MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 410, 25 February 1870, Page 3 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Tbachdjo a Horse.—lf any of our readers want to teaoh a horse the oommon triok of picking jap a handkerohief, let them proceed aa follows: Spread on the sawdußt a white oloth containing a liberal supply of oats, lead the animal round the ring and let him take some of the corn. This is lesson No. 1; its objeot being to fix in the horse's mind a connection between tho cloth and the oats. The maroh ronnd the circle being onoe or twice repeated, he stops at tho handkerchief as a matter of course. By dint of practice—say in a oouple of weeks, he will learn to stop as readily in a trot or a gallop as in a ■walk. After a time the handkerohief must be doubled over and tied in a knot; the animal Bhakes it to get at the grain, but not suooeeding, lifts it from the ground, whioh is just what is wanted. When the horse has done this a few times, and finds that though he can shake nothing out he will receive a handful of oats as a reward, he may bo trusted to perform in publio. Tho last step of all, the persuading the horse to carry the handkerohief to his owner, is easily done. Of his own accord he -will hold the cloth till it is taken t*m his mouth, and there will be little difficultßpi coaxing him to walk a few paces when 'he will get a handful of oats or a carrot for his obedience.— Once a Week. A Baby Hjjko. —In an article somewhere— I fonget the source, or I would name it—l read receatly a very good Btory, that will serve to oomfort many a mother's heart when their children are voted tiresome. The subject on whioh the writer was enlarging was woman's rights; and he took occasion to contrast their position in this country with that in lands where they are numerically scarce. Ten years ago a woman in the streets of San Franoisco was followed as a curious and pleasant sight. But even Bcarcer still were children. At the theatre one evening whilst the orohestra were performing, a baby was heard to cry in one part of tho house; whereupon a man in the pit mounted on his seat and shouted ont, "Stop them squeaking fiddles, and let's hoar the baby cry ! I haven't heard such a blessed eouna for years and years." And the fiddles did stop, and the baby did ory, and was rapturously encored, to the d&light of all, except, perhaps, the young perfor«Ahimself, who had thus suddenly brought down thioKuse. This little incident serves to show how differently tho same thiDgs are regarded under different circumstances. This thought, philosophically considered, would help us to put up with many inconveniences that are now barely tolerable. — Tlte Quiver. Gold and Silyer Marks. —Many articles of gold, and nearly all of silver, and even olectro-plate, bear oertain marks, some acquaiHtanco with which everybody ought to possess. The mark 3 upon the precious metals are called " hall marks'' —probably because, in London, they are put on at the Goldsmiths' Hall. Only one quality of silver is hall, marked—viz., standard silver, in tha proportion of eleven ounces and two pennyweights of pure silver and eighteen pennyweights of alloy to every twelve ounces troy weight. With gold, the case is different, and a person may purchase hall-marked gold of many values from about eighty shillings per ounce, although gold worth less than about one pound eleven shillings and sixpence per ounee is very seldom marked. In 18G9 the Goldsmiths' Company in London discontinued marking gold chains of inferior quality; and gold watch-cases must be of eighteen carat gold. Some foreign watches marked as eighteen carat gold, have tho cases in part made of silver or other inferior metal. In England also, sometimes, rings marked as gold of superior quality are partly of ' inferior gold. This is tho result of fraud: unprincipled makera sometimes taking rings to be hallmarked, after whioh they cut out the portion marked and insert it in rings of lower value. This is also done with silver, but to a less extent.— Cassell's Household Guide. Tiie Best Famwes ijt Etot,aot>.—We are often asked which ia the best family in England ? It is not an easy question to answer. What tests can we apply to dotermine it ? Let us try these three — length of descent, ancient renovn, and historical importance. Length of descent throws out of the many distinguished names, such as those oiPfloward, Russell, and Cecil. Ancient renown throws out suoh families as Seymour, Talbot, and even Stanley, none of which were above the middle ranks 500 years ago. But all the conditions seem to be fulfilled by four families—those of Hastings, Fielding, Courtney, and Nevil. The first has been more or loss noble ever since the Conquest. Tho second is said, but on doubtful grounds, to have been of the imperial Hapsburg race, and to have settled in England in the reign of Henry the Third. The Conrtnoys claim to be descended from Pharamond, the founder of the French monarchy, whose date is placed by historians at the middle of the fifth century; and from Otho, some of whose family, were Emperors of Constantinople, and previously Counts of Edessa and Kings of Jerusalem; they are also of very nobility in England, and of considerable historical and political importance in our own day. Nevertheless, we think, all things considered, the beat family in England is that of the Novils. — Cassell's Magazine.

Cages for Birds. Men of judgment and I experience have long since condemned all the little \ cages of a circular form, not only because their limits j are so confined, but because they supply the bird with •no shelter whatever. Why should birds in oonfine- ■ ment have no chance of hiding their heads, when they have so strong a liking for the practico in a state of nature f In winter especially, the best cage is oblong, and only open in front. It can bo made handsome, and such small birds as goldfinches, linnetf, and canaries, will bo all the better and happier for one. The ends of such a cage may be formed of wire as usual, and covered in with a Bheet of glass. In a cage *o made, birds may be kept safe from the effects of the sadden changes of temperature, which are so injurious. Proper attention to this one particular will stop half tho gaping, panting, and wheezing which distress our birds so commonly now. To add to their dangers, in this country it begins to get extremely cold very often while our captivo warblers are partly dannded of their feathers by moulting. This renders it all the more needful to look well to the lodgings of cage birds, fcr it is hardly pojsiblefor them fej get through the winter well if they begita it either without their winter coat or an cqnivalenljf The process of moulting in birds, like that of dentition in children, is trying, and calls for special care, and this is another reason for urging our plea. — Gassell's Howelwld Gui>le.

Covent Garden. —The theatre was burnt down on the 2fith September, 180 S. The disastrous season had begun on tho 12th, when tho entertainments commenced with Macbeth (Komble and Mrs. Siddens) and Raising the Wind, that drollest of farces. Tho fire broke ont at four o'clock in tho morning, and in four hours tho pile of timber burned to ashes. Tho main pipo had been unfortunately cut for repairs, and no water could for some time be obtained. After the engines had played an hour, the roof fell in with one tremendous crash of flamo. On the west side of Bow-street seven houses were destroyed, including a public-house called tho StrugTheatre was in such danger that men gotjHpiio roof and opened the cistern provided there, Bedford and Piazza coffce-house3 only only escaped from a party-wall having boon rocently built to protect the theatre from them. Four houses caught firo in Hart street, and narrowly escaped; but the most terrible catastrophe was in the Piazza. A party of daring firemen and volunteers broke open the gTeat door there, and introduced an engine to play upon the galleries, whero tho fire especially raged. Suddenly tho burning roof of the passage fell in and buried them. It took Bomo time to unblock the poor; and when it was cleared, twelve men were found dead in the Apollo Eoom, and about ten miserably bruised and mangled. Several yonng men also nerished from tho steam that rose from the burning jj&nins Tho organ Handel left tho theatre as a legacy, and worth more than 1,000 guineas, was consumed; the Beefsteak Club lost JE1,500 worth of wines; Mr. Ware, tho leader cf tho band, lamented a violin worth £3OO ; which had been left behind thai night for the first time in two years ; Munden groaned for a wardrobo valued at .£300; Miss Bolton mourned her jewels; and several unpublished plays, and some original and unpublished mnsio, by Arno bud Handel, were also destroyed.— Belgravia.

Satilt a named €ox, of theA division, while going to visit his sister at EiohI* ond, Bomehow got into the river at Kew-bridge. e was got out in a few minutes by a Thames Ccervanoy man, bnt only breathed once And exnireii, e leaves a wife and five obildren.