ustration: The Hattitude of Dr. Tanner, Thursday morning, April 6.]

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QUEER QUERIES.

[Illustration]

INFLUENCE OF MUSIC.--I recently noticed a paragraph in a Medical
Journal advising persons suffering from Insomnia to try a musical box
in their bed-rooms; and I therefore purchased a rather expensive one,
which plays six tunes, with drum and trumpet accompaniment. Something
seems to have gone wrong with the mechanism, as, after being fully
wound up, it remains obstinately silent for an hour or so, at the
end of which period it suddenly starts off at break-neck speed, and
repeats one of the tunes backwards over and over again. Nothing that
I can do will stop it. Could some musical expert kindly advise in
this case? After a most agitated night, due to the vagaries of the
instrument, I took it into bed with me, hoping to drown the noise; but
the vibration of the drums under the bed-clothes was terrific! I
then placed the machine in my bath, and covered it with water; but it
continued to play with undiminished vigour. It is still playing. Some
Museum, or a Government engaged in sub-marine experiments, might like
to have it; or it might be suited for a Deaf and Dumb Asylum. It will
be sold cheap.

ST. CECILIAN.

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Sedantary!

["Several carriage-makers in London have, it is said, received
orders of late for Sedan chairs."--_Daily Paper._]

WHAT wonder if our hansom-hiring Fair
Should now adopt a coach distinctly rarer?
As Cabby often treats them like a bear,
Henceforth our ladies may prefer a bearer!

* * * * *

"THE SILVER SHELL."--Mr. H. J. W. DAM'S new Play (the initial letters,
save the name--and as to the name, _absit omen!_) treats of Russian
life. There is a "toff" in it, played by Mr. KENDAL, whose name is
_Prince Karatoff_, which reminds us of the _Duke of Turniptop_. Or,
if he is an _insouciant_ sort of person, he would more properly be
titled, _Prince Don't-Kar-a-toff_. Unfortunate name, too, is _Boris
Ivanitch_. Perhaps a Big Bore is _Ivanitch_; and as to the family
title, Ivanitch--well, considered theatrically, it sounds unpleasantly
like belonging to a scratch company. There's a bomb in it, which, we
were informed, in a _D. T._ note, "appears as part of the furniture
of a drawing-room." The entire furniture-covering is made, we are
privately informed, of "bombaz