the cuff, the hook and its opening through the plate are constructed with one or more flat sides to prevent the hook from turning, thereby causing the hook of necessity to remain in proper position to receive the pin.

The entire device, including the opening through the guard-arm except the guard hook and button-standard, may be constructed of a single piece of wire; the hook and button-standard are preferably made of a single piece of wire, so coiled to form an oblong flat surface, and afterwards bent to the shape of a hook. The inventor is Mr. Norman H. McAllister, of Kansas City, Mo.

COMBINATION WRITING INSTRUMENT.-This invention relates to improvements upon that class of convenient pocket instruments in which there is combined a pen or pencil, a self-inking rubber stamp, a rubber eraser and a steel knife eraser, and it consists principally in fixing within the upper end of an inkpad shell the before-mentioned erasers, and in so constructing the different parts that the instrument will be of a uniform size throughout its entire length.

This desired end is accomplished by stamping the inking-pad and the stamp shells, each into a comparatively semi-circular form, so that when the two are closed together they form a nearly perfect hollow cylinder.

In operation, by pressing upon the side of the ink-pad shell opposite its hinge and upon the eraser end thereof the slight projection upon the upper end of the stamp-shell is sprung from a slight indenture at the base of the erasers, upon the upper end of the before-mentioned ink-pad shell, and by reason of the coiled springs the parts are thrown into a position for using the rubber stamp which is pivoted to the upper end of the main shell.

The end of the pad-spring bears upon the latter surface, and the end rests against the inner surface of the ink-pad. The knife-eraser is provided with a cylindrical head by means of which it is fixed within the upper end of the inkpad shell, and the rubber eraser is cored out so that it may fit over end protect

the knife.

By constructing an instrument in the manner and of the form above described, the manifold utilities thereof will need little explanation: for instance, writing may be executed with the pencil and erased with the rubber; the pen or the stamp may be used and if desired their impressions erased by means of the steel scraper. The inventor is Mr. C. Blitz, of Kansas City, Mo.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING.-The object of this invention is to provide a coupling for railroad rolling-stock that will obviate the necessity of the operator going between the cars; and it consists of a draw-head that is provided with a narrow vertical chamber in which is journaled a semi-rotative disk formed with a segmental coupling-hook that is adapted to be automatically thrown out of bal ance by the entering link; the heavier weight of the disk upon the side opposite the segmental coupling-hook keeps the said link firmly within the draw-head, and it consists, further, of a bail and cranks attached to the disk-journal, whereby said disk is rotated for the purpose of grasping and releasing the link.

Cords or chains are attached to this bail, so that it may be operated from each side of the car.

A draw head is provided, in addition to the flared opening for the link, with a vertical circular disk-chamber, open at the bottom and closed at the top. The rotary coupling-disk is provided with the before-mentioned segmental hook, which, when the said disk is rotated by the link striking the inner inclined edge of the annular slot, acts as a coupling-pin, and the said link cannot be withdrawn until the disk is turned in an opposite direction.

The link-opening, at its inner extremity, is in the form of a right-angle or a hypotenuse, and the link, upon entering the opening, is guided by the inclined sides of the angle to the apex thereof, at which point the said link, resting near its center upon the convex lower side of the aforesaid opening, should lie in a parallel position.

Now, by operating the chains, which are attached to the car, the bail, to which such chains or cords are fastened, is raised, and, the same being jointed to the disk-journal by means of the side cranks, the coupling-disk is rotated slightly, and the link may then be withdrawn; but when a link is already within the draw head, and it is desired to couple with a draw-head that is of a different height, the outside end of the link may be easily raised or lowered by reason of the weighted side of the disk, resting upon its inner extremity in the angle of the link-opening.

By manipulating the weight of the disk in making a coupling, the operator, aided and by reason of the before described inclined surfaces at the end of the link-opening, may hold the link parallel with the draw-bar, or it may be slid forward and downward, or forward and upward, as desired.

Stops upon chains prevent them from being drawn up so high that they cannot be readily reached from the ground. Handholds also are attached to the ends of the chains for convenience.

A stop, upon the end of the car a short distance above the bail, prevents the opening of the coupling until the bail is lifted by means of the chains.

A stop-lug upon the disk prevents the same from rotating so far as to allow the cranks to form a line with the bail-arms. The inventor is Mr. W. H. Holley, of this city.

BALANCING ENGINE SLIDE-VALVES.-A very simple idea, yet an efficient and practical device, has been patented by Mr. James Bewsher, of this city, for overcoming the justly condemned pressure exerted by the steam upon the back of a steam-engine slide-valve.

To the back of the valve in bearings that are cast thereon, is journaled midway of its length, an equalizing-bar, having a short link journaled to each extremity, one of such links extends downwardly to the bottom of the steam-chest where its lower end is securely journaled, the other extends upward and is pivoted to the piston of a small cylinder upon the top of the steam-chest.

When the steam is pressing downwardly upon the valve, it at the same time

presses the piston of the balancing-cylinder upward, and as each presents very near the same surface to the pressure, it follows that the valve will be balanced and can be reciprocated by an extremely small power.

The outer ends of the connecting links before mentioned, remain stationary, but as their inner extremities are connected to the equalizing-bar, they, of course, are caused to oscillate in a vertical line, and as each has a similar radius, the balancing piston is devoid of motion.

VIRGILIAN PROVERBS.

F. J. MILLER.

It seems natural to man to delight in axioms, those formulæ of thought which bear the stamp of truth upon the surface, and which no one can call in question. And perhaps it is this natural delight which leads us to crystallize into proverbs those other principles which, though not axiomatic, are still so broadly founded in reason and experience as to be generally admitted to be true.

The pleasure we experience in meeting these proverbs, however disguised they may be in poetical garments, is that of being on familiar ground. We, too, have experienced or observed the same thing, and this common thought at once brings us into intimate relations with our author; we can strike hands with him and say, "Yes; I know that." The author who utters for men their own thoughts is the most appreciated, the most popular, the most quoted. The popularity of Virgil may be explained, at least in part, on these grounds. The ardent student often finds with delight that the author for a moment leaves that which is new and strange and greets him in his own tongue. We cull a few examples out of the riches before us, choosing almost at random. Our poet sings: "Quid non mortalia pectora cogis, auri sacra fames?"

and again,

"Improbe amor, quid non mortalia pectora cogis?"

and our observation daily tells us that the same "fatal thirst for gold," and the same "base passion" drive men to all extremities to-day.

The stately utterance of the Trojan hero,—

"Dolus an virtus, quis in hoste requirat ?"

has retained its substance, though changed in form, in the English proverb,"All's fair in love and war;

and we recognize the "courage of despair" in

"Una salus victis, nullam sperare salutem."

Our English proverbs are often open to the criticism of inelegance and slang, Not so the Virgilian. While the elegant Mantuan comforts the love-lorn swain in this fashion, "Invenies alium, si te hic fastidit, Alexim,"-his English cousin, with more force than elegance, will only say: "There are as good fish in the sea as ever yet were caught."

How vividly reproduced are such expressions as "David in Saul's armor," "sailing under false colors," "wearing borrowed plumes;" and that other proverb which, though rude, is still at the foundation of all success, "Let every tub stand on its own bottom,"-how bitterly the meaning of them all is realized in the cry of the luckless Trojans,·

"Heu nihil invitis fas quemquam fidere divis!"

Against the "Judas kiss" and the "wolf in sheep's clothing" comes the warning cry of Laocoön,—

"Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes."

Those were genuine men, and not Trojans merely, in that old ship race off the coast of Sicily, for then

"Hos successus alit, possunt, quia posse videntur;"

and just as truly to-day, "Nothing is more successful than success." Thus we may see in Virgil's pages the true spirit of stoic indifference,— "Quid quid erit, superanda omnis futura ferendo est;"

and the "ruling passion,"

"Trahit sua quemque voluptas;"

and the lightning like speed of rumor,

"Fama, malum qua non aliud velcuis illum."

These comprise only a few of many similar passages. By means of these, and topics of like nature, an excellent review of Virgil may be made. Thus, if the student be directed to pick out all the proverbs, the similes, the flowers, the Roman customs, or the different uses of any word, he will undertake his work with all the ardor of an explorer, and, without knowing it, will obtain such a knowledge of the author as he could get in no other way.-Journal of Education.

THE THREE GENERA OF THE GREEKS.

F. A. JONES.

The Diatonic Genus among the Greeks was divided into several modes, or which, in our modern terminology, are denominated scales. They comprised the following: the Dorian, the Phrygian, the Lydian and the Mixo-Lydian; the first of these commencing on D, the second on E, the third on sharp F and the fourth on G, and each of these modes had a corresponding or collateral mode, distinguished by the prefix Hypo, signifying under, as Hypo-Dorian, HypoPhrygian, Hypo-Lydian and the Hypo-Mixo-Lydian. These Hypo modes were situated at a 5th above or its inversion a 4th below the original four modes which were termed authentic in contradistinction to the Hypo modes which were termed Plagal from plagios signifying sideways or athwart; thus for example, the HypoDorian may be reckoned from A, consisting of natural notes, the Hypo-Phrygian from B including C sharp and F sharp, the Hypo-Lydian from C sharp including D sharp, F sharp and G sharp, and the Hypo-Mixo-Lydian from D containing B flat.

The first of these genera is known as the Diatonic genus; this

admits of the normal notes of the key in which a musical passage is cast, that is to say notes that accord with the signature of each key in modern music.

Through inflection or change by sharps or flats, notes bear the same relationship to their key-note. Thus, for example, the sharps which characterize the key of E or the flats that distinguish the key of E flat cause the notes of these keys to be brought into the same relationship with their key-note as do the natural notes to the key of C. Sharps or flats then, may exist in the Diatonic genus, but those only which belong to the signature of the key. In order to elucidate my subject more clearly, I may here endeavor to explain the term Diatonic, which is derived from two Greek words, dia signifying through, and tonos a tone or a sound, therefore this compound word signifies, literally, through the tones or sounds, and a Diatonic scale may be defined as a series of eight notes, which proceed alphabetically from any note to its octave, by five tones and two semitones, this scale is divisible into two sections known as Tetrachords; this again has a Greek origin tétra signifying four, and chordé a string, and if we take the natural scale of C we find it to be constituted of two perfect fourths, C to F, forming the first tetrachord, and G to C the second, which, taken together form the Diatonic scale. Two scales which have a tetrachord in common are termed relative scales. Every tetrachord belongs to two major scales, every major scale having one tetrachord in common with the scale which precedes it in the series of scales, and another tetrachord in common in that which succeeds it.

The ancient, strict, or contrapuntal style of harmony may be termed, or designated Diatonic, because in it no notes are employed which do not belong to the diatonic scale of the key major or minor, which may for the time prevail. This admits of diatonic notes only, subjects every note of the scale to the same laws, allows the 4th to the bass to be employed in no way but as a discord, admits of no unprepared discords except passing notes, and allows not passing notes to be approached by leap. Diatonic therefore consists of notes according to the signature of the key. The leading-note of the minor key, though indicated by an accidental sharp or natural, is diatonic, so also are the major 6th and minor 7th of the arbitrary minor scale.

When modulation occurs, the accidentals that denote the change of key are to be regarded as belonging to the signature of the new key, and thus are diatonic in the key to which the modulation is made. For example, a passage commences in the key of C and we wish to modulate into the key of G; the F sharp which induces such modulation is to be regarded as belonging to the signature of the new key, and thus is diatonic in the key of G. The modern, free or chromatic style of harmony admits of chromatic as well as diatonic notes; admits of exceptional treatment of certain notes, allows the fourth to the base to be employed as a concord, admits of fundamental discords, and allows passing notes to be approached by leap. It may also be well in this place to give a brief definition of fundamental discords. They are formed of the notes generated according to the natural system of harmonics; they are all derived from the dominant, the supertonic, and the tonic. Those belonging to the last two roots are all chro