countless myriads in our bays and harbours, and are one of the most usual causes of the beautiful phenomenon the phosphorescence of the sea. The classic reader may perhaps take a greater interest in the naked-eyed Medusa, if he be told that "several of them are now known to multiply their kind by germination, little ones springing out almost ready made from the substance of their parents, as Minerva budded on the creative brain of Jupiter. This mode of propagation by gemmation was long supposed among Radiata to be an especial privilege and distinction of the true zoophyte; but the march of discovery and the revolutions of science do away with such artificial distinctions, though the recognition of them in their time gave no small impulse to the onward progress which was eventually to destroy them." The development of the young becomes peculiarly interesting when contrasted with what has been stated of the larger Medusa; and curious enough, they spring from different parts, such as the ovaries, the stomach, which forms a part of the peduncle hanging from the lower surface of the umbrella, and even from the bulbous base of each of the tentacula which fringe the margin. After describing in detail this latter mode, as observed by him in Sarsia prolifera, Professor Forbes remarks:-"What strange and wondrous changes! Fancy an elephant with a number of little elephants sprouting from his shoulders and thighs, bunches of tusked monsters hanging, epaulette fashion, from his flanks, in every stage of advancement! Here a young pachyderm, almost amorphous there one more advanced, but all ears and eyes; on the right shoulder a youthful Tunny, with head, trunk, toes, no legs, and a shapeless body; on the left an infant, better grown, struggling to get away, but his tail not sufficiently organised as yet to permit of liberty and free action. The comparison seems grotesque and absurd, but it really expresses what we have been describing as actually occurring among our naked-eyed Medusa." Well may we doubt if the line of separation between the Zoophytes and the Me dusæ is a legitimate boundary, and can be rationally maintained. Sir John Dalyell, in his Rare and Remarkable Animals of Scotland, mentions that from an hydroid zoophyte, "a colony, computed at 130 individuals, of the Medusa ocilia, was produced in four or five days; and there are grounds for assuming that successive colonies come from the same specimen of the zoophytc." If future research should prove that our present ideas respecting the classification of these animals is incorrect, we must not hesitate to throw them aside. "Free and unprejudiced spirits will neither antiquate truth for the oldness of the notion, nor slight her for looking young, or bearing the face of novelty." Or The use of the little towing-net described at page 47, may, perhaps, enable some of my readers to capture naked-eyed Medusa for examination, in the course of the coming summer. They will then ob. serve that the eyes of different species are of very different colours-purple, orange, and yellow; and with regard to number, Argus, the hundred-eyed, must yield to one at least of "those dark-eyed beauties," for it can boast of twice as many. Or if you should desire to witness a tragic scene on a small scale, you may become a spectator of the doings of another species, (Steenstrupia rubia), which is only about the one-eighth of an inch in length. "It is," says Forbes,* "very active and tenacious of life; before dying, assuming all manner of strange shapes, doubling itself up, and turning its organs inside out in a terrific manner, giving up the ghost with convulsions as fearful as those of a popular actor in the death-scene of a tragedy." should you desire to witness the union of qualities that are rarely combined in the same individual, endeavour to secure some specimens of Sarsia tubulosa, a species that at times is taken rather abundantly on some parts of the coast. Being kept," says Professor E. Forbes, "in a jar of salt water with small crustacea, they devoured these animals, so much more highly organised than themselves, voraciously, apparently enjoying the destruction of the unfortunate members of the upper classes with a truly democratic relish. One of them even attacked and commenced the swallowing of a Lizzia octopunctata, quite as good a Medusa as itself. An animal which can pout out its mouth twice the length of its body, and stretch its stomach to corresponding dimensions, must indeed be "a triton among the minnows," and a very terrific one too. Yet is this ferocious creature one of the most delicate and graceful of the inhabitants of the ocean-a very model of tenderness and elegance." Fellows of the Royal Society. 66 Henry More, born 1614, died 1687, one of the earliest "Thaumantias Melanops," Forbes, p. 45. (To be continuel.) ORNAMENT FOR HYACINTH GLASS; WILD ROSE PATTERN. that which has a silk face and cotton back); a strip of stiff paper; a strip of dark glazed lining, or coloured paper, and a strip of white fine calico; a circle of stiff card-board, a fine darning needle that will carry the cotton and some strong gum water. BY MRS. WARREN. the strip of stiff paper on the wrong side or the velvet, so that the edges of the latter can turn over; gum the edges of velvet, also the edges of stiff paper, and with the fingers and a cloth, fold the edges of the PATTERN FOR A SOFA PILLOW, OR A BABY'S COT QUILT. BY MRS, WARREN. velvet on to the paper; gum the narrow strip of paper, and place on this, pressing it down with a cloth. Now on this place a strip of board, with a heavy weight upon it for some hours, till the whole is securely fixed, when the weight may be removed, and the work left to dry. For the circle of card-board, cut a round of dark calico, half an inch larger than the card-board, snip the edge of this circle of calico all round; gum the card-board, lay it on the calico; gum the edge of the card-board, and with the finger press the edge which has been snipped down on it; cut another circle of calico, gum down on the card-board, place it under a weight, and when dry, sew the strip of velvet round it, taking care to close the side neatly. Take off the outline of the design of flower, and cut in the white calico four DESIGN OF FLOWER, of these flowers; these are to be tacked on the velvet, at equal distances from each. then the beads are sewed on so as to cover the calico. Fasten in the needle and thread at the bottom of one of the divisions of flower, thread 4 chalk beads, place the needle on the top of one of the divisions, and bring it out at the bottom; mark all the divisions first with the chalk beads in the same manner; then thread about 7 crystal beads, more or less, as may be required, and take the centre of each leaf of flower in the same way; then fill up the sides of each leaf of flower, taking care that the lines of beads lie very straight and do not cross each other. The centres of the flower are filled with garnet beads, threaded in the same manner, across the centre. To fill up between the flowers is a matter that may be left to taste, or reference to the engraving; taking care that each spike of crystal beads is pointed with two or three chalk beads, and that between each flower, two garnet spikes, pointed with a chalk bead, is introduced. chs at corner; 5 ch 1 Lusame. Repeat. After finishing the last corner, make 1 ch. 8th Row. -*6 Dc u 5 ch; 15 De on L; 6 Dc u 5 ch; 4 Dc 1 ch; 4 more Dc u 5 ch at corner. Repeat from * At the end fasten off, Make as many of these squares as are required, and sew them together with the same cotton, taking care that the pattern matches exactly. For the Border.-Make a Dc stitch in the 1 ch at the corner; * 9 ch De on the 1st of the 15 L; 9 ch De on 8th L; 9 ch De on last of the L; 9 ch De on the join. Repeat from *. 2nd Row.-13 De u each 9 ch; making 1 ch between each 13 Dc at the corner only. 3rd Row.-De in the 1 ch at the corner; 3 ch 1 L 1 ch for 10 times in the 7th loop of the 13 Dc; 3 ch De on the De stitch on the 1st L of the 15; 3 ch 10 L with 1 ch between each in the centre loop of the next 15 Dc; 3 ch De in centre loop of next 13 De 3 ch. Repeat from *, till the two groups of the 15 De before the corner; there make the L stitches on the centre of each 15 Dc, and work at the corner as before. 4th Row. De on the De stitch at the PATTERN FOR A SOFA PILLOW, OR corner; * 2 ch 1 double L 2 ch u each 1 ch A BABY'S COT QUILT. Materials-No. 6 Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s Boar's Head Cotton. No. 2 Penelope Hook. 1st Row.-7 ch unite in a circle; u (or under) this circle work 3 De, 1 ch 3 De; 1 eh 3 De; 1 ch 3 Dc; 1 ch De on 1st of the 3 Dc. 2nd Row.-5 ch Dc in next 1 ch; 5 ch De in same loop; 5 ch Dc in next 1 ch; 5 ch Dc in same loop. Repeat again. Then 5 ch Dc on last of the Dc stitches; 5 ch Dc in same loop. 3rd Row. 5 ch Dc u next 5; 5 ch Dc u 5 ch at corner; 5 ch De u same. Repeat from all round. End with 5 ch Dc u 5 ch at corner; 5 ch De u same. 4th Row.-5 ch De u each 5 ch, making 5 ch De u same 5 ch at each corner; that is, the same as the last row. End with 5 ch De u same 5 ch at corner. 5th Row. 3 ch 7 Lu 1st 5 ch; Dc u next; 7 Lu next; 3 ch 1 L u 5 ch at corner; 3 ch 1 L u same. Repeat from *. End after finishing the last corner. 6th Row.-4 ch 15 L; that is, 1L on each L, and De stitch 4 ch 1 L u 3 ch at corner; 4 ch 1 Ln same. Repeat. End after the last corner. 7th Row.-5 ch 15 L on L; 5 ch 1 Lu and under the last 3 ch; 2 ch De on De stitch. Repeat from * The double L is made by twisting the cotton twice over the hook instead of once. 5th and 6th Rows are exactly the same as the last. SOLOMON AND THE QUEEN OF SHEBA. It is known that in Solomon's time (B.C. 1000,) intercourse existed with places more remote than India; for in Egyptian tombs of earlier date there have been found undoubted articles of Chinese manufacture. Solomon maintained intercourse also, of a very interesting kind, with the kingdom of Sheba, whose queen came all the way to Jerusalem, to verify the wondeful reports of his wisdom. "She came with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones.' All accounts describe this lady as Queen of the Sabæan kingdom of Yemen, or the "south," the most southern part of Arabia, within whose limits the British port Aden now lies. As the British steamers that ply between Egypt and India, usually touch at that port, so probably did the ships of Solomon, nearly 3,000 years ago, on their way to Ophir, leaving such accounts of their royal master CLERICAL ODDITIES. as induced the queen to undertake in person the journey to Jerusalem. Besides the temple at Jerusalem, many other great buildings and DR. JOHN BLAIR SMITH, President of undertakings owed their origin to Solomon. Union College, was an eloquent extemporaAmong the most celebrated of the cities which neous preacher. His custom was to hold a he built, was "Tadmor in the Wilderness," small Bible in his hand, in which was fitted known since the time of the Romans, by a bit of paper, which he would bring to his the name of Palmyra, and now the site of eye at each new turn of his discourse. One ruins so extensive and magnificent as to fill day, in an animated burst of feeling, his every traveller with astonishment. Pal- thumb, which held down the paper to its myra was situated in a palm-studded oasis place, let go its charge, and the fugitive of the Great Eastern or Syrian Desert, ren- "notes" sailed away on the breeze into the dered fertile by the abundance of water, broad aisle. The doctor very quietly tore and lay about 140 miles north-east from off a small piece of newspaper which he Damascus. It seems to have been built as had in his pocket, put it under his thumb an emporium of commerce-where the great aforesaid, and then went on as usual with merchants from Syria and the Euphrates on his sermon, lifting his "notes" to his eye as the north, might exchange their wares with before, to help his mental emotions, much those from Egypt on the south. In the time to the amusement of some of the spectaof the Romans, the produce of India was tors.--Dr. James Muir, of the district of carried through Palmyra to Rome. In the Columbia, wrote all his sermons, and recited third century after Christ, the title of king them memoriter. But unless the manuscript was given by the Roman Emperor Gallienus was in his pocket he could not go on at all, to a citizen of Palmyra, who had been of though he never used it. One day, having great service in a war with the Parthians; left it at home, he was obliged to send for and after his death, his widow Zenobia, it before he could begin the recitation. He assumed the crown, and styling herself was buried, at his own request, in a grave Queen of the East, asserted her sovereignty thirteen feet deep, under his pulpit. In over Mesopotamia and Syria. After a vigo-writing sermons, Dr. Muir was in the habit rous resistance, she was at last defeated, and her Prime Minister, Longinus, author of a celebrated treatise on the Sublime, was put to death. The ruins of Palmyra extend nearly a mile and a half in length; but the only inhabitants are a tribe of Bedouin Arabs. Another city of Solomon's still celebrated for its noble ruins, was Baalath, or Baalbec, near Lebanon. Its temple of the Sun, like that of Palmyra, must have been amongst the finest edifices in Syria. Besides Tadmor and Baalath, he built many other great cities, both within the ancient territory of Palestine, and in the more extended empire which he now ruled. The whole district of Lebanon on the north, the whole country reaching to the Euphrates on the east, and on the south to the borders of Egypt, formed part of his magnificent do minion. CHEERFULNESS.-A woman may be of great assistance to her husband in business, by wearing a cheerful smile continually on her countenance. A man's perplexities and gloominess are increased a hundred-fold when his better-half moves about with a continual scowl upon her brow. A pleasant cheerful wife is a rainbow set in the sky, when her husband's mind is tossed with storms and tempests; but a dissatisfied and fretful wife, in the hour of trouble, is like one of those fiends who are appointed to torture lost spirits. of folding the requisite amount of paper, and then scattering catch-words along the pages; after which he would proceed to fill up the intervals with the thoughts which he had already carefully studied in his own mind.-Dr. David Porter was a great oddity. A Napoleon head, joined by a short neck upon a very portly body, which stood upon a pair of remarkably spindle legs, cased in small clothes and silk hose, was the striking figure of as uncommon a mind. When fairly under weigh in the pulpit, his short, terse sentences, jerked out with a nod of the head and a stamp of the foot, or the rap of his cane, which he sometimes did not lay aside even in preaching, told like the hitting of bullets. In the lecture-room he would not only traverse the platform, but at times descend to the floor, step over a bench to some open space, walk there awhile, step over another bench, and get back to the desk from the opposite side, and out a break. Dr. Porter was very absent all the while carrying on his address withminded. Praying with his eyes open, as was his habit, at a "neighbouring meeting," he chanced to see a friend just arrived in the company, when, to the surprise of everybody, he crossed the room and extended his hand, exclaiming, with a voice of pleasure, "O! how d'do?"-not seeming aware at all of the eccentric movement. |