Fashions for the Mouth 



319- 



Robe of striped Sultana of mauve colour. 

 Round skirt, tenninated by a volant of 

 gathered bias, with small top mounted by- 

 cross plaits. Second skirt in the form of a 

 tunic, edged at the bottom, surmounted by a 

 bias of mauve taffeta. Flat bodice, de'collete 

 vnxh tight sleeves, ornamented in the bottom 

 by two small biases of mauve taffeta. Mant- 

 let ; fichu to match with the dress, rising 

 behind, fastening in a heart in front, and 

 crossing to part the sash, where it falls 



with pointed pans on the side of the skirt. 

 This fichu mantlet is cut with denticulations, 

 and encircled by a bias of mauve taffeta, with 

 knots of cocarde, knots of mauve taffeta set 

 at the bottom of the pans. Sash of same 

 taffeta, fastened by a bow of same pattern. 

 A small muslin fichu with a denticulated edge. 

 Small toquet hat of black straw, ornamented 

 by a curled feather of mixed white and black. 

 — Abridged from the London and Paris Ladies^ 

 Magazine of Fashion. 



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DESTRUCTION OF SONG BIRDS. 

 Some of our readers (says the Inverness Courier) will 

 recollect our having announced three or four years ago 

 the destraction of a large number of goldfinches and 

 other native songsters by an unprincipled dealer in 

 birds, who, it is said, drowned in one bag, in the River 

 Ness, upwards of 200 goldfinch hens ! Since then 

 this beautiful bird has been but rarely seen about our 

 Highland metropolis, and we do not know if it is from 

 the same cause, but we are aware that in several parts 

 of the west coast, and in the Aberdeenshire High- 

 lands, these and other little "warblers of the gi'ove " 

 have of late become scarce. Last year we particularly 

 remarked the absence of singing-birds about Balmoral 

 and Braemar generally ; and the want of the blackbird 

 and mavis in some of the west coast districts is the 

 more oppressive, as wherever there is copsewood, as 

 at Applecross and Lochbroom, the gloomy and 

 rainy character of the climate is much relieved by 

 those birds, who, from the darkness, sing there all 

 day as they do elsewhere at night and in the early 

 dawn. Fortunately, on the east side of the island 

 the abundance of whins and broom, as -well as of 

 hazel and birch trees, presen-e us a good stock of 

 linnets, greenfinches, and thrushes ; but the more 

 open and bare fields about towns do not afford so 

 much protection to the skylarks from their numerous 

 enemies. In France the guzzling demands of the 

 people of Paris, it is well known, have nearly cleared 

 the country of small birds, and, in consequence, grubs 

 and woi-ms commit havoc on the crops to a most 

 alai-ming degree. In London also the sale of spar- 

 rows and larks is shamefully enormous ; and we trast 

 the same bad taste may not be extending itself to the 

 provinces. Lately we have obser\-ed several young 

 men scouring the fields about Inverness with dogs and 



gims in quest, it is pretended, of cornrails, but they 

 fire at any skylarks \\-hich get up, and we have heard 

 that even the occupants of some of our newest villas 

 do not refrain from shooting those delightful birds 

 while actually singing above them ! Such barbarity 

 and bad taste are hardly conceivable, but we would 

 counsel a stop being put to those who roam through 

 fields with gims and dogs by a few prosecutions for 

 trespass being directed against them, and by improving 

 the taste and feelings of our youth for all sorts of living 

 pets. 



WINDOW VENTILATION. 

 A window slightly open at top and bottom is the 

 best ventilation ; but the window blind is often in 

 the way. To remedy this, fix the roller of your blind 

 on the upper sash of your window, and then, when 

 the sash is pulled down, an open space is left above 

 for the free current of air, and yet the larger part of 

 the window is protected from the scrutiny of outsiders, 

 even though the blind be also rolled up a bit from the 

 bottom. 



DUST-BINS AND DISEASE. 

 It would be well if it could be made one of 

 the duties of the sanitary inspector in each locality 

 to visit the basement of eveiy dwelling-house 

 occasionally, for the purpose of ascertaining the 

 condition of the dust-bins, drainpipes, and other 

 matters, which are so generally neglected, even in 

 the houses situated in the best localities. But 

 my special suggestion with regard to dust-bins 

 is intended to prevent the admixture of vegetable 

 and animal matter with the cinder-ash — a veiy 

 prolific source of fever and diarrhoea at this season 

 of the year. My plan is, for an iron grating to be 



