state of preservation. In the year 1869 the owner of it was
appointed to the Embassy at St. Petersburg, and removed thither. He
was a passionate lover of the Violin, and an excellent player. One
evening he was playing at a musical party. After he had finished he
placed his "Strad" in its case as usual, which he closed, without
locking it. The next day he was amusing himself with a parrot, which
bit him on the lip; the wound appeared very unimportant, but exposure
to the cold brought on malignant abscess, and he sank and died. In due
course his representatives arrived in St. Petersburg, and took charge
of his property, which was brought to England. Some twelve months
afterwards a relative (Mr. Andrew Fountaine, of Narford), who took
much interest in valuable Violins, was visiting the family of the
deceased gentleman and asked to be allowed to see the Stradivari,
1709. The case was sent for and duly opened. When the Violin was
handed to the visitor he remarked there must be some mistake, and
suggested that the wrong case had been brought, the instrument he held
having no resemblance whatever to the Stradivari, and not being worth
a sovereign. Inquiries were set on foot, and it was satisfactorily
proved that the case had never been opened since it had been brought
to England; neither had it left the custody of the late owner's
nearest relative, who had kept it secured in a chest. The next day
after the occurrence of the event related above, I was communicated
with, and asked if I could recognise the Stradivari in question. It is
unnecessary to record my answer. I might, with an equivalent amount of
reason, have been asked if I should know my own child. The double case
was formally opened, and the Violin described above was taken out. "Is
that the Stradivari?" I scarcely knew for the moment whether my
interrogator was in earnest, so ridiculous was the question. It
remains only to be said that the Russian authorities were memorialised
and furnished by me with a full description of the instrument; but to
this moment its whereabouts has never been discovered.

THE MISSING SCROLL.

It has often happened that portions of valuable instruments, detached
from the original whole, have been once more recovered and reinstated
in their proper place. The following is an amusing instance of this.

A well-known amateur, belonging to the generation now fast passing
away, was the fortunate possessor of a Stradivari Violin, which he had