le which has been heaped upon the collector of
stamps, the interest in stamp-collecting is as great to-day as it was a
dozen years ago, and from Prince Edward Island to Australia will be
found stamp "merchants," as they delight to call themselves, stamp
papers, and stamp agencies, to supply the continually increasing demands
of young and old collectors. Societies exist in several countries, at
the meetings of which most learned papers are read to show the why and
the wherefore of this or that stamp, and even the government at
Montevideo has authorized a stamp society, lately established there, to
use a private postal card.

This pursuit of stamp collecting is called Philately, from two Greek
words, which have been translated "the love of stamps," and those who
engage in the pleasure or the pursuit are pleased to call themselves
Philatelists.

This little "chat" shall be closed by a reference to the illustrations
of some curious or interesting stamps, and a notice of stamps that have
been issued during the past few months.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.]

Fig. 1 is one of the series of United States stamps for postage on large
packages of newspapers and periodicals, and represents a value of
forty-eight dollars. There is a higher value of sixty dollars. These
stamps are perfect gems, and are among the most beautiful in the world.

[Illustration: FIG. 2.]

Fig. 2 represents one of the stamps in use to-day in Japan. It is only
necessary to compare a specimen of this issue with the first stamps used
in Japan to see how rapidly the Japanese acquire every modern
improvement.

[Illustration: FIG. 3.]

Fig. 3 is one of the current Guatemala stamps, printed in Paris, which
found their way to collectors before they were delivered to the
government. The thick black line on either side is a bird's tail--the
quezal, or national bird, one of the most beautiful on this continent.

[Illustration: FIG. 4.]

[Illustration: FIG. 5.]

Figs. 4 and 5 represent stamps used in two of the native states of
India. The native stamps of India, ugly as many of them are, are among
the most interesting found in the collector's album, and quite difficult
to obtain.

[Illustration: FIG. 6.]

Fig. 6 is one from the South African Republic, or the Transvaal, lately
seized by England.

Some of the newest issues are:

ANTIGUA.--A new value, 4_d_., blue; and a postal card, 1-1/2_d_.,
red-brown on buff.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.--The 4