1875.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
191 
John O'Groat.— '' E. J.," Missouri, Miss., wislies to 
know wlio John O'Groat was, and what wortliy thiui,^ he 
did.— I cau uot tell wlio John was, other than that he, as 
his name would show, was a SoCvChinan ; the only thing 
80 far as I know, that he did, was to give his name lo 
nearly the northernmost point in Great Britain, where 
his cottage ouce stood ; the place is in the county of 
Caithness, Scotland, very near the sea, and thouyh the 
cottage is gone, the place is etill called John O'Groat's 
House. People in Great Britain say, to express extremes 
of distance, " from Laud's End to John O'Groat's House," 
that is from the farthest south or south-western point to 
the most northern point, just as we say " from Maine to 
Georgia," and in olden times it was " from Dan to Beer- 
6heba."— Your other questions about two persons travel- 
ing, one east and the other west, is an aritlimetical puz- 
zle tliat has been discussed for years; if I come across 
anything about it, I will give it to you, but I have not the 
time to give to the working out of the problem, as I do not 
think the result will pay for the labor. The Doctor. 
Curious Bit»!e IlJoftes.— It is said that a 
prisoner in solitary confinement, by working three years, 
obtained the following items: The Bible contains 66 
Books; 1,189 Chapters; 31,173 Verses; 773,602 Words; 
3,686,489 Letters The word Lord occura 1,855 times; 
the word and 46,377 times The shortest verse is John^ 
xi. 35; the longest verse, Estber viii. 9. ..Ezra vii. 21, 
contains all the alphabet except J '2 Kings xx., and 
Isaiah xx xviii. are similar; and in Psalms cvii. the 8th, 
15th, 21st, and 3l8t verses are alike All the veraes of 
Psalm cxxxvi. end alike. We have verified the first two 
and the last six items above, and suppose the figures for 
the verses and words are correct. 
AiiBit ^lac^H i*sszzie-lfiox. 
ANAGRAMg. 
1. Ironed dances. 6. A fair doae. 
2. Not cousins. 7. Cured Danny. 
3. Bound legs, 8. Cid eclio paalm. 
4. So mend paces. 9. Defines fuss, 
5. Tigers in den. 10. I'm a lay partner. 
BIBLE EXERCISE. 
(Give the names, in an alphabetical list, here defined.) 
A. Father of light. L. A she-wolf. 
B. Seventh dangliter. M. A coniToi-ter. 
C. Green lierb. N. The gift of God. 
D. Little woman. O. Servant of the Lord. 
E. A buncli of grapes. P. Small. 
F. Happv or prosperous R. A rose. 
G. Valley of Grace. S. Mvrrh. 
H. Exaltation of Life. T. Well educated. 
I. A man of murder. U. Strength of God. 
J. A revenger. V. One tliat drinks. 
K. The city of the woods. Y. Memory of the Lord. 
G. C. W. 
CHARADE. 
A verb that often lends its aid 
Unto composing youth or maid. 
United with a word not large. 
Names one who, in the puldic bargc^ 
With head erect, imposing fonn 
Encased in garments fine and warm. 
Without a single eyelash quiver. 
Sails calmly d<nvn the golden river. Henrt. 
NUMERICAL ENIGMAS. 
1. I am composed of 27 letters : 
• My 17, 6, 37, 19, 2(i, 14. 8, is a man's name. 
My '21, 25. 15, 1-2, 5, 23, 2, is a wild animal. 
My 10. 3, 7, 1. 25, 24. 3. 7, is a man's name. 
My 4, 11, 18, 22, 1, 1.3, is a number. 
My 9, 16, 20, 23, is useless. 
My whole is an old saying. Herbert J. K. 
2. I am composed of ten letters : 
My 2, 6, 8, is an insect. 
My 7, 10. 2, 8, is another insect. 
My 4, 9, 7, is an animal. 
My 3, 4, 9, 1, is something to exhibit. 
My 5, 8, is a pronoun. 
My whole is a Territory. Harrt H. Brakklet. 
ACROSTIC. 
The initials from a lesson that all should learn. 
1. A priuco of ancient Wales. 2. A late Methodist 
iivine. 3. A Persian general. 4. An Episcopnlian di- 
vine. 5. Pertaining to the sea. 6. A species of dove. 
7. A lati; sovereign. 8. A useful tool. 9. Part of the 
human body. 10. A city of Nt;w York. 11. A stinging 
insect. 12. OUl-fashioued. 13. Another stinging insect. 
14. A scream. 15. An article of clothing. 16. A picture. 
IT. Another kind of picture, 18. The mouth of a river. 
Little One. 
concealed states and countries. 
1. How swiftly the ape runs, does he not f 
3. Well. Farmer Brown, do you hire land ? 
3. Oh I 1 owe you fifty cents, do I ? 
4. Has that ore gone to the foundry yet ? 
£. James, I am going to the concert to-night. 
6. But you can see Ida home, if you like. 
7. It is painful to witness such destitution. 
8. The bark "Alice" landed here to-day. 
Albert and Augusta, 
decapitation. 
When shot from bow with steady nerve, 
Seldom from the mark I swerve ; 
But when the tyro tries to hit 
It, far and wide I often flit. 
Behead: the thrust by niflian dealt. 
Is stopped by me, though stiil it's felt ; 
Behead me ouce again, and now. 
You'll never find me near the prow. Henrt. 
cross word. 
My first is in bread but uot in roll, 
My next is in rat but not in mole, 
My third is in ale but not in beer, 
My fourth is in Ijison but not in deer, 
My fifth is in Bill but not in Joe, 
My sixth is in rain l)ut not in snow. 
My seventh is in one but not in two, 
My eighth is in Susan but not in Lou, 
My ninth is in night but not in day. 
My tenth is in August but nut in May, 
My eleventh is in chisel but not in taw, 
My twelfth is in teeth but not in jaw. 
My thirteenth is in mouse but not in rat, 
My fonrteenlh is in lean but not in fat. 
My fifteentli is in wren but not in lark, 
My sixteenth is in bite but not in bark, 
My seventeenth is in me but not in yon. 
My eighteenth is in purple but not in blue, 
My nineteenth is in ton but not in pound, 
My twentieth is in square but not in round, 
My twenty-first is in Jupiter but not in Mars, 
My twenty-second is in sun but not in stars. 
My twenty-third is in Mary but not in Jane, 
My twenty-fourth is in wheat but not in grain, 
My twenty-fifth is in prison but not in jail. 
My twenty-sixth is in tlireshcr I)ut not in flail. 
My twenty-seventh is in grass but not in weed. 
My whole is a book that I like to read. 
Caft. John W. W. 
Hypap si eh how nac katc rawginn romf het sipsham 
fo throes. 
SQUARE WORDS. 
Square the words " ASTER " and " SPAIN." 
Giles Farmin. 
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN THE MARCH NUMBER, 
Anagrams,—!. Htmiiliate. 2. Galvanize. 3. Resonant. 
4. Velocipede. 5. Liitatures. fj. Lepislutnre. 7. Preilonii- 
naut. 8. Ance:^tors. 9. Utopian. 10. Curmudgeon. 
Concealed Names.— ISridgrt. Lucy, May, Ella, Cora, Ed- 
win, Maty, Grace. Amos, and Id:i 
Double Acrostic. 
S- ahar -A 
C- a -B 
O- sag -K 
T- rafaTga -R 
L- uplaTi -D 
A-Palaclie-Pi 
N- ens -E 
D- o -N 
CiTrES.--l. New Bedford. 2. Aspin- 
wall. 3. t'oiulichcrry. 4. Georg-eiown. 
Numerical Eniqmas.—I. National. 
. " People will talk." 
Square "Words. 
1. C L O I) 2. B O A T 
LAKE OGRE 
() K R A ARTS 
DEAF. TEST 
Cross-AVokd.— Chnrles Sumner. 
Decapitations.- 1. Robe, obe. 2. Grate, rate. 3. Cl.ish. 
lash. 4. Crash, rasli. 5. Gloom, loom. P. Shark, hark! 
1^1.— Time is tlie most subtle yet the most insatiable of de- 
predators, and by tippearing to take uotliinf; is permitted to 
take all. 
PAUAPriRASED Proverb.— Timc, thymc ; and Tide, tied 
Wait, weiirhr; For. four; No man. 
Th:ink3 for puzzles, li-tters, etc., to Xeryion. Frank H., 
C. \V. li., Kipp (or Xipp). J, A.M.. A. R.. E. S. D., B. F. O., 
Emily, L. W. (;.. Il^ury .1.. S. T., Minnie W., and J. AV. C. 
'Send coimniuimifioiis for the Puzzle Box (o Aunt Sag, 
Box 111, P. 0., Brooklyn, N. Y., and }iot to 245 Broadway. 
May »u4l May-dlay. 
Last month we had to go a lonj^ way back to find out 
Iiow April got its name ; and we eliall find the same thing 
necessary with other months. Why May is so called, 
does not seem to be well settled. Some say it was named 
from the Maia, who was the mother of Mercury. The 
ancient Greeks and Komans had a great many gods and 
goddesses. Neptune was the god of the sea. Flora was 
the goddess of flowers, and so on. Mercury was the 
messenger of the gods — ran of errands for them, and 
Maia was liis mother. These old fables wo langh at now, 
but we are obliged in various ways to remember tliem, 
for we can not look at the thermometer without being 
reminded of Mercury, after whom the metal was named, 
and Ihc same name is found among the planets. In 
this month the ancients had celebrations in honor of 
Flora, and that custom was continued, and was the ori- 
gin of the celebration of May-day, which has been a 
holiday in England from tiie very earliest time until now. 
Going into the fields to gatlier flowers, and choosing a 
"Queen of May," is still the custom iu England. Some 
try to follow this custom in our northern states ; they 
find but few f^o^ver^, and generally come home very cold 
and cross. Norlh of Virginia, May-day, as a holiday, is 
a failure, and, however we wish to keep up the customs 
of our great gramifalhers and grandmothers, it is in most 
places much pleasanter to observe the holiday in June. 
Xlte Kiutl of LiOad in Pencils. — 
"John C. C," Ohio. You arc right. The "lead" in 
lead-i)encils is not lead at all, though it is called "■black- 
lead." The weight, if nothing else, tells yon that. It is 
a mineral, called graphite, (from tiie Greek word to write), 
and is more nearly related to coal than to lead. j.ou 
have learned that both coal and the diamond are forms of 
the element, carbon ; Graphite is still another shape in 
which carbon is found; it usually contains a very little 
iron. Plumbago is another name for it. It can not be 
melted, but at a very high heat, will burn. The fine kinds 
are very scarce. This answers your question, but much 
more could be said about it, and we may tell it Bome day. 
A True I>o^ Story, 
Some months ago we asked for stories about dogs, eev- 
eral have come iu, and we should be glad of more. A 
well known literary gentleman, gives this for the boya 
and girls: One of our old friends, (he is a large New- 
foundland dog,) makes his way through the world on 
three legs. Several years ago he lived in the country. 
One day he was frolicking about in a meadow, in which 
a mowing machine was working. Suddenly he gave a 
spring directly in front of the knives, and in a twinkling 
one of his legs was cut olf a little way above th,e foot. 
With a yell and a bound he was quickly out of farther 
danger, but almost immediately returned, on bis three 
remaining legs, to where the accident occuned. After 
smelling about for it, he found the missing leg. took it 
in his mouth, carried it to the house, and up sis steps of 
a piazza, when he laid it down before one of the family, 
and looking up piteonsly, said as plainly as a dog could, 
"please fix it for me."— The dog being too valuable to 
lose, he was taken to an outbuilding, the wound care- 
fully dressed, and in a few weeks the stump healed OYer. 
After getting about again, he hunted up the missing leg, 
which had been thrown into an adjoining field, and 
buried it. T^is dog evidently had his thoughts ahout him. 
AnsAvei-s to Aviary Puzaile No. 443, 
(April).— In tliis some of the figures alone represent the 
name of the bird, such as kite, while with others it is 
necessary to combine two, as L— ark, for lark. 1 and 10, 
Cedar Bird.— 3 and 2. King Fisher.— 4. Crow.— 5. Kite.— 
(j.*Diver.— 7. \Yhippoorwill.— 8 and 10. Snow Bird.— 9. 
Jay.— 10. Black Bird. —11. Finches.— 12 and 10. Butcher 
Bird.~1.3 and 10. Cat Bird. —14. Lark.— 15. Rail.— 16 and 
10. Thistle Bird.— 17 and 10. Tailor Bird. 
Some Strange Insects, 
In this country we often meet with people who believe 
in signs and warnings, but we do not have nearly so 
many such persons as are to be found in some parts of 
Enropc, where there is very little education among tho 
working people. In many farming districts in England, 
there are stories told about most of the common planta^ 
insects, and other animals, that have been handed down 
from father to son, and mother and daughter, for thes3 
hundreds of years. Sometimes a person curious in sucli 
matters, will gather up the "folk-lore" as it is called— 
(which moans the knowledge of the people), of his dis- 
trict, and publish it in some book or magazine, and very 
amusing reading it sometimes makes. In Europe there 
is a sphynx, or night-flying moth, related to those you. 
see about the flowers at dusk, having upon its back soma 
light markings, which, if you try hard to make them, loolf 
somewhat like a skull and cross-bones, and is called th<j 
"Death's Head Moth." Of course an insect, bearing 
such an unpleasant badge as this, would excite the feara 
of the ignorant, and when we add to this the fact that ib 
is capable of makini; a kind of squeaking noise, we have 
materials for very wonderful stories. As this moth is 
frequently mentioned iu books and other writings: we 
give a picture, that you may sec what it is like. It is 
found in England, and on the Continent of Europe, and 
its appearance is regarded by the ignorant everywhere a^ 
a sign of evil. It is sometimes thought to foretell war, 
or famine, and should it, attracted by the light, enter the 
room, and flying at the candle, put it out, there is sure to 
be a death iu the family- and then the poor thing, prob- 
ably from having burnt itself, gives out its squeaking 
noise, which is regarded as moaning over the fearful 
thing which is to happen. But it is not necessary to tell 
yon more of the absurd stories, and surely not to tell yea 
that the coming and going of this moth has no more 
meaning than that of any other moth or other insect. 
Really the only harm done by the moth, with the un- 
pleasant name, is to steal the honey away from the bees. 
Among the insects about which wonderful stories are 
told, are the lantern-flies— not the fire-flies that we see 
on a warm summer's night, nor those curious beetles 
from the West Indies which shine so brightly, and which 
are sometimes brought here alive, but some South Amer- 
ican and Chinese insects, which have a very large head, 
and a turned up, sort of half transparent, snout, like the 
one in the engraving. Travelers have told great stories 
about these living lanterns ; they flew into the thick 
trees, and lighted up tlieir darkest recesses ; one lady 
had some presented to her in a box, and when she opened 
it, a stream of flame came out; and this same lady i* 
said to have made a drawing of the insect by its own 
light ! Beautiful provision of Nature, is it not. that the 
insect should be provided with this lantern of a sub- 
stance like thin horn, to light its way about. The only 
trouble is that no scientific travelers have been able to 
see this lantern lighted, and though there is a capital 
place for a light, it ia stated that there is none. On the 
other hand, it has been suggested that this insect may 
give light at some seasons, and not at others. So when 
you read tiie accounts of the wonderful lantern-fly, you 
can eay that up to the present time it is ''not proven." 
