KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 

61 


could not, by the nicest scrutiny, discover the 
least symptoms of life in him. We reasoned a 
long time about this odd appearance as well as we 
could; and, finding he still continued in that 
condition, we began to conclude that he had in- 
deed carried the experiment too far; and at last 
we were satisfied that he was actually dead, and 
were just about to leave him. This continued 
about half-an-hour. By nine o’clock in the morn- 
ing, aS we were going away, we observed some 
motion about the body; and upon examination, 
found his pulse, and the motion of his heart, gra- 
dually returning. He began to breathe gently, 
and speak softly. We were all astonished to the 
last degree at this unexpected change ; and after 
some further conversation with him, and with 
ourselves, went away fully satisfied as to all the 
particulars of this fact, but not being able to form 
any rational scheme how to account for it. He 
afterwards called for his attorney, added a codicil 
to his will, and calmly and composedly died about 
five or six o'clock that evening.’’—This is one of 
those curious facts that occasionally come under 
our notice ; but for which our philosophy is unable 
to assign any reason.—J ames T., Salisbury. 
New Glove-making Machine—A complete re- 
volution is about to take place in the manufacture 
of gloves in France. Two inhabitants of Grenoble 
invented, about the same time, a machine for 
sewing gloves; but, instead of competing with 
each other, they agreed to unite the advantages 
of each invention. One found means to sew me- 
chanically the fingers of gloves ; while the other, 
after sewing the remainder of the glove, was 
compelled to employ operatives to sew the fingers. 
The inventors, by combining the two machines, 
have produced one which: sews gloves perfectly. 
This discovery has produced a great sensation at 
Grenoble, where the manufacturers were not able 
to supply the demand for want of a suflicient 
number of operatives.—W. R. 
~~ 
Assumed Dislike of Birds to White Fruit— 
Birds appear to prefer red and purple fruits. 
The White Tartar Cherry, a fine, sweet-flavored 
fruit, is not liable to be injured by them; while 
other varieties, as May Duke, Bigarreau, &c., 
are constantly exposed to their attacks. The 
white-berried Elder escapes the ravages of the 
blackbirds, even when they have already cleared 
the bushes of the common purple-berried sort, and 
have nothing left but this. The fact is the more 
remarkable, because the white variety is so sweet. 
In the Dresden markets its fruit is sold for 
preserves, for which it is very well adapted. Fruit 
without color has probably the appearance of 
unripeness ; and for this reason the birds refuse 
to try it.— Garten-und-Blumenzeitung. 

Grass Lawns.—The best and cheapest way to 
treat grass lawns, or banks that are subject to 
crack in dry weather, is—to fill up the cracks 
with any light sandy soil when they are most 
open in dry weather. Afterwards, roll the ground, 
when sufficiently soft just to allow the roller to 
make an impression upon it. But not when it is 
very soft ; for if so, it will cause it to crack 
worse when it again becomes very dry. Perse- 
vere in filling up the cracks. If they are large, 


sow a few grass seeds upon the fresh soil. It 
will then soon become firm, and crack but little 
after the first year.—F, P. 
Parasitical Plants —That there is a tendency 
in some climbing plants, not properly parasites, 
to become such under certain circumstances, 
there can be no doubt. The Convolvulus 
arvensis has been known to fix its papillee in the 
stems of the plant around which it entwines 
itself; and that portion of the stem dying by 
which connection with its own root was main- 
tained, it thus becomes a parasite. I am not 
aware that a similar phenomenon has ever been 
observed with the ivy.—G. J. 
The House-Fly.—A fly on the wing is no 
less curious an object than one on foot; yet, when 
do we trouble our heads about it, except as a 
thing which troubles us? The most obvious 
wonder of its flight is its variety of direction,— 
most usually forwards, with its back like a bird; 
but on occasions backwards, with its back down- 
wards, as when starting from the window, and 
alighting on the ceiling. Marvellous velocity is 
another of its characteristics. By fair comparison 
of sizes, what is the swiftness of a race-horse, 
clearing his mile a minute, to the speed of the fly 
cutting through her third of the same distance 
in the same time ?—A Lover or Navure. 

Cultivation of Water-Cress on Dry Land.— 
Té is not generally known that this universally 
esteemed addition to the essentials of the break- 
fast table, for which we are in the habit of paying 
daily pence which, in the course of time, amount 
to a considerable sum, to itinerant vendors—may 
be grown by any one who commands a few yards 
of earth in a situation not fully exposed to the 
sun. A few plants may be procured from any of 
their natural habitats, and placed in the ground, 
where they will soon begin to grow. Of course, 
it is absolutely necessary to keep the new plan- 
tation perfectly shaded for a time; and if it can 
be always thus kept, all the better. Plentiful 
supplies of water at all times, when rain is not 
abundant, are also essential; but it is a mere 
fancy to suppose that a running stream is wanted. 
The plant may grow better in such a situation— 
probably it does. But that it is not necessary, I 
have had the fullest proof; having seen water- 
cresses as luxuriant, or nearly so, as any that could 
be gathered in ditches and brooks, grown on a 
damp, shady border in a kitchen-garden. Per- 
haps they were not quite so tender and delicate, 
but still their quality was such as to leave no 
room for complaint.—V1AToR. 
The Haddock.—The haddock inhabits northern 
and. temperate latitudes. It is found in great 
abundance all round the coasts of Great Britain 
and Ireland. The largest haddocks have been 
taken in the Bay of Dublin and neighborhood. 
In all their migrations, they haunt together in 
immense shoals. They are not uniform in 
frequenting the same spot or locality, but change 
their haunts, not seemingly obeying any deter- 
minate law. This probably proceeds from a 

natural timidity of disposition, for the same cha- 
racteristic is shown in their retreating into deep 


