POPULAR MISCELLANY. 



863 



which, while it affords the best protection 

 to the picture from moisture, is easily re- 

 moved and renewed. A source of danger 

 to pictures to which not enough attention 

 has been given is that which arises from 

 the development of moisture by chemical 

 action within the substance of the paint- 

 ing itself. An old medium of remarkable 

 qualities has been recently discovered, con- 

 cerning which nothing more is said at pres- 

 ent, till its qualities are proved. Appar- 

 ently the most durable surface that can be 

 produced with modern mediums is that ob- 

 tained with a mixture of copal oil varnish 

 and linseed oil ; and, until the proper me- 

 dium is discovered, the best we can do is to 

 paint our pictures with this medium and a 

 carefully selected group of pigments, and 

 then, as a further precaution, coat the pict- 

 ures, when thoroughly dry, with a layer of 

 mastic dissolved in turps (or turpentine). 



Illnstration of Cnstoms.— The Pitt Rivers 

 collection in the University Museum at Ox- 

 ford is designed to illustrate the customs, 

 life, and religious observances of primitive 

 and semi-civilized races. The contents are 

 arranged with a view to showing the various 

 stages of development among different races 

 and at different times, and to establishing 

 direct relationship between the primitive 

 and the modern types. The collection has 

 also many European objects of antiquarian 

 interest. Among them are specimens of the 

 hornpipe, the instrument that gave its name 

 to the dance performed to its music, and of 

 the pipe and tambour used by the mummers 

 at their performances. Among the exhibits 

 relating to savage races is a collection of 

 masks from Fiji, New Britain, and else- 

 where, such as were worn at funerals by the 

 male relatives of the deceased. In some cases 

 the very skull of the dead man was made 

 into masks, with the idea that he should as- 

 sist at his own obsequies. The jew's-harp in 

 many forms and developments — none, how- 

 ever, dating beyond the sixteenth century — 

 has a place in the museum, together with a 

 collection of primitive reed instruments, some 

 of which were blown by the mouth and 

 others by the nostrils. Of fire-kindling ap- 

 paratus, the frictional fire-sticks of savages, 

 the rather elaborite mechanical contrivance 

 of the Brahman r)riests, and the apparatus 



used by the Vestal Virgins to kindle the 

 sacred lamp if it should be extinguished, are 

 shown, 



Medixyal Gnilds. — According to a paper 

 in the Archjeological Institute by the Rev. J. 

 Hirst, on the Guilds of the Anglo-Saxon Mon- 

 asteries, a regular system of communica!ion 

 was kept up between the various religious 

 houses by means of messengers, who, being 

 men of the world, were able to supply the 

 news of passing events, even in the most 

 distant countries. Other visitors to the 

 abbeys were pilgrims, who were often ad- 

 mitted as brothers, and were thus enabled 

 to participate in the benefits derived from 

 the prayers of the community. From these 

 sources no doubt the monldsh chroniclers de- 

 rived much of their information, which they 

 so carefully recorded. The author said these 

 ancient guilds threw a light on the origin, 

 rapid increase, and organization of the Eng- 

 ish trade-guilds at a later period. Mr. J. T 

 Micklethwaite pointed out a difference be- 

 tween these two sorts of guilds. The trade- 

 guilds kept a common purse, whereas those 

 attached to the monasteries did not ; the ab- 

 sence also of the word guild in the Saxon 

 manuscripts led him to believe that the trade- 

 guilds were not derived from the monastic 

 ones. 



Spiders as Marplots. — A curious account 

 is given in Engineering of the way in which 

 the accuracy of engineering work is often 

 impaired by spiders and their webs. When 

 plumb lines are sunk in shafts, the spiders 

 sometimes attach their webs to them and 

 draw them to one side. The accuracy of a 

 certain work in the Hoosac Tunnel was de- 

 stroyed until the lines, 1,028 feet long, were 

 inclosed in cases. It has been suggested as 

 a remedy to apply electricity to the lines so 

 as to burn off the spider-threads. The writer 

 in Engineering once found his vision when 

 using the level distorted by the appearance 

 of curved lines in its field. After consulting 

 an oculist and paying his fees, he discovered 

 that the whole trouble was caused by a little 

 spider which had settled itself in the eye-glass 

 of the telescope of the level. An electric- 

 light metre, of the revolving fan type, was 

 found doing imperfect work, as it recorded 

 only a small fraction of the electricity that 

 was known to be used. It was found that 



