1875.1 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
391 
wuylo some plant or\vhatever itliappens to coin uncross, 
throws out its lonj^ arms uiid waits Ha* prey. It leinimls 
me of a lazy tishenuan, wiiofiX'S hmiself in a comfortable 
position, and tlien throws out several lines to tempt tlie 
sprightly little fishes. But the lazy fisherman, as well 
as the Hydra, makes a very uncerlaia living', for not al- 
ways are the fislies to be templed by the bait, and the 
lively Utile creatnres for vrhieh the Hylra is fisliinir, seem 
to be on tlie alert, and so both fisherman and Hydra are 
often ol)liged to take in tlieir lines without havlngcau-h; 
their snppers. But when the Hydra has good luck— when 
some poor crealure runs .igainst on,- of tlie long arms -it 
is immediately seized by the arm, and then the other 
arms are wound around it, and it is forced down the gap- 
ing moiitli into the hag-like stomach — actually swallowed 
alive ; under the microscope we can see the little captive 
through the transparent walls of the stomach, moving 
about, until a film gathers around it, gradually hiding it 
from sight, until the whole is lost to view. 
Sometimes the animal slips out of its long arms, and 
escapes from the Hydra, Hut if it happens to be an animal 
with a soft body — no shelly covering tt< protect it — it soon 
dies. Those little wart-like prominences on tlie arms 
are the receptacles of poison darts, which the Hydra 
tiirusts into its victim ; these paralyze and soon kill it. 
The Hydras incr ase in a funny way; little bud-like 
knobs start out anywhere on the body of the parent, and 
these are the young Hydras just beginning to grow ; after 
a short time, arms are developed on the little ones, and 
lliey begin to catch their own food wliile s^ill fast to the 
parent. After a while, when the young have become old 
enough, they break away from the parent, and swim 
about, and at length attach themselves to whatever they 
pluase, and spreading' out their fishing-lines, catch tlieir 
prey, and raise families in tlie same way their parents 
did before them. 
AiiMit Site^s CUuts. 
Isaiah S,— The letters for the alphabetical arithmetic, 
when placed in order from one to ni>nght (or ten), form a 
word or sentence; and as a puzzle one may sometimes 
discover the ^ i'fiy." anagraraatically, when he is not able 
to work out the sum. 
Eddie F. G. asks why Boston is called " tlie Hub.'" It 
w;i3 the name Dr. Holmes gave it, when he facetiously 
suggested ihat the whole of Creation turned on its axis. 
I can give you the '■" nicknames " of several other cities, 
which names suggest '" their origin" New York is called 
Gotham; Philadelphia, the Quaker City; Baltimore, the 
Monumental City; New Odeans, the Crescent City; 
Washington, the City of Mugnificent Distances: Cincin- 
nati, the Queen City (or jocularly Porkopolis) ; New- 
Haven, the Elm City; Detroit, the City of the Straits; 
Chicago, the Garden City ; Pittsburgh, the Smoky City ; 
Cleveland, the Forest City; Intlianopohs, the Railroad 
City; St. Louis, the Mound City; Louisville, the Falls 
City; Keokulc, tlic Gate City; Brooklyn, the City of 
Churches. 
M. L. E.~" The difi'erence between cashmere and 
merino" is simply— that merino is twilled on both sides 
and cashmere on only one. 
Claua L. wants the *' pattern of a pretty, cheap, easily- 
made card-basket." I think I can suit you exactly. Clara. 
Cut two hexagons out of white card-board; one a little 
larger than the other, as shown in figs. 1 and 2. Paste them 
together, one on top of the other. Cut a little hole with a 
Tiyj 
Figs, 1 and 8. — bottom of cabd-basket. 
punch, in the centre of each side of tlio base, as in the pat- 
tern, and place it undrra wui^'til to dry, wliile you cut out 
six pieces like lig. 3. These pieces S'ou may paint, or 
"spatter," (with ferns, etc..) or decorate in any manner 
youclioose. Then tie it all lo;4etlier with narrow ribbon, 
leaviiij; the hows oiiUide at the bollom of the basket, and 
irudde at the top. If that is not simple enou2:li. you can 
cut the six pieces of llie shaiie of fi;;, 4, slick fancy paper 
on it, bind it with ribbon, and seiv the sides together, and 
the base (fij. 1), which must also be bound with narrow 
ribbon. You can vary the style of ornamentation, ac- 
cording to "your owu sweet will."— [The pattern given 
'Sim 
Fig. 3. — ORNAMENTAL SIDE-PIECE. 
here is just half the proper size; Aunt Sue sent her 
dra\i'ing the full size, hnt it takes up more room than we 
Fig. 4.— PLAIN SIDE-PIECE. 
could spare ; you can easily draw a pattern just twice the 
size given here, upon a piece of paper, to serve as a 
guide.— Ed.] 
English Giul.— To the best of my knowledge and'be- 
lief, '■ Queen Victoria's crown " contains 1 large sapphire 
and 16 smaller ones, 11 emeralds, 1 large ruby and 4 
smaller ones, l,3f>4 brilliants, 277 pearls, 1. '273 rose dia- 
monds, and 147 other diamonds. It was made in 1838, 
principally with jewels taken from old crowns. 
Mushrooms.— A little girl (whose letter is not at hand) 
wishi'S to know how to tell ninshrooms from toad stools. 
This is a difficult matter to tell, but a very easy one to 
show. The editors inform me that they expect scjon to 
have something on the subject for the old folks, and she 
will be perhaps able to learn something from that. 
More a1>oitt Cats. 
A kind lady in Wisconsin sends you this : — The story 
in the August Agncultiirist about the kitten and the doll, 
reminds rae of a kitten I had when alitilc girl. A neij^h- 
bor gave me a Utile gray and white kitten, and sliortly 
after another neighbor had the misfortune to lose in one 
night an old hen and her entire brood, save one poor little 
chick; that one she gave to me. The pets were soon on 
the best of terms. When chick got old enough to use 
her wings a little, the two would have great sport. Chick 
would go round and round the house as fast as licr legs 
aided by outstretched wings could carry her, with kitty 
close to her heels ; when he cauL'ht her, they would have 
a rough and tumble play for a while, and then another 
race. When tired of out-door sports, kitty would get on 
his bed and chick would fly up and nestle down close to 
him ; kitty would wasii her feathers, cat fashion, and 
when she was all cleaned up nicely, they would sleep, 
kitty's paws encircling chick's neck. Kitty would never 
hurt her, though he often pretended ho vras going to bite 
her. Chick, when she liad grown to be a hen, never for- 
got sleeping with kit, for, as long as Phe lived, she de- 
lighted to steal into the house and make a nest in some 
corner on a lot of rags, nor would she scruple to get 
upon the bed if allowed. 
Though many cats are of a roving disposition, al! arc 
not, for some of them have a great love for home. I will 
tell you of what happened to one of the pioneers of Wis- 
consin. Wlien the state was first settled, cats were scarce 
and mice plenty, and people would take a great deal of 
trouble to obtain a cat. One family which was moving 
into the state, while on the way, procured an old cat and 
two kittens. The family traveled twenty miles from the 
jdace where they got the cat and kittens, and camped for 
the n';;ht, for there were then no railroads or hotels; 
when they arose in the morning, they found pussy had 
deserted with her two babies. Great was the surprise of 
her former owner, to find that on the second day after 
their departure puss and her babies were safe in their old 
quarters. As puss could carry but one kitten at a time, 
she must have traveled the entire twenty miles three 
times over, be-idcs hunting her food ; she doubtless car- 
ried one for some distance, and leaving it in a safe 
place, returned and brought up the other one, and by thus 
going back and forth, ihcy at last all reached their old 
home. That cat had no idea of being a pioneer. 
POSITIVES AND COMPARATIVES. 
{Exa7njde.~\A(:\i^ liquor.) 
1. An animal, a rope. 2. Part of the body, a beverage. 
3. A spice, a flower. 4. An exclamation. a maririn. 5. A 
sanctuary, a poet. 6. Am exclamation, a propeller. 7. A 
vegetable, a nook. 8. An exclamation, an clement. 
Bessie. 
numerical enigmas. 
1. I am composed of 20 letters : 
Mv 17, 1, 10, is an article of clothing'. 
My 10, 2. 18. 2fi, IH, 4, 13, is a kind of support. 
My 9. 22, is an adverb. 
My 17 11. 7, 3, 19. 9. 15, is a girl's name. 
My h,\f}. %~j, 20, 11, is used on the plains. 
My 14, 21, 24. 23. 13, is an imaginary being. 
My S, 12, 1. 16. is an insect. 
My whole is an old, well-known proverb. L. S. H. 
2. I am composed of 24 letters : 
My 10, 12, 24, is a weapon. 
Mv n, 13. 12, 20, one likes to be during a storm. 
My 23. 3, 19. 21, 10, 7, is astonisliing. 
Mv 9, 14. 24, 4, is a su^irestion. 
My 5. 17. 18, 15, 8, is to~ raise. 
My 2, 22. 1, is a nickname and a crime. 
My 2, 22. 1, 6, is an article of clothing. 
My wliole is a message which eftecied a reconcilia- 
tion between two men who had quarreled in the 
morning. Addie. 
DOUBLE ACROSTIC. 
1. To architects a name well known. 
In books on architecture shown. 
2. A word tlnit leads to all success ; 
If you would know it, do no less, 
3. Wiien in the darkest ways we glide, 
Tliis is a safe and certain guide. 
4. One from whose lips each zealous word 
By eager patriots was heard. 
5. A plant imperfect, not complete 
In all that we with jdeasure greet. 
6. In climbing upuard as we rise, 
What forms our steps i' wards azure skies? 
Primals — finals name a book 
For which most others we forsook. Henrt, 
NAMES OP RIVERS, ETC.— ENIGMATICALLT EXPRESSED. 
]. A variety of irrapes. 2 What a tree cannot live 
witliont. 3. Suggestion of an African Cliief. 4. What a 
miser does, and a girPs name. 5. The first Bishop of 
Jerusalem. 6. A domestic animal and where she fe'-ds. 
7. A relative and an animal. Mart E. S. 
DIAMOND PUZZLE. 
1. A vowel. 2. To jilacc. 3. A fright. 4. A lover of 
children. 5. To go out. 6. Necessary to plaving bil- 
liards. 7. A vowel. Little One. 
CHARACTERISTIC INITIALS. 
(£'xam/)/6'.— "Cultivated -Statesman "— Tharles -S'umncr.) 
1. Just, Good and Wise. 2. Writes Cultivated Books. 
3. Safe Counsellor. 4. Mighty Artist. 5. DaringOrator. 
6. Bold Traveller. 7. Always Lamented. S. Temperance 
Story Teller. 9. Graceful "Genius. 10. Every Dav Ever 
New Stories. M. P. 
CROSS WORD. 
3ry first is in parch but not in dry, 
My next is in head but not in eye, 
My third is in wheat but not in hay. 
My fourth is in river but not in bay, 
My fifth is in pelf but not in iiold. 
My sixth is in rude but not in bold. 
My seventh is in light but not in day. 
My eiirhth is in June but not in May, 
My ninth is in stone but not in rock, 
My tenth is in clasp but not in lock. 
My eleventh is in slow but not in late, 
My whole is what all should cultivate. Mamie. 
PI. 
Noe fo bet stom tropimtan lures fo het sceneic fo ann- 
reras, si na torasal aubstole license ni grader ot rousefly. 
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN THE AUGUST NUMBER. 
Anagrams of famous Battlrs.— 1. Marston Moor. 2, 
Marailion. 3 Srhasrfipol. 4- <'ulloden. 5. Bunker Hill. 6. 
Austcrlitz. T. Solterino. 8. Cowpeus. 
NuMEr.iciL Enigmas.— I. SkatinL'. 2. Benjamin Franklin. 
Pi.— Economy is the easy chiiir of old age. 
Square Words.— l.-N O li A 3.— H O R N 
OM i; N OHIO 
R !•: I N U I F T 
ANNA NOTE 
Cross Word.— riiiladelphia. 
Charade. —Bismarck (liis Mark). 
Dkcapitations.- 1. Gloss, loss. 2. Glove, love. 3. Frock, 
rock. 4. Flint, lint. 
Double Acrostic— C— ale —B— Cactus, Bulsam. 
A— nieli —A 
C— a me — L 
T— hanie — S 
U~ tic —A 
S— ubstratu- M 
Hidden Games.— 1. Whist. 2. Jackstones. 3. Bagatelle. 
4. .Marbles. 5. Dominoes. 
TiiANSPosED Aphorism.— After a storm comes a calm. 
Th.inks for lettf-rs. puzzles, etc., to Ameriran Jack, .Julia 
E. G.. Little One. L. W. B., Frank M. G.. Mary A. E,, F. D. 
K.. M. H. H., AllieW.. Sam. .1. S.. Gertie I,. B.. Lidie S. 
H., K sic It. M., Kate J. C, Mary E. S., Sphinx, Amanda 
H., Geo. H. F., and Mrs. M. 
I would respectfnllv Busiest to my nieces and nephews 
that numerical eninnius made upon tlieir own names, or 
upon the name of one of iliett- frieuds, are not ol sufficiently 
general iniere-t to tie published. 
Send C0!/nnu/iicof/o>'.9 inUnded for Aimi Sue to Box 111, 
P. 0., Brooklyn^ N. 1'., and not to 245 Broadway. 
