oad, and found the number given by Hicks was
the correct one. To most persons the bells on American locomotives seem
all much alike in sound and _timbre_, though, of course, a good ear will
readily distinguish differences, especially between bells which are
sounded within a short interval of time. But that anyone should be able
in the first place to discriminate between two or three hundred of these
bells, and in the second place to retain the recollection of the slight
peculiarities characterising each for several years, would seem
altogether incredible, had we not other instances--such as Bidder's and
Colburn's calculating feats, Morphy's blindfold chess-play, etc.--of the
amazing degree in which one brain may surpass all others in some special
quality, though perhaps, in other respects, not exceptionally powerful,
or even relatively deficient.

--_Gentleman's Magazine_, March 1880.

A DISINGENUOUS BISHOP.

Max. O'Rell, the French author, in his book _John Bull at Home_, writes
English people are very great on words; lying is unknown. I was
travelling by rail one day with an English bishop. There were five in
our compartment. On arriving at a station we heard a cry, "Five minutes
here!" My lord bishop, with the greatest haste, set to work to spread
out travelling-bag, hat-box, rug, papers, &c. A lady appeared at the
door, and asked, "Is there room here?" "Madam," replied the bishop, "all
the seats are full." When the poor lady had been sent about her
business, we called his lordship's attention to the fact that there were
only five of us in the carriage, and that, consequently all the seats
were not taken. "I did not say that they were," answered my lord; "I
said that they were _full_."

DROPPING THE LETTER "L."

In an advertisement by a railway company of some unclaimed goods, the "l"
dropped from the word "lawful," and it reads now, "People to whom these
packages are directed are requested to come forward and pay the _awful_
charges on the same."

THE SAFEST SEAT IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE.

The _American Engineer_, as the result of scientific calculations and
protracted experience, says the safest seat is in the middle of the last
car but one. There are some chances of danger, which are the same
everywhere in the train, but others are least at the above-named place.

RAILWAYS A JUDGMENT.

In _White's Warfare of Science_ there is an