t up
in his garden at the top of a high pole. The barrel was perforated with
holes and divided in the centre. In the course of two days two starlings
visited the barrel, and returned on the following day, and in about a
week afterward two pairs of starlings came and occupied it, and brought
up their young. They were very wild starlings, and readily took flight
when any person went near the barrel. In the second year four pairs of
starlings occupied the barrel, and they were much tamer than the
previous ones, and this last year there were a number of pairs of
starlings so tame that they would almost allow him to take hold of them.
They had now changed their mode of speaking, for the starlings in his
garden frequently articulated words.

THE LIMBS OF WHALES.

Whales have rudimentary limbs, and Prof. Struthers concludes that such
muscles existed in the whale-bone whales, but in ordinary teethed whales
they were merely represented by fibrous tissue. These muscles existing
in the true bottle-nosed whale had a special interest, as the teeth in
that whale were rudimentary and functionless. He had found these muscles
in the forearms of whales largely mixed with fibrous tissue, so the
transition was easy. Prof. MacAlister of Dublin thinks that whales were
not of very ancient origin, for the existence of the rudimentary limbs
tends to show that a sufficient length of time has not elapsed since the
use of the limb was essential to the earlier animal to produce its
complete obliteration.

OUR EDUCATIONAL STANDING.

The advance which this country has made in educational facilities of all
grades within its hundred years of life was summarized as follows by
Prof. Phelps, President of the National Educational Association:

"Prior to 1776 but nine colleges had been established, and not more than
five were really efficient. Now there are more than 400 colleges and
universities, with nearly 57,000 students, and 3,700 professors and
teachers. Then little was done for the higher education of women. Now
there are 209 female seminaries, 23,445 students, and 2,285 teachers.
There are also 322 professional schools of various classes, excluding
23,280 students and 2,490 instructors. Then normal schools had no
existence. Now there are 124, with 24,405 students and 966 instructors.
There were then no commercial colleges. Now 127 are in operation, with
25,892 students and 577 teachers. Then secondary and preparatory schools
had scarcely a