Miscellanea.

Southland Times, Issue 989, 20 July 1868, Page 3

Miscellanea.

A young lady gives her reason for using a parasol, in these words, " I raise my parasol to parry Sol's rays." Why does the crown of the head first become bald ? — Because it is there that the ' parting ' of the hair is first noticed. It is said that for sacramental purposes unfermented wine is now used by no fewer than three thousand churches in England. A man who is advertising lodgings to let '"for early risers," adds, " Cochin China fowls, of unusual vocal powers, are kept on the adjoining premises." Why is the King of Dahomey like a famous painter ? — Because he is a man of color, celebrated for the manner in which he executes his subjects. — Judy. These two things, contradictory as they may seem, must go together — manly dependence and manly independence, manly reliance and manly self-reliance. — Wordsworth. In the neighborhood of Leeds the following curious document, in a wretched scribble, is to be seen in a window : — " ADa Skool kept at — — — plaise, trems 2 pens an 3 pens per week for reading knitting righting and sowing." Professor Agassiz has recently been lecturing in America advocating artificial fish culture. He declared his conviction that of all animal substances fish was the best adapted for food for those engaged in great mental labor, as it was the most nutritious in repairing the wear and tear of the human brain. The Emperor of Bussia has presented the Emperor of France with a magnificent stuffed bear of enormous size, which has been sent to Compiegne. It remains to be seen whether His Majesty will return the compliment and present the Czar with a stuffed eagle. The one which figured at the landing at Boulogne is no doubt preserved in some Imperial lumberroom. No one but a French sayan would ever have thaught of this : — "' A French sayan has likened the quickness of volition in an animal to the telegraph. He tells his class : — When a whale it harpooned the nerve affected instantly telegraph! to the creature's brain, ' Harpoon in tail,' upor which the brain telegraphs back, ' Jerk tail anc upset boat.' What a wonderful thing is sience ?' A man being examined in an important case counsel found it extremely difficult to extract thi whole truth from him. His ingenuity and ignor ance combined enabled him to evade the question; At last the lawyer, losing patience, exclaimed " Why, sir, do you prevaricate so much ?" Thi witness supposing he referred to his peculia manner of utterance, convulsed the court an< audience by replying indignantly, " I would lik to know how a fellow can help prevaricatinj when he has lost three of his front teeth ?"