ODDS AND ENDS.

[Compiled specially for the Witness.^ I In a Melbourne monster racing sweep lately, none of the consecutive numbers between 780 and 1001 drew a horse. This proves the eccentricity of the way in which chances often come out. The Rev. Charles Clark, when lecturing recently at Adelaide, showed his faith in the future of that city by investing a thousand pjuads in the purchase of suburban land. Miss Joey Gougenheim (Mrs Constable) gained great credit in Sydney for the able manner in which she replied to the bigotted ex-priest the Rev. Mr Chiniquy. Three young Kilmatnock gentlemen — Robert Paxton, John Railfcon, and David Sturrock— have sailed from Glasgow for New York en route to Texa«, where they are about to sattle as sheep farmers. Archdeacon Harper ttates that the attendance of Sunday scholais belonging to the Church of England in Canterbury diocese numbered 5149. The contract for the re-building of the Eddystone Lighthouse, which, when completed, will be the largest in Great Britaiu, is not to excoed £67,000, and the work is to be completed in three years. Dundee had the lowest and Leith the highest birfch-rate of the eight principal towns in Scotland during fhe quarter ending 30th June. Tha famous actress, Mdlle. Sirab Bernhardb, is having a balloon made for herself that will ascend from her own lawn, to where gas has been laid down. In France, a scientific farmer has t ) learn surveying, botany, and chemistry— the cultivation of the suit being considered, what it really is, a fine art. It will bo fortunate if the Afghan war, which we owe to the Beaconsfield policy, is not followed by a general attack throughout India upon the British fl ig. It appears that instead of being able to withdraw troops from India, we shall be compelled to reinforce tha Indian army in order to make preparations for an Afghan war. i Eight more native teachera of Fiji have volunteered to join the Key. Mr Brown in j New Britain — to be " done brown," no ! doubt, and eaten, as the other four were. The Baltimore Every Saturday publishes a letter purporting to be written by Mr<» Eastaway, 'Liverpool, the mother of Mr Henry M. Staul^y. She says he was born in New York, and has proved an ungrateful son. The number of vessels launched from the building yards on the Clyde during August has been 21, and their aggregate tonnage is 21,100 tons — double the tonnage launched in the srnie moith last year. The export of wheat from New York City for the week ending September 14 h was the target ever known — 2,800,000 bushels. The Baths Committee of the Dundee Police Commission have resolved to open a swimming class for girls under twelve years of age. An American n*med Fowler paddled across the English Channel, from Boulogne to Folkestone, with the aid of his "water boots," in eleven hours and twenty minutes. Professor Balfour Stewart's " Science Primer " upon Physics is to be introduced into the Dunedin publics schools, but a sufficient Bupply of the books is not at present to be had. The Pall Mall Gazette says of Denis Kearney that he seems to embody all the characteristics of the murderous and blasphemous mining population, whioh has found a painter and chronicler iv Bret Harfce. In the Carse of Gowrie, Strathoam, and other early districts of Perthshire, reaping was pretty general at the end of August. The harvest was three weeks earlier than last year. It is stated that a Russian inventor has improved the type-writer, so that capitals and small letters can uo,vbe employed at the pleasure of the operator. The Kinross Agricultural Society held its annual show on the 6th of August, when a fine display took place. New and very attractive features ot this show were horse ieapiug and tilting at the liag. On the authority of the Scientific Farmer, over 6000 species of grasses are known to botanists, whilst farmers know scarcely more than thirty, and hardly a farmer sows or grows more than three or four kind 3. Cleopatra's Needle weighs 160 tons. It had to be raised some 50 feet in a horizontal position, balanced in tue middle with a powerful iron grip, and then tho base allowed to drop down into its bed. A meeting took place lately near Ayr of three sisters, whose united ages amount to a little over 251 years. This gives an average age of 84 years to each of them. The classification oE members of ihe British House of Commons may be stated as follows : — Conservatives, 346 j Liberals, 250 ; Home Rulers, 56. " Tho Californian Saluiop, with an account of itß introduction into Victoria," is the title of a book by Sir Samuel Wilson, which contains a great deal nioro than the title discloses. A match is on the tapis, and everyone interested in horse racing will hope for its coming off, between Silvio and Kincaem for 100 guineas, over two miles at York. The Rev. Dr Black, of Inverness, preached lin Paris on August 18th and 25th. A saries of church services aro bung held there by ministers of the Established, Free, and U. P. Churche3. Dean Stanley recently, while in Scotland, ' preached in a Presbyterian Church, and this aotion drew down upon him as much wrath as when he permitted a Scottish pastor to preach in Westminster Abbey. M. Gambetta holds to-day among the French Republicans something of the place which. Mr Gladstoae held two years ago « among the English Liberals. An old farmer at Langport, Perthshire, j having caught two follows stealing from his 1 orchard, gave them tho alternative of turn- 1

ing his manure heap for two days, or going; before the Magistrate. They turned the manure. During the next winter the Campbell will be the favourite tartan in Canada. The ladies are advised that they must not ba imposed upon vrith an improvised tartan called the Lome. The agricultural returns of Great Britain for year 1877 78 show a large increase iv the extent of land under cultivation, and in the number of the different kinds of live stock which are now being reared. Mr C. Bright in his last lecture advocated the spelling reform. He said that instead of 26 letters there should be 40, when each s'und would have its symbol. Her Majesty's Government have again changed their intentions with regard to the Indian troops in Cyprus, two or three regiments of whom will be at once embarked on their return to India. Amongnb the extra exhibits at the lata Canterbury show was a string of dead sparrows hanging outside the Secretary's office, numbering -203, which had been destroyed by strychnine. Ouida's new novel, " Friendship, " is said to have no plot, and the sensation, philosophy, and satire, for which Bhe iB noted, are entirely wanting. Celluloid is used largely by dentists in America, on account of its b.ing a more beautiful imitation of the natural gunu than vulcanite, thionit?, &c. At the late maeiing of the Briti.-h Association Profesaor Huxley proclaimed the new gospel of anthropology win all the zeal and fervour of au apostJe. It has fought its way into a prominent position at last. Mdlle. Sarah Bernbardt. the actress, has hw own coffin, lined with black satin, in her bedroom, ready at a moment's notice, and ia at present sculpturing the marble for her tomb. Dan O'Leary, the champion pedestrian, has met his matoh in tho person of a fellowcountryman, John Hughes, who beat him in walking 500 miles in six days. O'Leary'a friends lost a large amount. A public competition of self-delivery reapers and binders took place on the Homo Farm, Craigie, near Ayr, Scotland, on the 14th of August last, in the presence of about 200 farmers. With very few exceptions the implements made by the Frenob are rather copies of English and American makers than from de< signs worked out ag being peculiarly suitable for French agriculture. George Mitchell, " One from the Plough," states that men are working on estates of the Duchy of Cornwall ior 8s per week lit the present time. There will be Highland bonneta in Canada tc welcome the Marquis of Lome and the 41 Queen's dochter " when they arrive The sth Royal Fusiliew, Montreal, are to wear the kilts. New South Wales has taken at Paris tha Grand Prize for woo), nine gold medals, seventeen silver medals, seventeen bronza medals, and twenty six certificates of merit. The fifty-second quarterly stat-meut of the acsounts of the Glasgow Eastern Cooperative Society for August is very favourable, showing that tha salos of the quarter amouat to £1447. The reconstruction of ths Hotel de Ville, in Paris, is proceeding in a most satisfactory manner. Nearly two hundred workmen aro employed upon this vast work. Many and touching are the notice which have appeared in the Scotch and Eoglish papers of the hto Rev. George Gilfillan, of Dundee. His death appears to have been remarkably sudden. "While the importation of American dead meat into Liverpool is stead'ly diminishing, that of live stock is increasing with woudtrful rapidity. Mr Reid, a noted Ayrshire di aught-player, paid a visit to Nowton-Stewart and Wigton lately, where he contested 100 games in ell with the leading playcra of the district, winning out of these 86, drawing 12, and losing 2. Mr William Niblo, tho veteran theatiical manager, died at his home, No. 10 East Twenty- fourth street, New York, on tho 21st August, at the advanced age of 89 years. Mr Niblo was an Imhman. North Carolina contains one thousand and twenty five diaUHems, the laigest number of any State in the Union. Kentucky comes next, with ssven hundred and fifty -four distilleries. W. H. Jackson, of the Amtr'can Riflo Team, scored 209 points in a possible 225 at Creedtnoor on the 22 ad Augast, in the contest for the Sharp's prize of 250d0L Estimated cost of Paris Exhibition build* ings, 50,000,000 francs ; estimated receipts, 21,500,000. It is expecte 1 that the Government and Municipality will indirectly derive a revenue of ar>out 100,000,000 franos. It is now affirmed that the Eurydice will l>e broken up, the hull being in too diUpidited a condition to be repaired. Deerstalking commenced in August, and the first stag of tb.3 eeason has fallen before the rifle in Mar Foreab, Aberdeenshire. 3t was a splendid animal, and was Lilltd in the Altontower seotion by the Hon. George Skene Duff. There has been another animated debate in the Aberdeen Free Presbytery on tho case of Professor Robertson Smith. It really seeui3 that the Presbytery has an elephant upon it^ shouk'e'S. The Londou Graphic is siid to havo paid 100 per cent, on its capital of £20,000 for the year ending with Juao. About six years ago \t was bankrupt. [v a cricket match a b Nottingham on ihe 3rd instant, Mr W. G. Grace scored 116 runs, his highest score in the present Reason. He was in possession of the wicket for 5£ hour*. There ia a rumour that Professor Robertson Smith will tako tho vacant Chair of Mathematics in the University of Aberdeen, and so get out of his present difficulty. Besides an actress, Mdlle Bernhardt is a clever sculptress, and the aiuhoie3s of some I celebrity. She has wiitten to the Figaro, entreating the Paris newspapers to leave her alone. Trade ia Jamaica, West Indies, is completely stagnant, and great poverty, want, r>n<l discontent exi^t. There will bo this year about an average grain crop in Great Britain, while Franco, which is usually able to export, will this year \)0 a buyer.