length; the chief luminous organs appear as a pair of yellow knob-like projections, one on either side of the thorax; some light is emitted, however, from the lower surface of the abdominal segments.

are

The Pyrophorous beetles are strong light producers; these, however, mostly of tropical or semi-tropical habitat. One of the most brilliant of them is the Pyrophorous noctilucus, represented in

Fig. 4.

figure 8; this is to be found in Brazil and the West Indies; in the latter place it is O called by the natives cucuyo. This beetle commonly known as the fire-beetle is nearly one and three quarter inches long, of a dark brown color. On the thorax are see two convex oval lanterns; these shine brilliantly at times, as do also other luminous organs at the junction of the thorax and the abdomen. So radiant is the light of the fire-beetles that the in ects are used as toilet ornaments by the

ladies of Vera Cruz.

Of these living gems Louis Figuier has said, "Strange jewels! which must be fed, which must be bathed twice a day; and must be incessantly taken care of to prevent them from Fig. 5. dying. The Indians catch these insects by balancing hot coals in the air, at the end of a stick, to attract them, which proves that the light which these insects diffuse is to attract. Once in the hands of the women, the cucuyos are shut up in little cages of very fine wire, and fed on fragments of sugar cane. When the Mexican ladies wish to adorn themselves with these living diamonds, they place them in little bags of light tulle, which they arrange with taste Fig. 6. on their skirts. There is another way of mounting the cucuyos. They pass a pin without hurting them under the thorax, and stick this pin in

their hair."

There are some light-givers among the

227

hemiptera, or bugs; of these the lantern flies of Brazil stand first. Next to these come the Fulgora candelaria or candle flies (figure 9) found in East India and China. Travelers, in these parts relate that the candle flies give very powerful illumination; and that they are there an article of sale. The insect is greenish or orange yellow,

with many veined wings. The head

Fig. 7.

is terminated by a long and curved projection.

Much speculation has been indulged in by naturalists regarding the mode of light production among luminous insects. Experiments have been made, proving that the luminosity is in some way associated with a chemical process of oxidation; for the light becomes greatly increased if the insect be placed in pure oxygen; whereas it is entirely quenched in hydrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and other inert gasses. The power of emitting light is to a great degree under control of the insect's will; when the creature is feeding or asleep no light is given, and the greatest brilliancy is associated with activity of body.

Professors Young and Langley, both noted physicists and astronoFig. 8. mers have tested experimentally the nature of the fire-fly's light; they find it to be almost devoid of heating or actinic power. Though we cannot fathom the entire purpose of the Creator in endowing certain animals with power of becoming self-luminous at will, we may believe it to be one of His designs to aid the creatures in finding their mates. nearly all instances the light emitted by

In

THE WORLD OVER.

THE House of Representatives of the United States is now composed of three hundred and thirty-two members, elected every two years by the popular vote of the Congressional Districts of each State. The apportionment of 1882 gave the House three hundred and twenty-five members, but the adding, since then, of six new states added seven new members, bringing the total up to three hundred and thirty-two. Besides this number there are three Delegates from the Territories. They are not entitled to vote on any measure, but are allowed to speak on some measures that come before the House. The Representatives and Delegates each receive five thousand dollars a

year and mileage to and from their homes. The new apportionment made by the late census will increase the membership to three hundred and fifty-six. There is a great variety of opinion as to the propriety of increasing the membership of the House. The older countries of Europe have large legislative assemblies. The Austrian House of Representative has three hundred and fifty-three members. The Danish Folkting one hundred and two members, yet Denmark has only a little over two million population. The French Chamber of Deputies has five hundred and thirty. two members and the Senate three hundred. The German Reichstag has three hundred and ninety-seven members whose term of office is three years. The British House of Commons consists of six hundred and seventy members and the House of Lords five hundred and thirty-seven. The Italian Chamber of Deputies has five hundred and three members, two hundred and seventy of whom are appointed for life.

He

Henry M. Stanley, the great African explorer, is of Welsh birth and an American by adoption. He is of medium height, rather broad shouldered, but bent with the weight of forty nine years. has a pleasant, intellectual face and his hair and mustache areas white as slacked lime. Twenty-three years of African life has broken his constitution. He knows the geography of Africa better than any living man and is withal a very pleasant talker. His wife, Dorothy Tennant Stanley, is quite celebrated on the other side of the water and is an artist of no small ability. She delights in street Arab types and has won some fame by her pictures.

Within sixty two years Mexico has had fifty-four presidents, one regency, and one empire, and nearly every change of government has been effected by violence.

In Paris, out of the two million seven hundred thousand residents, it is calculated that one in eighteen, or one hundred and fifty thousand, live on charity, with a tendency towards crime; in London, the tendency is one in thirty.

the world a book in the English language that would correctly interpret the meaning and intent of its several authors, was done. Money and scholarship were lavished upon the accomplishment of that work. By the employment of like means many millions of copies have been published and distributed over almost the entire world, in all the languages of civilized life. No other book can be named that will compare with this, for the interest it has with a great share of the human race; that has been able to establish such a strong traditional faith in its excellence and purity, and its actual necessity for the development and happiness of the human soul, of all classes and in all countries.

The Bible is, above all others, the world's book. In every nook and corner of the earth to which civilization has access, and where humanity dwells, it has been circulated as affording the light of heaven for benighted man. The efforts put forth to accomplish this, indicate full well the appreciation in which it is held, as being a universal panacea for all the ills of the human race It must be a wonderful book to have such a worldwide significance! There is no reader in all our broad land that may not investigate its claims for such recognition.

A copy is before us! let us look at it. It appears too voluminous to commit to memory, and possibly to some this may be an objectionable feature; but we open it, and find these objections removed. It is a work of many authors, brief and comprehensive in their relation of the most important events of human experience, in connection with divine interposition. We fird not only two separate books called the Old Testament and New Testament, each treating of a particular age and dispensation, but these books are made up of sixty six other books by various authors, and these are divided again into one thousand one hundred and eighty-nine chapters, and these chapters into thirty thousand one hundred and seventy-three verses. This arrangement adapts the reading to the weakest minds, and verse by verse, or chapter by chapter, this world's treasure

of knowledge may become the golden riches of every mind; this store-house of the knowledge of God, the heritage of all who desire it.

How well do I remember, that it was verse by verse and chapter by chapter, my youthful mind was stored with its beautiful truths; how father and mother gathered the family circle every morning to read the Bible, each one ta king his turn in reading a verse to the end of the chapter; how father would explain and simplify to our minds that which we had been reading, then offer the fervent family prayer to God before we came to the breakfast table; how, when we were of sufficient age to attend the Sunday School, we learned by chapters those sacred Bible truths, and those most proficient were rewarded for their diligent study of the scriptures !

Those holy truths of the Bible acquired in those blessed days can never be forgotten; days when parents had time and disposition to encourage their children in the love of that which would lead them in paths of righteousness, and secure to them the peace of heaven. Would to God there were more such fathers and mothers to-day, making an eternal impress upon the minds of their children, that would cause them in all life's journey to bless and honor the names of father and mother, and have reverence for Him who is Father of us all!

No wonder then, that "as the twig is bent the tree is inclined," and that I am a believer in the Bible, not merely because it was the tradition of my fathers, but because of being made personally acquainted with its truths, many of which have been tested in my life's experience, and caused faith to ripen into complete

assurance.

As to the contents of the Bible, they are historical, biographical, statutory, prophetic, inspirational, instructive, and are in all respects profitable for doctrine, for reproof, and for correction in righteousness, leading men to the knowledge of God.

The early ages of the world would be comparatively a blank in history, were it not for its pages. We are greatly in