SPONGE. This well-known production of the sea 

 has been in use from the earliest times, and natural- 

 ists were long embarrassed whether to give it a place 

 in the animal or vegetable kingdom. Most authori- 

 ties now place it in the lowest scale of animal life. 

 There are fifty different kinds of sponge. Sponges 

 are found plentifully in the Mediterranean and other 

 seas of warm climates, but diminish in number and 

 deteriorate in quality as they approach cold latitudes. 

 They adhere to rocks in places the least exposed to 

 the action of the currents and waves, and below low 

 water mark. The best sponges come from the Archi- 

 pelago, where they abound near many of the islands, 

 whose inhabitants subsist entirely by the sponge fishe- 

 ry. At the Cyclades, sponge-diving forms the chief 

 employment of the population. The sea is at all times 

 very clear, and experienced divers can distinguish 

 from the surface the points to which the sponge is at- 

 tached below, when an unpractised eye could but 

 iimly discern the bottom. Each boat is furnished 

 with a large stone attached to a rope, and this the di- 

 ver seizes in his hand, on plunging head foremost 

 from the stern. He does this in order to increase the 

 velocity of the descent ; thus economizing his stock 

 of breath, as well as to facilitate his ascent, when ex- 

 hausted at the bottom, being then quickly hauled up 

 by his companions. Few men can remain longer 

 . than about two minutes below ; and, as the process of 

 detaching the sponge is very tedious, three, and some- 

 times four divers descend successively to secure a par- 

 ticularly fine specimen. The best" ..sponge is that 

 which is the palest and lightest, ua /small holes and 

 is soft to the touch. Of old, sponge was .regarded as 

 a cure for a long list of maladies. Burned sponge 

 still holdup ominent place among tin- iuat-vi;ils of 

 medicL .. 



THE PEON, THE RAT, AND THE SNAKE. One ot 

 those singular escapes occurred a few davs back, for 

 narrating which old Indians get accused of drawing 



e most formidable long-bows, when they settle 

 down on their pensions in that portion of the metro- 

 pohs dedicated to their retirement under the appro- 



e appro- 



priate name of Asia Minor. This, however, is a fact, 

 btless is many a similar story which has made 

 people stare and shake their heads! A peon in the 

 Tannah near the College Bridge, observed a rat run 

 across the floor. He stooped to" look after it, having 

 his turban off and his back hair loose. White "n 

 this position he suddenly felt as though some one 

 were tugging him back by his hair. He put his 

 hand up, and to his horror found there was a large 

 obra on his back, struggling to free its teeth from 



iSSllSSS^ I 7 had / 0t entan 8kd. Probably 

 the reptile had also observed the rat, and had dropped 

 from the roof, imbued with as keen a love of huntinf 

 as the peon himself. Be that as it may the snake 

 ultimately succeeded in getting loose, and cscapedlo 

 a hole without inflicting any injury on the man By 

 the order of the chief magistrate the place was pulled 

 down the next day, and there, sure enough, was 



* 11 thC rat hlhiS St maCh half ' 



WESTERN GIANTS IN THEIR SLUMBER. The 

 Burlington (Iowa) State Gazette says that while 

 some workmen were engaged in excavating for 

 the cellar of Gov. Grimes' new building, on the 

 corner of Main and Valley streets, they came 

 upon an arched vault some ten feet square, which, 

 on being opened, was found to contain eight 

 human skeletons of gigantic proportions. The 

 walls of the vault were about fourteen inches 

 thick, well laid up with cement, or indestructible 

 mortar. The vault is about six feet deep from 

 the base to the arch. The skeletons are in a good 

 state of preservation, and we venture to say are 

 the largest human remains per found,, being a 

 little over eight feet long.^;'. 



Who are the Longest Lived? 



There appears to be a wide difference of opinior 

 between some of our most intelligent and respecta 

 ble cotemporaries in regard to the subject, who art 

 the longest lived of nations? We copy some o: 

 their remarks : 



The Americans are the longest lived of people 

 inotwithstanding all the humbug about the greal 

 age to which the English live, their superior stam 

 ina, etc. And the longest lived of Americans an 

 to be found here, in this very New England, al 

 though such a mess of stuff is said about the Yan 

 kees working themselves to de.ath, being half-starvec 

 jand depriving themselves of the enjoyments of life 

 thus tending to abbreviate it ; and despite the ar 

 iguments which are based upon the changeability 

 I pf the climate, the east wind, and all that. Thes< 

 are but windy arguments. Statistics tell a differen 

 story. Boston Evening Ledger. 



Americans are not the longest lived people, am 

 we much mistake if we are destined to be a long 

 ! lived nation, even ! The Irish, of whom the write 

 claims to be a descendant, are the longest lived ; 

 but we don't know whether to attribute it to thei 

 climate or the simple diet to which the genera 

 poverty confines them. Charleston (S. C.) Men 

 cury. 



You should have confined yourself, brother Met 



cury, before jou delivered that sapient opinion.- 



Humboldt has placed it beyond a doubt that th 



mountaineers of Peru can contest the palm wit 



I death longer than anybody else. New Orleans P 



' cayune. 



That's a lie. Humboldt says no such thing anj 

 where. New York Evangelist. [Tut, tut, tut.- 

 What language for an "evangelist'' to use ! Ca 

 there be any wonder that naughty boys curse an 

 awear, when they have such examples from sue 

 quarters ! Ed. Life Illustrated ] 



Keep cool, gentlemen, or none of you will b 

 long-lived. We believe the greatest age of ma 

 to be obtained by the Hindostanees, and refer th 

 curious in such matters to Buffon's interesting a< 

 count of the people. New York Herald. 



Our American friends are having a dispute as t 

 what people present the most numerous instances ( 

 advanced age in man. Cold regions we believe t 

 be the most favorable to the prolongation of lif< 

 but we have nothing to disprove that the Dutc 

 live longer than any other race too long for thei 

 own good, perhaps. London Times. 



The London Times has been having a fling at th 

 Dutch, referring to the great age to which some c 

 the Mynheers attain, though nothing is mentione 

 about old Rip Van Winkle. The Times is famou 

 r wholesale slurs upon nations, though just no^ 

 it has not a word to say against its dear neighbo 

 France. If we were asked who lived the "longest 

 j of all people, we should say the Patagonians, fc 

 1 numbers of the stand full eight feet high Bosto 



The Boston Post thinks the Patagonians live th 

 longest of all mankind. That may be ; but it i 

 certain that the inhabitants of the Himmalehmoui 

 tains live the highest. Boston Herald. 



That may be, too, neighbor ; but a still sure 

 thing is, whether the Yankees/' 

 not, the 





