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Is This Cellini's Face?
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Annlbalc Benedettl, an obscure antiquary of Orvletto, has suddenly
achieved fame by a discovery which has aroused great interest throughout
Italy.. Pausing one day recently In the Piazza delle Slgnoria at Florence to
study Benvenuto Cellini's famous statue of Perseus, which stands In the Log
gla del Lanzl, Slgnor Benedettl became aware that, viewed from the rear,
the helmet Is formed to represent a face which with the curling hair beneath
It as a beard bears a marked resemblance to Cellini himself.. The city
"ciceroni" assert that they have long been aware of the existence of this face
but have not attached any importance to It. It Is strange to think that so
Interesting a feature of the statue has escaped the notice of art circles and
students for a period of over 400 years. t
QUEER PORCUPINE ANT-EATER
The remarkable animal hero pictur
ed 1b thu porcupine ant-eater or proo
chlnda of Western Now Guinea. It Is
about the size of a large cat and be
longs to the group of very primitive)
mnrsupluls known as monotremos, of
which tho duck-billed platypus and the
ochlndu of Australia are tho best
known types. Tho body of tlicso ex
traordinary creaturoB Is covered with
short, blackish fur, mingled with sharp
spines. Tho mouh is placed at tho
flxtrcmlty of a long, trunk-llko snout,,
which protects a long, worm-like
tonguo carrying a sticky secretion,
and Is used for capturing termites,
upon which these creatures principal
ly feed. The limbs are vory powerful
and the claws well adapted for dig
ging. These animals are nocturnal
In their habits, sleeping during tho
dayttmo In some crevtco beneuth a
rock or log, the long snout being
tucked away beneath tho body. If
alarmed while feeding, they Immedi
ately tuck the snout under the body
and squat tight down to tho ground,
"partially burying thomsolvos In any
dead leaves or rubbish that may bo at
hand.
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Cat and Rat Mummified
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While excavating In Waterford, Ireland, workmen found the remarkable
object here pictured. It Is the mummy of a cat In the act of killing a rat,
and It Is evident the animals both met Instantaneous death. They are won
derfully well preserved and the skin covering the skeletons Is hard as dried
leather.
PLAGUE OF INDIAN MONKEYS
A plague of monkeys Bome years
ago sorely troubled tho ofllclals at a
small station m tho Snran railway.
In Northwest India. Trucks full of
grain for export were often stored
up in tho station, nnd tho monkeys
came down In largo number from a
neighboring grove to help themselves
to tho grain, picking holes In tho tar
paulin roof of tho wagons.
Tho ofllclals were wearied out with
keeping watch and scnrlng nway the
thieves, who dally grow bolder, till an
Ingenious guard hit upon a strategem.
For several days sweetB and fruits
wero put on the roofs of the wagons,
with tho result that tho whole of tho
monkey colony wero attracted to tho
spot, and soon became perfectly In
different to man.
One morning, when they wero all
busily feeding, an englno was stealth
ily attached to tho wagons, and sud
denly tho train moved off. Tho mon
keys wero qulto scared, and mado no
attempt to escapo, sitting crouched
together till tho train had gone sev
eral miles nnd stopped at a Jungle.
Then they wanted no hint to lenvo.
Every monkoy leaped down howling
and fled Intt tho Jungle, whence thoy
never returned to troublo tho railway.
CROW ONCE WAS A DELICACY
Peacock pie, which figured at tho
Elizabethan banquet held to celebrate
Midsummer day, Is not a delicacy
likely to tempt all epicures, still,
most of us would rather eat peacock
than somo of tho ither birds con
sumed by our forefathers. In the
thirteenth century the heron, the
crane, tho crow, tho stork, tho cor
morant and tho bittern wero consid
ered excellent for the table. Yet the
haro and the pntrldgo were despised
as food, and neither was ever served
In the houses of tho wealthy.
ODD CUSTOMS IN SCHWALM
Many quaint customs linger ntnoni
tho vlllago folks who llvo In thu vnl
ley of tho Schwnlm In western tier
many. When u young man needs a
wlfo ho always chooses her from
among tho maidens of tho valley. He
docs not wasto much tlmo between
the engagement nnd tho wedding
Tho young man nsks tho consent ol
tho father, who, nfter discussing ths
bridegroom's property nnd tho dowry
ol his daughter, nnd coming to a fav
orable conclusion, seals tho Important
business by witnessing tho handshake
of tho young couple In tho presence
of tho rotations. Two months Inter
always between tho hay and corn
harvest the wedding tnkes plnco.
Preparations for tho wedding feast
occupy many days. A pig has been
slaughtered and tho sausages hnng In
long rows. About 80 cakes nro baked
In the ovons nnd clean, fresh straw Jo
rtrewn on tho floor. Garlands nro
made to adorn tho house, nnd n great;
opkleaf wreath surrounding "A hearty
welcome" Is placed above tho door of
tho festive houso
On the wedding morning tho brldq
Is awake early. At about 7:45 o'clonU
she Is nlready dressed In her fullest
wedding uttlre. She sits, looking very
patient and distillled, putting on her
head the bridal crown which Ins tak
en nt least an hour to prepaio. It Is
trimmed with 2fi rows of ted gray,
and silver ribbons while the front Is
adorned with rosemary, glass halls,
and Mowers. The bride nHo wears nn
elaborate stomacher embroidered In
gold anil hlher. The bridal outfit ol
IT. petticoats, n cloth skirt, satin pina
fore, ornaments, stockings, gold em
broidered gat tots, fIIIc handkerchief
and long gloves costs over f,0O marks.
For two years of married life the
bride Is permitted to wear Ulan nnd
green, but nfter that she dresso en
toliely In black.
To the hnrd-worklug Srhwnlmer
folk a wedding Is the brightest nnd
gayest moment of their lives. The
bridegroom in his long-skirted coat
adorned with the dewwlng Insignia
has nn Imposing appearance He. too,
wears n gorgeous wedding headgear,
nn enormous erection almost hiding
his whole face, composed of many silk
ribbons, yellow, green, nnd ornngo
Porched upon the very top Is a circu
lar basket tilled with red flowers,
glnis balls, and rosemary. Tho brides
maids havo sp much gold embroidery
upon their stomnchcrs nnd rlbbonf
that thoy absolutely glitter In the sun
shin o.
The guests nnd relations hnvlng
greeted the young pair with a speech
tho wedding progress begins. Hells
ring ns the procession moves towards
tho church. With a serious dignity
the bride steps to the stdo of tho best
man while the proud brfdegroom
wnlks beside tho bridesmaids. The
glittering procession stops nt the lit
tle vlllnge church waiting for tho end
of the service Presently tho church
door 1b opened and tho procession en
ters tho crowdod building to tho
sound of tho ringing of bells and tho
music of tho organ.
Tho clergyman after addressing the
bridal pair blesses them, and they
seal their marringo by Joining hands
No rings are exchanged.
THIS MAY BE A METEORITE
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One of tho most cutIouh of natural
formations In Michigan Is found at St.'
Ignaco on tho upper peninsula. It In
a formation of seomlngly voncnulc
rock called St. Anthony's Rock, and,
juts out of the earth and rises to a
height of about CO feet. Thero 1b a,
slight vegetation whero dUBt has col-,
lected in the crevices. Many tourists
nnd geologists visit tho rock each,
year and tho latter nro of tho opinion
that Is a meteorite,
OWN BABY HER GRANDCHILD
A woman who Is stepmother to her
own children and who has a- step
granddaughter born In tho'dlrcct Hue
of descent, has been discovered near
Kalamazoo, Mich. Mrs. Christiana,
Worklngor Is tho mother of ten chil
dren. Her eldest daughter married
Charles Strabel, and after becoming
tho mother of threo children, died.
Shortly afterward, Strabel married
tho tho second of Mrs. Worklnger'a
daughters and was divorced from her.
Then Mrs. Worklnger, herself, wbb
married to Strabel. A few days ago
a baby was born to her. Tho child Is
the woman's own stepgranddaughter.
She 1b also grandmothor of her own
children.
TWO BIG FAMILIES UNITED
William Mosoloy, soventy-threa
years old, father of 19 chlldreu by two
previous marriages, and Mrs. Mattlo
Russell, fifty-five, mother of 12 chll
dron by two othor marrlagoa, havo
been 'married In Toxarkana.
LIABILITY OF TREES TO LIGHTNING
Peculiar Effect of Lightning on a Chestnut Tree in Eastern New York.
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Prom early times thuro has been a
belief that certain trees more than
others nre likely to be struck by light
ning. The elder Pliny snld: 'Light
ning never strikes the laurel." This
ttee was also called bay, and wreaths
of its leaves wero worn by ancient
lulers both as a symbol of victory nnd
us a protection from the lightning of
the gods. Seneca and Plutarch held a
similar belief, which may bo tracod
down even to modern tlmoB, but tho
theory as now held Includes a number
of trees, different in various countries.
This belief was so llrmly established
that such trees us the beech, locust,
holly, olive, walnut, birch, elder,
mistletoe and llve-for-ever, supposed
to be effective In warding off light
ning, wero placed near dwellings.
To this day thero are many who
still Insist that the beech is never
struck, while in parts of tho United
States thu aspen Is considered im
mune from lightning.
On tho other hand, It was believed
that such trees ns the ouks, particu
larly cork oak, hud u very bad repu
tltlon for attracting lightning, nnd
this belief prevails even now. Thero
is u proverb:
"Avoid tho oak, flee from tho spruce,
but seek tho beech."
And also:
"Dew are tho oak, It draws thu
stroke.
Avoid tho ash, it courts tho flash.
Creep under tho thorn, 'twill save
from harm."
Natives of South Africa havo said
regarding tho mopano treo, which Is
often struck, "Lightning hates it;" but
they say that tho morala troo Is never
touched. Tho Portuguese sharo this
belief.
Thero was onco a widespread bellof
In Europo that conifers wero almost
Immune from lightning, but records
Yellow Pine, Arizona, Completely
Shattered by Lightning.
mado there showed that conifers
rank third In liability to stroke. Tho
persistent popular belief regarding
immunity of somo trees and liability
of others havo given rlso to tho fol
lowing theories regarding trees most
likely to be struck:
1. Tall trees: Because thoy reach
high toward tho electrically charged
cloud, and theretoro lessen thu dis
tance with tho flash must traverso
through tho dielectric (air). Such
trees aro conceived to bo n part of tho
enrth, extending upward and Inviting
tho stroke
2. Trees with pointed crowns:
Because thoy invito, to their ouo npex,
a single full-pressuro flash. Trees
with rounded crowns, favor tho dif
fusion of tho Hash Into a spray,
3. Trees with pointed leaves: Do
causo static electricity jumps most
easily to and from pointed terminals.
4. Trees with smooth or shiny
leaves: Becauso a smooth surfaco In
rites flashes, whllo hairy or woolly
surfnee, presenting a multitude of (lno
points, favors diffusion.
5. Trees with deeply grooved bark:
Ilecauso bark deeply grooved longi
tudinally guides tho current to tho
ground, and becauso tho moist sap
wood Is close to the surfaco in tho bot
toms of tbo fissures.
G. TreeB isolated: Flocnuso thoy
are the only marks for thu flash and
are conductors.
7. TreeB on high ground: Because
they are nearest to the storm cloud
strata. t . '
8. Trees on damp soli: Becauso
the moisture makes a good contact be
tween the treo and tho enrth.
9. Trees deeply rooted: Because
the long roots give a better grounding
and llulsh a more direct path to
deeper and molster enrth strata.
10. Trees with dend branches:
Because they present alluring points.
1 1. Trees whoso wood has high
electric conductivity: Becauso tho
flash will select tho path of least ro
slstnuco. 12. Trees whose tissues nro com
posed mostly of longitudinally ar
ranged fibers nnd other elements:
Because this arrangement would favor
tho transmission of tho electric cur
rent. 13. Trees rich In starch: Becauso
starches and sugars are better con
ductors than oils, resins nnd waxes.
But years of careful study nnd ex
perimenting show that any kind of
treo Is likely to bo struck by light
ning. In tampcrato cllmntos thunder
storms, with lightning, occur most
commonly during tho summer usually
In tho afternoon. In tho United States
they aro four or five times as frequent
cast of tho Rocky mountains cs west,
omitting from consideration parts
of Arizona and New Moxlco. This Is
duo, as explained later, to tho general
ly mountnlnous condition of tho west.
Lightning Is most frequent in Florida
nnd Illinois.
In Cuba Bcvero thunderstorms nro
frequent, and trees aro often struck
and killed. Tho plno only Is reported
Ignited.
Lightning Is extromoly rnro in
Alaska, nnd no forest Arcs aro known
to havo resulted from it.
It does not follow that tho trees
most liable to Ignition by lightning aro
tho ones most responsible for forest
tires. Whllo In general one species
may bo more Inflainmablo thnn an
other, tho degroo of Inflammability
varies with tho locality and season.
The treo most often struck and ignited
in tho west 1b the western yellow plno,
which growB In open, park-Ilka stands,
whero tho llro hazard Is small.
A tree may bo set on flro by light
ning nnd burn for days without tho
flames spreading to other trees or to
tho ground, nnd If the latter bo freo
from litter, ns Is often the caso In
western yellow plno forests, tho
chnnccH of tho flro spreading nra
small. It Is probable that tho ma
jority of forest fires caused by light
ning striking trees is duo to tho pres
ence of dry duff, humus or litter nt
tho Iuibo of tho treo. Another possi
bility is that somo forest llres nro
started by lightning striking tho
ground and Igniting tho soil cover.
OYSTER SHELLS
FURNISH LIME
New York Experimental Station
Proves That Food Is Quite
Beneficial to Hens.
Some years ago a then well-known
writer condemned tho use of oyster
shell as a food for, furnishing lime so
necessary in tho construction of egg
shell, His contention wns that tho
oyster shell did not contribute lime
sufficient for thnt purpose Howovor,
tho Now York agricultural experiment
station has vetoed that by proving
that a pound of oyster shell contains
sufficient lltno to mnnufucturo about
seven dozens of eggs.
Tho proper way to feed oystor shell
Is to havo n small box of It within
reach so tho fowls may help them
solves nt will. Mixing it In tho morn
ing 'mnBh is risky, as there is a like
lihood that tho hoiiB will consume
moro thnn. Is required, and in conse
quence the shells of tho eggs would
become too hard. Tho hons know best
when their system demands moro
lime. It Is a very rare case when a
hen gets too much It constantly with
in reach.
BEAVER AND OTTER
BATTLE TO DEATH
Hunter Sees Animals Kill Each
Other in Fierce Fight.
FOUGHT UNDER WATER
They Camo to the Surface Several
Times to Blow the Water From
Their Lungs, hut Quickly Went al
It Again.
Renborr, N. V. An otter long
known to woodsmen In this region ns
White Kyo was killed In u light with
a beaver on Big brook a fow ilnyH ago.
according to Lent Law son, who wit
nessed the encounter. Tho benvor
also lost Its life.
White Ko took Its name from a
circle of white hairs around Its right
eye Klshct inuti on Big brook, tho
West Canada and Metcalf stream hnd
often seen It and trappers knew the
animal by the pi 1 tit made by its
twisted foot In the snow. Lnwhou
caught thu otter In a No. 3 Jump trap
three euts ago last spring, but tho
otter cramped the trap In a sung
fork and pulled loose.
The beaver was nn old male of tho
typo known as a "scout." Thero had
been no beavers on Big brook for
many yenis, but the stocking of tho
Adlroudacks with a fow pulrs haB re
sulted In colonies all over tho Adtron
(lacks and tho nppenrnnco of outlaw
males In various parts of tho woods.
A year ago tho scout heaver appeared
on Big hrartk nnd took up its quarters
In a hole In the ltnnk at tho upper
alderbed. Working from this hole
the animal built h dam across the
brook, which Is hero only. a fow feel
wide, nnd raised tho level of tho still
water moro than two foot.
The otter White Eyo usually spent
its winters on Big brook pond, but
traveled during tho summer. It had
a hole In tho bank near tho head ol
the upper alderbed and when the
beaver built tho dam the water was
raised enough to flood tho otter's re
treat. It is supposed by Lem Law son
thnt this wns what started tho fight
between tho boaver nnd tho otter.
Uiwson was stillhuutlng deer along
the headwaters, when he saw the
heaver closely followed by White Eye,
tho otter.
Ho waited with interest and then
heard a sharp burking sound, followod
by a hogllko smithing. The tops of
tho nlder bushes begun to wave back
The Beaver Was as Eager to Fight asi
the Otter.
and foith and UUMo waves enmo rolling
through the overflow, showing that tho
two wero in violent combat. Tho wa
ter began to sprluklo around through
tho alders and fall on tho open still
water. After a minute or two tho
fighters cumo rolling over and ovor In
the water through tho alders into the
open.
They broke apart after a moment
and then the otter shot In again and
tho beaver carried it down. Tho wa
ter boiled up whlto ovor their paws,
but there was a pink glow In tho foam.
They rolled over and over, tho boa
vor throwing tho otter half out of tho
water with ono vicious uplift of its
Jnws, and tho otter camo boring down
with a savngo snapping of Its Jaws.
Both animals wero half choked by the
underwater lighting.
Tho end cumo just as Lawson real
ized that tho beaver was spoiling a
$25 otter hide. Ho was trying to get
a sight to shoot tho beaver and so
Bavo tho otter's hldo when the otter
suddonly bored in under tho beaver's
stomuch and cut it open. As tho bea
ver rolled ovor, struggling helplessly,
the otter knew that it had won, and
camo swimming down tho Stillwater,
straight toward .the hunter. There
was a red gush through tho white eye,
and behind tho otter tho wnko was
crimson nnd foaming.
The ottor crawled up on tho dam
and ns tho long, black body loft the
water Lawson saw four gashes on the
light sido, one nlno Inches long on the)
buck, and on tho right sido of the ot
ter's paunch was ripped open so badly
that tho boart and lungs were ex
posed. Tho otter gave a quick shudder, be
gan to roll over and over, and died
within throo feet of where Lawsoa.
crouched. ,
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