become a very important, not to say expensive, part of one's attire. The greatest oare should be taken in choosing them, for it is easy to get holdi of a defective or badly wearing pair, and now that seventeen or twenty button gants are the correct thing, such an occurrence is quite a misfortune. To test a kid successfully the glove should be taken by the side seams and gently pulled. If good, the kid will at once contract after the eretch is relaxed. If the glove does not relax quickly, that particular pair should be avoided, as it is a certain proof tha,t the kid is ef poor quality. Another point which should receive careful attention is the stitching of the seams

NEWS IN BRIEF. Tragedies and Disasters. A butcher named Barkaway was found dead in his cold storage chamber at Clac ton-on-Sea on Saturday with his throat cut. George Howe, a shunter, was knocked down by an engine on Saturday at Cambridge. He died shortly afterwards at the hospital. The captain and crew of the fishing lugger Jeanie Inglis, which was driven into Stromnesa recently by a storm, stated that when fishing off the Shetlands a tremendous sea broke over the 'boat, sweeping two of the crew into the holdi, and two others, who were drowned, over- board. William Arthur Rhodes, engineer of the Hull trawler Eastwood, was reversing the engines, when suddenly the handle dealt him a severe blow in the body, inflicting injuries from which he died on Saturday. While registering the death of Captain Joseph Codd, a, Wexford man, Mrs. Lambert, a nurse, dropped dead from apoplexy in the registrar's house. Found in the Thames at Teddington Lock, the b«dy of a well-dressed lady has been iden- tified as that of Mra. Anne Webb, of Brands- combe, Sutton, .w.ho had been missing since May 8. Thirteen people were killed and twenty-two others were seriously injured by lightning while attending a funeral in the cemetery at Konia- kau, Silesia. A dead .bodv which has been identified as that of John Thomas Moreton Wilson, a resi- dent of Northam, near Southampton, was found on the Downs, near Brighton. A revolver was by his side. While on the way to Olympia with his wife, Mr. H. H. Morland, manager of Messrs. Cook and Sons' branch at Charing-croes, was taken ill in a District train and expired from heart disease before medical aid could be obtained. Accidents. Thrown from the top of a passing omnibus on Saturday, a lighted match set fire to the clothes of an infant being wheeled in a perambu- lator in Seven Sisters-road. A luggage van, containing the costumes and properties of the theatrical company known as the "Bloomsbury Burglars," was burned on Sunday on the railway at Preston. A travelling crone, twenty-eight feet high- used by the Great Western Railway in con- structing a new bridge near Neath, Glamorgan —ran away down a steep incline on Sunday, and was wrecked. It attained a speed of fifty miles an hour, and tore down telegraph and telephone poles. A serious fire broke out at Waterford on Saturday night, at the shop and stores of Messrs. Robert Poole, a.nd Co. (Limited) chemists and oil and colour merchants. By the efforts of the fire brigade, and the military, the flames were confined to these premises, which were com- pletely destroyed. The outbreak is said to have been caused by an explosion of motor spirit. The damage is estimated, at £ 5000. The British steamer Bombay for Hull was reported from Port Said to be grounded in Suez Canal and obstructing traffic. Fire broke out in a carriage of an electrio train at (Metropolitan Railway) Station, but the train was quickly shunted into a siding, and traffic was only slightly delayed. A verdict of "Accidental death" was, returned at the inquest at Westminster on Emily Deane, sixteen years old, who was killed in Upper Brook-street, Mayfair, by a motor-car belong- ing to Mr. A. D. Dewar, M.P. o While cycling down Widbury-hill, near Ware (Herts), the Rev. B. F. Buxton, of Ware, was thrown from hie machine and severely injured about the luead and face. Mr. and Mrs. Flood, visitors to Paris from London, were run over in a street in the French capital. Mr. Flood was severely bruised, and Mis. Flood had her left shoulder dislocated. Cases Told in the Courts. At Wycombe, on Saturday, Jacob Popp, to- bacconist, was summoned for the 230th time for contravening the, Act of Charles II., which pro- hibits Sunday trading. The usual fine of 2s. 6d., with 5s. costs, was inflicted. In his shop-window on Sunday Popp displayed a notice: "This shop is open on Sundays from j nine a.m. to nine p.m., in spite of Charles II." A defendant (who went through the South African war) was summoned at High Wycombe on Saturday for stealing an egg, value 2d., nine years ago. Although the case was dismissed, the defendant had to pay 5s. costs. James Edward Martin, who was charged on Saturday at the Tower-bridge Police-court with bigamy, admitted that he had been "married" three times, and said that two of his "wives" had husbands living when he "married" them. He was discharged. A Harwich farmer named Clarke has been fined one farthing for keeping, a dog without a license. He, had forgotten to renew his license, A Birmingham man named Hadly had a dis- pute with hisi wife. Returning home later, he found her dead in a chair. She had taken salts of lemon, and' at the inquest on Saturday the coroner said that the suicide was the result of temper. After Martin Keogh, brickeetter, had told the police that he had killed his wife, she was found in a .public-bouse with her throat cut. On Saturday, at Manchester, he was remanded, charged with attempted murder. The methods of instalment jewellers in deal- ing with servants were severely denounced by the judee in the Brentford County-court. The two Bristol factory girls who tied their aprons together, and clasping hands, ran into a pool. were admonished by the Bristol magis- trates. It appeared that, having lost their situations, they were afraid to go home. The London Electrobus Company, Ltd., con- sented in the Chancery Division, to an order directing the rectification of the register of shareholders by the removal of the names of 250 persons who had subscribed for shares, and who wish to withdraw their subscriptions. In connection with the outrage by masked burglars at the Wheat sheaf Inn, Roaley, two men were committed for trial at Wigton. Helen Sheen, the woman arrested' at a grave- side in Kenteal-green Cemetery on a charge of robbing a Lambeth merchant of money and jewels; was sentenced to eighteen, months hard labour. The World of Sport. Four special trains arrived in Worcester on Saturday with between seventy and eighty thou- sand pigeons from Lancashire federations. The birds were liberated at once, to take part in flying competitions. Trainer of two Waterloo Cup winners, Mr. John Shaw, a well-known owner of greyhounds, died on Sunday at Northfleet. Music and the Drama. In consequence of her inability to fulfil her American engagements and return to Paris within a stipulated time, Mme. Bernhardt has can-celled her proposed Australian tour. In aid of the Regimental Homes and Benefits a musical play, The Goose Girl," by Sir Al- fred Scott Gatty, Garter King-of-Arms, was suc- cessfully played at the Haymarket Theatre by a company of amateurs, Miss Elsie Robertson and Miss Maude Buchanan both proved that ama- teurs can dance gracefully. Plans for an American national thatre to seat 3,000 people, and to cost L400,000, have just been published in New York. In aid of the Regimental Homes and Benefits Agency, an amateur performance of My Friend the Prince was given at the Theatre Royal, Windsor. Military and Naval. £ 525,000 was the cost of maintaining Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa for the year 1903-04, E536,000 for 1904-05, and 9497,000 for 1905-06. Major-General Baden-Powell received a heart- welcome at Bolton om Saturday, when he distributed prizes and inspected local Volun- teer companies. Channel steamers are to be warned by special signal of the presence of submarine boats while at practice. Social. M. Camboa, the French Ambassador, « Brighton, on Saturday, opened a new wing named after him at the French Convalescent Home. By Princess Ena's special request, it is stated, King Alfonso will throw Spain open to the in- fluence of the Salvation Army. The Bishop of Southampton has been ap- pointed Archdeacon, of the Isle of Wight, vacant through the resignation of Archdeacon Haigh. Princess Christian and her suite witnessed the performance of "Dorothy o' the Hall" at the New Theatre on Saturday night. Mrs. Sarah Frostick, of Little Bromley, Essex, has just celebrated her 101st birthday. She has a son and two daughters living. The London Ladies' Association of the Mis- sions to Seamen have arranged a concert, to be held at Grosvenor House, on June 12. The Princess of Wales has promised to be present. Duke Tsai Tseh, of the Chinese Commission, received the honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law at Oxford, while H.E. Shang Chi-IIeng, H.E. Li Sheng-To, and the Hon. IV; o Ping- Lung received the honorary degree of Master of Arts. Sir R. H. Charles, K.C.V.O., M.D., has been appointed a physician-in-ordinary to the Prince of Wales. The marriage of the Marquess of Graham and Lady Mary Douglas Hamilton will take place on Thursday, June 14, instead of Tuesday, June 12. The King has appointed the Very Rev. Joseph Armitage Robinson, D.D., Dean of West- minster, to be his Majesty's High Almoner, in the room of the Right Rev. Lord Alwyne Compton, D.D. Major and Lady Sarah Wilson have been granted by the King the use of the Stud Hou-se, Hampton-court-park, recently vacated by Majoi Sir Alfred and Lady Egerton. The Duke of Abercorn, Lord Rossmore, and some other well-known Irish gentlemen have purchased the star of tle Order of St. Patrick which belonged to the late Duke of Cambridge for presentation to the Duke of Connaught. Commercial and Industrial. The Board of Trade state that it will not be necessary for a prohibition order to be issued against the importation of Brazilian sugar, whicn will consequently continued to be ad- mitted into the United Kingdom. To prevent cutting in the prices of steel, Scottish and North of England steel makers are- making an arrangement to maintain the rates for platea and angles. The Clyde shipbuilders on Saturday granted the demand of their workmen for weekly pay- ment of wages, beginning in July next. The Corporation tramways at Sunderland were even more successful last year than during tike previous twelve months. The expenditure decreased, and the revenue increased -to the ex- j tent of one penny a car per mile. There is a sum of £ 3500 to hand over towards the relief of the rates. The takings last month were £ 500 above the receipts for April, 1904. The Northumberland miners, a,t their meeting on Saturday, rejected! 'by a tlarge majority a proposal to join the Miners' Federation of Great Britain. It was decided to take a ballot of all the miners on the Eight Homrs Bill. Mr. Hugh Boyle was re-elected president of the association, and Mr. Thomas Burt, M.P., general secretary. On the Newcastle Exchange an agreement was made by local coal shippers for the supply of 160,000 tons of coal for the Russian Admiralty, at about lis. per ton. In order to exploit Irish coalfields, a syndicate of prominent men interested in mining in South Lancashire is being formed. It is reported that the severe frosts have caused considerable damage in the fruit orchards of Leicestershire and the North Mid- lands. The girl operatives in the Belfast spinning mills are dissatisfied with their wages, and 200 of them have ceased work. • The artisans emyloyed in the silver engrav- ing and allied crafts have formed themselves into a trades union and become allied to the London Trades Council. National and Political. Arrangements are being made hyte Dul- wich Unionist Association to celebrate Uw,ir victorv,at the polls by a banquet to Mr. Bona; Law, the successful candidate. Sir Edward Clarke's reply to London City Conservative Association has given the greatest dissatisfaction, andl ,there is a general feeling that no other course but resignation on his part will satisfy the City. It is understood that a meeting of the Execu. tive of the City of London Conservative Asso- ciation had before it a letter from Sir Edward Clarke with reference to his position. The deci. sion was postponed. Mrs. Wolstenholme-Elmy, a charming old lady of seventy-four, came from Cheshire to take part in the women's suffrage demonstration. Mr. John Burns pleads for the control of London traffic to be placed in the hands of the London County Council. From Other Lands. Mr. Henry Conreid, manager of the New York Metropolitan Opera House, has been received in audience by the Austrian Emperor. Drinks for 139 persons had to be paid for by Mr. Walton Crocker for driving from the ninth to the tenth hole on the golf links at Brooklyn, U.S.A. Viscount Aoki, 'the new Japanese Ambassa- dor to America, has presented to Mr. Roose- velt on behalf of the Emperor, a piece of ancient steel armour, 300 years old. It will be placed in the White House. Several Japanese exponents of jiu-jitsu have arrived at St Petersburg to teach the art to the Russians. With all the latest luxuries, New York's newest hotel-the Belmont—which has cost £ 1,600,000, has been recently opened. It is twenty-one stories high, says the "New York American," and contains 1,006 rooms. Japanese shipping has increased from 180,000 tons in 1893 to 950,000 torus in 1906, and the British coasting trade in the Far East is suffering severely from the competition of the subsidised Japanese vessels. Curious to see "the white woman with the long hair," the natives in the Ituri district of Central Africa have flocked to Major Powell Cotton's camp anxious to look at his wife, the first European woman to penetrate the district, who accompanies him on his expedition from the Nile to the Zambesi. According to the Petite Republique," the re-hearing of the Dreyfus trial will begin on June 15 in Paris. If certain rumours based on the inquiry by the Criminal Chamber are to be believed, the decision of the Court will be to quash without appeal the verdict of the Court- martial at Rennes. Some of the factory women at Tammerfors (Finland), who struck work attempted to raid the residence of an English engineer named Sharpies, but he threatened to shoot artJlone who entered, and the crowd gradually dispersed. Other Interesting Items. Mr. Whitelaw Reid, the American Ambas- sador, compared English and American news- papers, grleatly in favour of the former, at the annual dinner of the Newspaper Press Fund. During the demolition of old 'buildings at Prittlewell, Southend, on Friday, Mr. J. C. Flaxman unearthed a splendidly preserved Tudor fire-place, with recess and canopy com- plete, 20ft. high, 10ft. wide, and 4ft. deep. The iwess contains a stone seat, with elbow rest a<nd an oak panel. An "Anti-Puritan League" is being formed to fight against the growth of Sabbatarianism and other alleged restrictions on public liberty. The new Japanese battleship Katori was form- ally taken over from the builders at Greenock by tihe Japanese crew on Sunday. Agricultural labourers would be better off shooting at the rifle range on Sundays than standing about the roads and getting smothered with motor dust, said Captain Sergison at a meeting of the Slaugham (Sussex) Rifle Club. The vicar vigorously (litsagreed. -JWI'I!'IioIli'!

ABOUT DUCKS. Where the ducks are to be kept for stock next lleason, they should be picked through most care- fully. Generally in a brood you will see that AIIome, as the fanciers express it, "run right away from the others. Mark these at once in some way. and keep them for breeding from. Some people cannot tell a duck from a drake, until the tail appear. There is a very easy method. Attempt to catch one out of a flock. They will all run off, making the most frightful noise. Listen care- fully, and you, will notice that the ducks quack distinctly, but the drakes only make a compara- tively subdued noise, rather hoarse, and sounding as if their throats were stuffed up with cotton wool In breeding ducks, go in for good stock.

THE "ENGLISH" RABBIT. i A very popular rabbit, and probably the oldest fancier's rabbit in the British Isles, is the English" (says a Kentish rabbit farmer in "Farm Life "). Though always widely kept, this breed of rabbits has of late years steadily gained in favour, and has a good future before it. It is attractive, and by reason of its markings, an interesting animal to breed for the fancier who takes an interest in his work. It is, moreover, particularly hardy and prolific; it matures quickly, and is of a size which makes it useful as a table rabbit. If sold, in the open market as such, it is, however, best disposed of skinned, owing to the general prejudice against rabbits of a colour other than that of the wild rabbit. In size the English rabbit should, for show purposes, resemble that of the average hutch-rabbit, that is, about seven pounds. If bred for the table it should, and can easily, be bred to a greater weight.

THE CLUB WINDOW. I The costliest pipe belongs to the Shah of Persia. It is a jewelled hookah, and its value is put at £ 80,000. Few are aware fihatt the Sultan of Turkey's mother was an Armenian slave and a consump- tive, who died shortly after Abdul Hamid'a birth. < Mr. Chamberlain, though not fond of exercise, is a good swimmer. Mr. Andrew Carnegie in his youth was very fond of amateur acting, and was considered an excellent performer by his friends. The Duke of the Abruzzi, the great explorer, is an amateur photographer on a very big f!ca.le. He is said' to have brought back with him from his Polar expedition nearly three miLes of photographs-. « ♦ # The. Hon. Henry Lygon, the new President of the Oxford Union, is a brother of Earl Beau- champ, a former President. Two other brothers —Mr. Asquith's sons, Raymond and Herhert.- have also occupied the chair. A table which is now in the tela, room of the House of Commons was designed by Sir Chris- ttoph-er Wren, and at it the first members of the Scottish constituencies who came to West- minster after the Scotch union, in 1707, took the oaths and subscribed their names on the roll of Parliament. » M. Clemenceau, the French statesman, was thrown into prison when he was a lad of nine- teen for -1 his political opinions. Napoleon III. was on the throne then, and young Clemenceau was arrested for shouting" Vivie la Repub- lique Mr. Herbert Gladstone, the Home Secretary. is very fond of music. "Herbert," said a friend of his family once, "might do remarkably well. But one thing stands in the way—that piano. If he would only give up that piano." However, he has manaa, i to "do remarkably well" without giving up the piano. # The Kaiser's latest fad is photography in three colours'. He has a studio erected at his palace of Monbijon, and either works there him- self or poses to others. In the latter case he changes his costume up to sixty timoo-green coat, red coat, his waistcoat crossed by the blue ribbon of the Order of the Garter, field- marshal's uniform with tho baton in his hand, etc., etc. These Imperial photos, are not pri- vate. and they will soon, be exposed in the shop windows of Berlin. » The Emperor Menelek of Abyssinia has re- cently been comparing the gifts he has received from British missions, and from other nattions, much to the disadvantage of the latter. Sir Rennell Rodd presented him with field glasses, a polar bear skin, gold mounted rifles, and a "Life of Alexandra the Great," printed in his native tongue. Other Europeans, he com- plained, treated him like a baby, and gave him musical boxes, magic lanterns, and mechanical toys. Lord Rosebery's Epsom house, The Durdans, is peculiarly interesting from the fact that George III. passed part of his boyhood there. Frederick, Prince of Wales, once owned the house, and there is a pillar in the shrubbery which was put up by him in memory of a favourite dog; while on a certain "King's beech" are some characters which were cut by ¡hi6 son, afterwards King George. Mr. Walter Rothschild, M.P., has just re- ceived for his museum at Tring a giant male gorilla from the Gaboon, which is believed to be the largest specimen of this animal known in any museum in the world. The creature measures no less than nine feet across the out- stretched arms, and stands nearly six feet fest in height. There is very little chance that a gorilla approaching this size will ever be seen alive in any of the zoological gardens of the world, for it seems to be next to impos- sible to capture a big gorilla alive, while it is also a very difficult business to get dead speci- mens for museums. < The Prince of Wales, as a boy, had a great liking for machinery, and small engines and various working models were always conspicuous among his birthday presents. On one occasion he received a complicated piece of machinery which he did not at first understand. His tutor offered .to show lifei how to set it in action, but the Prince refused, and ultimately solved the mystery for himself. < Mr. Will Crooks, M.P., not only contends that work should be found for everybody who is not sufficiently well off to do without it and live respectably, but that every professional loafer in the kingdom should be compelled to labour whether he likes to do so or not. Mr. John Redmond, leader of the Irish Par- liamentary Party, makes a, practice of being within the precincts of the House of Commons from the moment that the Speaker takes the chair until the proceedings terminate at night. He and Mr. Keir Hardie. probably spend more time at St. Stephen's than any other pair of legis- lators. A dog license in Vienna is in the form of a small medal bearing a number, which is affixed to the dog's collar. A register of these numbers is kept at the chief police office, so that stray dogs can readily be identified. The shape and colour of the medal are changed every year, and it is often a fancy among dog owners to retain the same number for their favourites year after year. Sir Andrew Macdonald, formerly Lord Pro- vost of Edinburgh, who has just retired from public life, was an unassuming man. During his term as chief magistrate he took a holiday at Nice, and the present King happened to be stay- ing there at the same time. One day the pro- vost and the King chanced to meet on the promenade. After the usual greetings, the King said: "You are a busy man with your city affairs, and must find it difficult to get away from them. How do you manage to arrange it?" "Oh," said Sir Andrew lightly, "I just come away!" "I wish I could copy your example," said King Edward, laughing. There took place recently at Begato, in Ligu- ria, a family festival which deserves recording as being a long way out of the common run of such things. An old peasant couple of the vil- lage, last Sunday, reached the 60th anniver- sary of their wedding, and all their descendants gathered a-bouit them for the occasion. It was a goodly gathering. The children, grand-chil- dren, and' great-grandchildren to the second generation numbered 200 persons—80 of them being babies and there is recorded the almost incredible fact that the family has not known a single death since the auspicious evenJt fifty years ago from which it sprang. A band of mandolins and guitars conducted the "family" to church, the village was gay with decorations, and then there was a dinner, at which the guests, being rustics, were jovial. At leaeifc they seem to have been so. They drank nine barrels of wine. An interesting addition has been made to the collection of Napoleonic relics in the museum of the Royal United Service Institution, in Whitehall. This is a lock of hair cut from the head after death, which was given to Major Anthony Emmett, a Royal Engineer officer at St. Helena, and subsequently came into the possession of his grandson, the Rev. C. W. Cod- dington, the present owner. Among a number of other Bonaparte relics in the museum are the skeleton of his famous charger, Marengo, a fragment of his coffin, a razor, and a shaving brush, which were found in the carriage in which he fled from the field of Waterloo, the pocket glass which he used in that battle, and hie favourite chair during his exile at St. Helena.

TEA TABLE TALK. The Queen of Italy is interested in balloon- ing, and has offered an international cup to h<& won by the first aeronaut who succeeds ia crossing the Alps by balloon. In Jewish marriages the Vride always stands at the right hand of the groom. With every p other nation of the world her place in the cere- mony is at her left. The Duchess of Marlborough was, on a re- cent afternoon, "At Home" at a "blouse tea" arranged for the purpose of selling fine needle- work made by poor women workers. Madame Patti rarely, if ever, sings in Ger- man. "I find that language so difficult to pro- Bounce," she says, "that the effort makes me quite ill for an hour afterwards." Miss Ellen Terry delights in keeping anniver- saries, and never forgets the birth and wedding days of any of her intimate friends. The Society of American Women in London is considering a scheme to enable a number of women graduates from American colleges to proceed to Girton or Newnham for further study. » The Czarina of Russia is fond of swimming, and when staying at the St. Petersburg Winter Palace indulges in the recreation in a splendid bath of white marble. < The married and unmarried women of the United States of Columbia., South America, are designated by the manner in which they wear flowers in their hair, the former wearing them on the right side and the latter on the left. Miss Barbara, Gifabe, the little daughter of the surgeon in charge of out-patients at Charing- cross Hospital, London, has, with the aid of girl friends, collected enough money to provide a nursing cot and aJl its accessories for that institution. At an entertainment of English folk songs and morris dances, given by a London girls' club, as much as £ 72 was taken, of which V,55 profit will be spent on summer holidays for the members. < The Duchess of Fife loves few things better than to ramble with her husband through the streets of London, unrecognised by the crowds or to take her walks with a couple of her dogs as escort and companions. In spite of her youthful appearance and al- most childish spirits and vivacity, Miss Lottie Venne made her first appearance on the stage at Nottingham more than thirty years ago, when silie was a girl of sixteen. "Serious courting," says a confectionery ex- pert, "commences about eight o'clock in the evening. Girls occasionally buy sweetmeats, economically, in the daytime, but after eight o'clock the young man makes the purchase, and even threepence on ounce' fails to daunt him." » Indian women have often been in the habit of having such rupees as they may become pos- sessed of melted down to form ornaments, but 'have now discovered it is cheaper to save the money and buy jewellery. Queen Margharita of Italy is proud of her col- lection of historic shoes and gloves, which in- cludes shoes one6 worn 'by Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Anne, the ill-fated Marie Antoinette, the Empress Josephine, and Catherine Empress of Russia. Madame Sarah Bernhardt is one of the very few women who maintain the 18th century fashion of receiving visitors in their bedrooms. ec Clothed in a white satin dsressing-gown and. throned amid; the laoe<J pillows arte? curtains of a regal four-pillared bedfitead, she receives her callers in a room rich with silk hangings, gilded furniture, flowers, and perfumes. The Dowager Lady Tweedmouth who recently entered upon her eightieth vear in the fullest possession of all her faculties1, is as keen as ever about politics, an ardent Liberal, and a lady in whom age has but matured and softened the charm which, together with great personal beruty, made her one of the noted women of her younger days. Since Lord Tweedmouth's death Lady Tweedmouth has lived at Bath, where she is a centre of good works and still an enthusi- astic worker in the Liberal cause. Of late Lady Tweedmouth has made her home with her son, Lord Tweedmouth, at the Admiralty, to the delight of all old friends. ♦ # # Madame Zapolsky is the first Russian woman upon whom the degree of Doctor of Letters has been conferred in her own country. She studied for several years in Germany, passed all her examinations, returned to Russia, and, persistently petitioning for permission to pass the same tests as those for men, has, after seven years, been successful. In Paris, for some time past, fashion de- monstrations have been held in some of the leading drapery establishments. The notion has now been adopted in London. Living models, of graceful figure, chosen from amongst the shop assistants, promenade the carpeted saloons, wearing the most beautiful gowns, hats, gloves, etc., and carrying parasols. Com- fortable seats are provided for ladies who at- tend as possible customers, and the demon- stration lasts one hour. Miss Olga Brandon, who has just passed away, was perhaps the most gifted actress that Australia has presented to the English stage. She was remarkably handsome in feature, stately in figure, and graceful in carriage. Her Ophelia was charming, and she also scored aa Pauline; but it was as Vashti Dethki in Judah" at the Shaftesbury that she achieved her greatest triumph. She spent some time in the company of Mr. and Mrs. Kendal, and thereby advanced her knowledge and experi- ence of the stage. it The distinction of being the youngest exhibi- tor at the Royal Academy this year belongs to Miss Una Taylor, a daughter of the popular King's Foreign Service Messenger. Miss Una Taylor (says" Marmaduke" in "Truth"), who is exhibiting a bronze statue of Hypnos, the^ G°d of sleep—a work that has been ac- corded general approval—passed the Royal Col- lege of Art examination at twelve years of age, and has studied for five years under Professor Lateri. » Lady Bateman, who has been to America for visit, is returning to England, and will be one of the several American hostesses of the season. Before she left for abroad Lady Bate- man spent much of her time down at Shobdon Court, Lord Bateman's lovely old house, which was once a monastery, and is quaintly built in terraces with the old cloisters still pre- served. One of the most remarkable features used to be the large trees (now removed on account of the damp), which grew up in middle of the hall, round which now hang a fio0 collection of old family portraits. < "The colour of the eyes," says an authority on artistic dressing, "is an important mattef in choosing a dress. A woman Avith blue eye3» for instance,, may greatly heighten her attraC- tions by a touch of blue in her costume. Blue- eyed girls, in fact should wear blue as often as possible. Brown eyes, of course, call fot brown tints in the dress, although the neces- aity is not quite so pronouncedl as in the Cat3 of blue. The complexion, too, is an imports, factor. Heliotropes are best suited to those o a clear complexion, but a sallow woman ehoul avoid delicate tints in her dress, and on no, f' e count should she wear yellow or pale bi frocks'. A Blonde can generally wear white effectively, but the brunette looks be in cream colour."