THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. The Regent's Park Zoological Gardens have been enriched by the arrival of two important additions; a fine specimen of the gigantic Salamander of Japan (Sieboldia maxima), and a pair of the celebrated shoe-billed stork (Balæniceps rex), from the White Nile.-Athenæum, March 17th, 1860. THE PLAGUE OF FLIES. Though delivered by the progress of the siege from Russian sorties, we are exposed to the attacks of other enemies, as unceasingly troublesome, if not as dangerous. Every nook and cranny is infested by flies in millions, which give one no rest by day, and little by night. Within the last week the thing has almost assumed the dimensions of a plague. Like the Harpies, they literally "dispute the viands," such as they are, on which we regale; a morsel in its passage to the mouth being generally settled upon by two or more of the insects, which require to be vigorously shaken before they will let go their hold. To remove them from a glass of any liquid before tasting it, it is necessary to introduce three fingers and draw them from the vessel, on the principle of "dragging," as practised by the Humane Society. The only way to be at rest is to sit in a thorough draught, which, when surrounded by papers, is a somewhat troublesome position. On entering a hut after a few mcments' absence, they rise in a dense cloud, with deafening buzz, from every object. Irritable sufferers pursue them desperately with towels, laying about on every side; others try to carry on a more scientific warfare, by burning old newspapers after elosing every aperture; but it is useless-in five minutes the place is full with a new and more hungry swarm. The only respite is at night, when the invaders retire to rest on the ceiling in enormous black patches; but even then a candle brought in rouses them to all the playfulness of noon. Seriously, they are an unexpected and most troublesome visitation, and are especially irritating to the poor sick fellows in the hospital marquees, whom they prevent from getting any rest the live-long day, and keep in a constant state of nervous restlessness. For the next three months we must be content to suffer all they can inflict, unless the rains of September rid us of them.Crimea, 1855. THE QUICKEST RATE OF LOCOMOTION. After the electric spark, light, sound, and cannon balls, the flight of a swallow is ascertained to be the quickest rate of locomotion. One of these birds has been let off at Ghent, and made its way to its nest at Antwerp in twelve minutes and a half, going at the rate of five kilometres per minute, i.e., 4 miles. ANSWERS TO QUERIES. THE ART OF BIBD-STUFFING (p. 227).-Beginners should never attempt to stuff any bird smaller than a blackbird; the larger the bird the easier it is to stuff. First put a small quantity of cotton wool down the throat in order to prevent any moisture escaping from the stomach; this is highly important, and must never be omitted; then break the bones of the wings close to the body; divide the feathers from the breast-bone to the vent; divide the skin in like manner. Great care must be taken not to puncture the abdomen; raise the skin with the point of a pen-knife until you can take hold of it with your finger and thumb; hold the skin tight and press on the body with the knife as the skin parts from it, putting the knife farther under until you reach the thigh; break the thigh-bone close to the top joint, and push it gently up until you can take hold of the flesh; now take the bone that is attached to the leg and pull it gently out, turning the skin of the leg inside out; cut the flesh off close to the knee and skin as far down to the back as you can. Do the same with the other side of the bird; if any wet escapes from the flesh, dry it up with fresh bran. With a small pair of scissors, put the skin on both sides out of your way as much as possible; push the body up (the tail of the bird being held; in your hand); cut through as close to the tail as possible (this is done inside the skin); then take the bird by the back-bone and gently push the skin down by the thumb-nail till you come to the wings; take as much flesh from the wing joints as you can, and go on skinning till you reach the ears; take hold of them close to the skull and pull them out. Take the eyes out, and be careful not to burst them, holding the skin with one thumb and finger while you pull the eye out of the skin with the other; after taking the eyes out, put as much cotton in the sockets as will fill them nicely. Skin down to the beak very gently, cut the neck away from the skull, and also a piece of the skull to take the brains out; anoint the skin with arsenicated soap, put a little tow round the thigh bones to form the thigh, and gently turn the skin back again; if care has been taken, the loss of the body will make but little difference in the size of the bird. Get three wires, one as long again as the bird, the other two twice the length of the legs, file them sharp at one end, bend the blunt end of the long wire, put some tow on the bend and squeeze it tight to fasten it, then twist the tow until it is about the size of the body, do it as tight as possible. Have some tow cut up small, get a strong wire, rough one point, and turn the other into a bow to hold in your hand; take hold of some of the tow with the rough end, and push it up the neck; this requires but a small portion of tow; put some in the chest and a little all over the inside of the skin. Put the body wire up the neck, and bring it out through the skull at the top of the head; draw the body into the skin and be careful not to stretch the neck; then put the other wires through the centre of the foot up the legs, being careful not to break the skin; put enough wire inside the skin to push into the body to fasten the legs; cut off a piece of the wire that has gone through the head, put it through the tail into the body (under the tail, of course; open the eyelids, and put in the eyes (patience is required in young beginners to do this); mount the bird on a perch fastened to a small board, bend the legs so that it will seem to stand in a proper position, be careful not to loosen the leg wires from the body, bring the feathers nicely together between the legs, bend the neck, and put the head in the shape you think proper, then run a pin or a piece of wire through the butt of the wing and into the body, to keep it in its proper place. Should the bird be out of shape in places, raise the skin gently with a needle, put the feathers as straight as you can, put a pin in the breast, back, and under each wing near to the top of the thigh, fasten the end of the cotton to one of the pins, and gently wind it round the bird from one pin to the other; put up the bird when you see that it is right. You had better let the specimen dry of itself, then bake it; keep it free from dust, and it wil dry in a fortnight. Spread the tail in a natural position, and when it is dry, unwind the cotton; cut the pins close to the butt of the wing and the head; take out the others, and the bird is finished. FORMATION OF PEARLS (p. 227).-There is now, we believe, no question that the account given by the authority referred to by our querist, of the formation of pearls, is the correct one. In a Number of the Journal of the Society of Arts, published in 1853, it was stated that "An oyster, or rather a mussel, of the species known to naturalists as the mya-margaritefera, in which the artificial pearls are found by the Chinese, had been recently sent to this country. These pearls are only obtained near Shing-poo, and until lately very little was known of the manner in which they were found; and the account first published by Sir Joseph Banks was generally questioned. The Hermes, steamer, however, on a late visit to that place, was able to obtain several live ones in which, on being opened, several pearls, as many as eighteen or twenty, was found in the course of formation. The one sent only contains simple pearis adhering to the shell. It appears they were formed by introducing some pieces of wood or baked earth into the animal while alive, which irritating it, caused it to cover the extraneous substance with a pearly deposit. Little figures made of metal, are frequently introduced, which, covered with the deposit, are valued by the Chinese as charms." ABOUT BEES (p. 227).-It has been the custom, from time immemorial, to rub the inside of the hive with salt and clover, or some sweet-scented herb, previously to putting a swarm of bees into the hive. This practice, which is thought to be serviceable to the bees, is disadvantageous to them; for it gives them unnecessary labour, as they will be compelled to remove every particle of foreign matter from the hive, before they begin to work. Equally reprehensible is the vile practice of making an astounding noise with fire-pans, kettles, &c., when the bees are swarming. It may have originated in some ancient superstition, or it may have been the signal to call aid from the fields, to assist in the hiving. If harmless, it is unnecessay; and everything that tends to encumber the management of bees should be avoided.-Timbs's Popular Errors. in WHAT IS A REPTILE (p. 227).-The term reptile comes originally from the Greek repo, to reap, Latin, reptilis, and in a general sense is applied to any animal that moves on its belly. or by means of short legs, as snakes, lizards, tortoises, &c. But, scientifically speaking, the term reptiles, or reptilia is confined to the designation of those cold-blooded vertebrated animals that breathe by means of lungs principally - are destitute of hair and feathers, and do not suckle their young. Such animals form the subject of that branch of Zoolological science termed herpetology In the arrangement of Cuvier, reptiles form the third class of vertibrated animals, and are divided into four orders; in that of Linnæus, they constitute an order of the class amphibia creatures that can live either on land or on the water.-H. G. A. SOFA PILLOW IN LONG HOOK CROCHET. THIS very pretty stitch is called by various names, as Crochet à la Tricoter," "Oriental Crochet, &c.," and when evenly done, can be worked upon in any Berlin design. For Ottomans, Pillows, Tidies, and Mats, it is extremely appropriate. The design represented in the engraving, is composed of alternate stripes of velvet and crochet; this is excessively handsome, and the cost of the velvet will not very much exceed that if all wool were used, provided the velvet is of the kind called silk-faced, this will be about 5s. a yard. A yard and ten inches of velvet is sufficient for one side; while the reverse of cushion can be worked in wool of the same colour as the velvet. Respecting the tint of the latter, it will be desirable to have it of the prevailing colour of the hangings of the room, and upon this must depend the hue of the wool to be used. If it be green or violet-coloured velvet, the wool may be bright maize of the ordinary Berlin wool; the scrolls to be worked alternately, one of violet, the other green, with shaded double Berlin wool. If blue velvet of imperial blue, let the ground colour wool be very pale maize or pale rose colour, not pink-more of the salmon tint; the scrolls to be alternately scarlet and blue-shaded double Berlin. If crimson velvet, pale seagreen ground, worked upon with dark green scrolls and crimson-shaded wool, alternately. Observe that the grounding wool is the ordinary Berlin wool, and that for working the design in cross stitch, must be the shaded double Berlin wool. A Bone Crochet Hook a quarter of a yard long, of one uniform thickness, and very even, is suitable, of the size that when a piece of tape is placed round the hook, it shall measure three-eighths of an inch. Explanation of Stitch.-Make 22 chains as in ordinary crochet. First Row.-Miss the 1st chain; place the hook through the next; catch hold of the wool at the back, pull it through as a loop on the hook; keep this loop on the hook. Repeat the same to the end of the chains, still keeping all the loops on the hook, till there are 21 loops on the hook. Second Row.-Twist the wool over the hook, pull it through the two loops nearest the point of hook; twist the wool over again, pull it through the next two; and continue working backwards, till there is only one loop on the hook. Third Row.-On examining the work, a row of long untwisted loops will be found in front, not on the edge; miss the 1st long loop; place the hook through next, draw the wool as a loop on the back, still keep it there; and continue on, till there are 21 loops on the hook. Count this row R every time, to see there is no decrease of | stitches. These two rows constitute the whole method of working. Continue till 246 rows of long loops can be counted from end to end; then pull the wool through the last loop, and cut it off. Now with the wool same colour as velvet, work a row of single crochet, or what is termed muffatee stitch, up each side the maize; not into the loops, but through the double of the stitch; then work another row on this again. To Embroider the Scrolls. -Commence the scroll from the bottom, in the 4th row from the bottom; work in cross stitch, taking one stitch of the crochet, which includes one long loop. Work three long strips of crochet. In embroidering, observe that the 1st scroll being commenced with one colour, the other strips which will come on each side, must be com ch 1 L in next; 7 ch 1 L in next; 7 ch 1 L in next; 7 ch De in 3rd loop of the 10 ch. Now 7 Dc in 7 loops, miss the L stitch. Repeat. Then fasten off; and fill up the centre of the diamond with simple button-hole stitch in lace work. ABOUT LETTER WRITING. IT is a great privilege to be able to send United Kingdom to another, however great a letter for a penny from one part of the the distance. If at any time you want to know all about yourself and your doings, ask your friends how they are, and let them you have only to write what you wish, seal it up, fasten a Queen's-head on the corner, drop it into the letter box, and away it goes at railway speed to all the civilised countries where law and order corners of the land. It is only in highly prevails, where confidence exists, that such could take place. Let any one imagine speedy and cheap inter-communication how difficult it must be to send a letter in a country where there are no roads, no bridges, no mail coaches, no railway trains, and being robbed, and he will come to some where travellers are in continual fear of idea of the great amount of thought, skill, Four pounds of feathers will fill a hand-exercised before such means of rapid travelindustry, and self-control which must be menced with the reverse shade. Cut or rend down the velvet in four strips, turn the edges down neatly, and tack them; then sew, with same colour silk as velvet, on to the wool side, keeping the wool side in front. Trim round the cushion with large worsted cord, same colour as velvet, and worsted and silk tassels. some cushion. DAISY PATTERN FOR A SOFA TIDY. 17 ch unite in a circle; * 12 ch, work 11 De down the 12 ch; 2 De in 2 ch of circle. Repeat from * till 8 of these spikes are made. Now 5 Dc up the 11 De 6 L in next 6 loops. (A) 7 L in the one loop at the point; 6 L' in next 6 loops; 5 Dc in next 5; miss the 2 next loops; Dc up next spike; 1 ch, withdraw the hook from the loop, insert it in the loop of the last L stitch in right hand leaf; draw it through. Now 6 Lup the 2nd spike. Repeat from (A). After the last leaf is finished, terminate with the 5 Dc; draw the cotton through, and fasten off neatly at the back. Sew the first and last leaf together in the same place as the others are attached. Make 8 of these daisies, and join them together lengthways; then another 8, and join together. Now join these two strips together, and to fill up the square between the joinings-Dc into where the leaves are joined; make 10 ch 1 L in next joining; 7 | ling could be realized as are now open to every one in England. As was prognosticated, more letters by hundreds of thousands are sent now than formerly. Indeed it may be said that Those wrote now who never wrote before, more. But there are more ways than one of writing-a good way and a bad way; and unfortunately very many persons never get out of the bad one. To them letterwriting is a most irksome or almost impossible task. When seated at the table, they generally spread out their elbows and take up the room of three persons, they bend their head close down to the paper, and put out their tongue, as though all these awkward efforts were a real part of the operation of setting their thoughts down on paper. We were once at the Bank of England, when a country wheelwright came to ask for certain dividends which were due to him. He had not received any for five years, so that he had to sign his name ten times; once for each six months. And what a task it was to him! After getting the pen between his |