regret to say that many are very vague,

ENIGMA-THE AWARD!

År p. 31, vol. iv., we gave an Enigma for solution, and offered three prizes for the best and most correct answers.

The number of competitors, not including many who were excluded by inattention to the rules we published, amounted to 1,600; of this number 192 were correct in most of their answers; 52 of these were ladies, and 140 gentlemen. 192 were quite wrong in the answer; 80 of these were ladies, and 112 gentlemen. They gave, as the general answer:- Granite 1, metals 2, hydrogen 2, the heart 2, steel 1, clay 1, death 2, salts 1, heaven 1, fibre 1, paper 1, phosphorus 1, lead 1, oyster 1, animalcules 1, carbon 42, clay-pipe 1, beach 1, beech-tree 1, vegetable matter 1, wood 9, iron and coal 2, oak-tree 12, Egyptian mummy 3, the Word of God 2, earth 1, diamond 2, salt 2, linseed 1, minerals 10, lime 14, seal of a letter 1, goose 1, stone 6, coal 6, cotton-seed 5, iron 10, nitre 1, glass 3, fossils 3, envelope 1, a vein 1, flax 8, cobalt 1, bitumen 1, chalk pit 3, oxygen 2, writing 2, candle 1, corn 6, marble 1, spirit 1, a chin 1, snow 1, water 2, cocoa-nut-tree 1. There were 243 who answered correctly in a general sense, but failed to answer No. 12; of these there were 75 ladies, and 168 gentlemen, who gave such answers as bones, blood, flint, cupping-glass, bamboo-joints, bracelets, glass eyes, spectacles, walls, vaults, glass jars for pathological preparations; system, hair, teeth, skin, muscles, bones, &c. 72 out of this number, viz., 19 ladies and 53 gentlemen, did not return any answer to item No. 12.

It remains now to notice those who only solved the general answer correctly, before we proceed to analyze the contributions. The total number was 973, viz., 297 ladies and 676 gentlemen, some, and indeed many of whom, only gave the answer as flint, or silex, without any explanation respecting its various uses and modifications.

Many have not answered No. 12 at all, although they have chosen to give eight, ten, or more lines of verse, which, after we have read carefully, leaves us in the same position as when we commenced. We

"And thus at last, in food to man convey'd,
The stone itself for him is turn'd to bread;
From human sight conceal'd, in process strange,
We only know 'tis done; we know not how,
Is wrought within, by nature's power the change.
Before Creative Power we silent bow."

J. W.

On the whole, the answers display great research and talent, and we have been delighted-nay, astonished, to find that so many working men, such as millwrights, cabinet-makers, shoemakers, compositors, painters, tailors, shipwrights' apprentices, &c., were amongst the competitors; and still more, that the answers evinced good sound knowledge of the subject; and the writing, care and attention.

The competitors included schoolmasters, 10; scholars, 12; clergymen, 35; D.D., 1; M.D.'s, 7; chemists, 8; architect, 1; a variety of tradesmen; 955 persons who did not state their occupation; a banker's clerk, 3 surgeons, cadets, engineers, B.A.'s, &c., &c.

We have carefully examined every authority that is entitled to consideration and within our reach, and still maintain, as before, that silica does exist in the human body normally, though in very small portions; and that it is found in the coats of the veins and arteries in the form of silicate of potash or soda; and when abnormally present, has been discovered in other parts.

It has been discovered in the

Blood, by O'Shaughnessy, Nasse, Dr. R. D.

Thomson, Lecanu.

Saliva, by Simon, Hünefeld, Mitcherlich. Bone, by Berzelius, Von Bibra, Marchand, Fourcroy, Vauquelin.

Hair, by Müller, Van Laer, Simon, Fourcroy, Vauquelin.

Fibrine, by Mandl, Dumas.

Teeth, by Von Bibra, Berzelius, Thomson.
Intestinal calculi and biliary, by Simon.

Lymph, by Nasse.

Parenchyma of the Lungs, by Boudet.
Pulmonary concretion, by Sgarzi, Brandes.
Pulmonary mucus, by Nasse.
Arterial and Venous coats, by Dr. Deck.
Nails, by Dr. Deck.

And in other parts of the body, excretions and secretions, by Wöhler, Sprengel, Von Bibra, Boussingault, Enderlin, and Scheren.

It has been said by some persons, who have not taken the trouble to inquire into the subject, that silica does not exist in the human body at all. We can only reiterate

We venture to predict, that when chemists have paid more attention to the analytical chemistry of the human frame than they do at present, that then silica will be found in the arteries by students, and will be known to them as a matter of fact-as it is to several medical men who have written to us upon the subject—and not as a matter of doubt and disputation.

It is stated by chemical writers, that silica has been discovered in the brain, nerves, pineal gland, chyle, and skin; but as we have not any direct authority, we will not do more than allude to the subject :Renauldin found the walls of the left ventricle petrified, as it were, in a male subject, aged 33, being in some places granular, in others crystalline. The fleshy columns were petrified and enlarged; and, without having changed their form, resembled stalactites.

Stony concretions or depositions take place in the membranous system, in the organs of sense, and in the brain, in all cavities lined with serous membranes, the organs of circulation and respiration. Sometimes they are collected as sand, and occur more commonly in vegetable than in animal feeders.

There is a round stone as large as a pea in the Anatomical Museum of the Surgical Academy at Copenhagen, taken from the spermatic artery; and stony concretions, some as large as a plum, have been discovered in an aneurysmal sac. And in the Anatomical Museum at Strasburg, there is a venous stone as large as a hazel-nut, taken from the splenic vein; but these venous and arterial stones consist, we are aware, chiefly of phosphate and carbonate of lime, and we think a trace of silica.

It is very certain that the chemical composition of the various coats of the blood-vessels have not been so carefully analysed as they might and should. And we shall be glad to learn that some of our correspondents, that doubt, and cast aspersions on our character as a fairdealing editor, will, with their scientific lore, investigate the subject, by collecting

before the blowpipe, under a prolonged heat. After it has been digested in boiling hydrochloric acid, if it does not fuse into a clear bead when mixed with carbonate of potash, why then chemical analysis is not what it now is—a beautiful science. Liebig says:-"To resolve an Enigma, we must have a perfectly clear conception of the problem. There are many ways to the highest pinnacle of a mountain; but those only can hope to reach it who keep the summit constantly in view."

After a most laborious and protracted scrutiny, the Prizes have been awarded as follows:

First Prize, a GOLD WATCH, value £10 10s., Mrs. MADDERS, Douro Terrace, Norwich.

Second Prize, a SILVER WATCH, value £5 5s., WILLIAM SCURFIELD GREY, Norton, near Stockton-on-Tees.

Third Prize, a GOLD PENCIL CASE, value £1 11s. 6d., H. E. Smith, 55, Newman Street, London.

The following is Mrs. Madders' First Prize solution. The others shall appear in our next:—

GENERAL ANSWER

FLINT OR SILICA. BY MRS. MADDERS, Douro Terrace, Norwich. 1 IN snow-white beds of chalk my grave lies deep; They call me Flint or Silica, (2) and oft I keep Within my rocky bosom closely furl'd, Some fossil record of an ancient world, Whose beauteous convolutions here shall lie In silent darkness, ne'er to meet the eye Of human kind, (3) 'till force shall rend in twain My stony heart, and bring to light again This hidden witness of primæval earth, Where 'mongst the living race it once had birth. 4 But soon this vestige of antiquity,

Must yield its claims to wonderment to me; As in this world of labour 'tis but fair, The useful in the end should supersede the rare; My flinty fragments rise to active life, And serve both useful ends and means of strife: 5 The Indian tipp'd with flint the fatal dart, That carried death to many a noble heartWhere holy thoughts and impulses had life, Though throbbing 'neath a scalp or bowie knife. 6 And British infantry, in olden time,

Before percussion caps were in their prime, In flint found all the aid they could require, With steel, to gain the living spark of fire; That by its magic touch gave deadly power To swift-wing'd messengers in battle hour. 7 And so, more peacefully, I plied my trade, Ere friendly Phosphorus lent its silent aid To shorten housewife's toil; and many a dame, By aid of flint, hath lit her hearth's bright flame.

8 Now to the banquet-hall-there, look around, In brilliant guise and colours rich I'm found.

Porcelain and glass to flint their beauty owe, And thus I hold the fruits, and lend fresh glow

To sparkling wine. I glitter in the gems
That cluster in rich groups in diadems-

The agate, amethyst, opal, and onyx stone,
Their brilliance owe to Silica alone.

9 Now crush'd to earth, and mingling with its clay,

Through vegetable life I "rise to meet the day.'

10 In sea-weed, straw, or grasses that abound
By lake or river side, Silica will be found,
Discernible to chemist's practised eye,
Hidden in potash, or in kelp to lie.

11 Silica, too, component part of sand,
In countless grains lies scattered on the strand:
And Pliny tells, in books of ancient lore,
How shipwreck'd sailors, from Phoenicia's
shore,

Whose bark with fossil alkali was fraught,
Kindling a fire upon the sand, were taught
That Silica and Alkali, together fused,
Would vitrified become, and might be used
For various wants in life: so glass, they say,
Was first discover'd in that early day.

12 And now it is but left for me to name,
How Silica is found in human frame:
That there it is, no chemist will deny,
Though normally, in very small supply.
The frame of full-grown man in health contains,
It is declared, from seven to fifteen grains.
The coats of arteries, and veins, I've learnt,
Will Silicate of Soda* yield when burnt;
And acid called Silicic,t too, they say,
In blood itself a silent part doth play.
Surely the meaning here I have not strain'd,
Of "walling in the rivers where thy blood is
chain'd."

But if so, turn we for a moment's time,

We will now submit a Charade, which has been made, that by your aid, it may be laid, before the eyes of boy and maid, until its secret is betrayed :

In various states I exist; and, when Morn
Is painting the clouds, I lend him my aid;
In autumn the spider's frail web I adorn;

I am found in the streamlet when daylight doth
fade.
[found;
'Mid the Alps, in their wonderful glaciers I'm
In the ice of the Poles-in the shade of a well-
In the many hued Iris-I surely abound.
In the beautiful tears of compassion I dwell.
Of the nectar, far-famed of the gods, I was part;
I dwell in the joy-giving words of the earth;

I dwell in each flower, and I dwell in man's heart; And I dwell in the mists which at morn have

their birth.

Thus various my first. Now my second's a game,
Indulged in by many-too many, I fear-
Whose fortunes are ruined. They, covered with
shame,

Suffer agony wild as their homes they draw near.
To think of the dear ones-their happiness gone-
The wife broken-hearted, hence homeless and
poor;

All ruined by folly too frequently shown.

UNCLE ROBERT'S MERRY-
MAKINGS.

DEAR FRIENDS,-Our usual space is curtailed by the details of the late Prize Competition, which will doubtless be interesting to many of you, who have been long on the watch to see how the watches would go. A lady has carried off the first prize, to the honour of her sex. May she live to see its little hands perform their daily journey through many years; and may it be to her a faithful friendly monitor-ever suggesting the employment of time for the great purposes of eternity!

* Silicate of Soda is Silicic Acid and Soda,
+ Silicic Acid is Silica and Oxygen,

When my first and my second are joined, you'll perceive

The name of a battle-field, glorious, but dread, For thousands were caused, by its carnage, to

LINES ON THE RICH MR. HEMNING,
A NEEDLE MAKER.
HIS Needles have gather'd so much,
That a great piece of work they have made
In whipping up all within touch,
Thus seeming a flourishing trade!
"Tis pointed, but not the less true,
An eye to the main chance he turns;
And his papers of very dark hue

Announce to the world what he earns.
Thus Hemming makes needles we know,
And that needles make hemming is plain;
While he reaps he leaves others to sew (sow)
And their loss is at all times his gain!

1. K. P. 2.

2. K. B. P. 2.
3. K. Kt. to B. 3.
4. Q. B. P. 1.

5. K. B. to Q. B. 4.

6. K. R. P. 1.

7. Q. takes B.

8. Q. P. 2.

9. K. Kt. P. 1.

10. K. R. to Kt. 11. P. takes Kt. 12. Q. takes B. P. (ch.) 13. Q. to B. 8. (ch.) 14. P. to K. 6. (ch.) 15. B. to Q. 5. (ch.) 16. Q. takes R. 17. B. takes P. 18. Q. to Q. B. 8. (ch.) 19. Q. Kt. to Q. 2.

20. Q. Kt. P. 2.

21. K. to K. 2.

22. K. to Q. 3.

23. P. takes B. (ch.)

1. K. P. 2.

2. K. B. to Q. B. 4. 3. Q. P. 1.

4. Q. B. to K. Kt. 5. 5. Q. Kt. to Q. 2. 6. B. takes Kt. 7. P. takes P. (a.) 8. Q. to K. R. 5. (ch.) 9. P. takes P. 10. Kt. to K. 4. (b.) 11. B. takes R. 12. K. to Q. 13. K. to Q. 2. 14. K. to B. 3. 15. K. to Kt. 3. 16. Q. B. P. 1. (c.) 17. K. takes B. 18. K. to Kt. 3. 19. K. B. to Q. B. 4. 20. Kt. P. 1. (eh.) 21. Q. to B. 7. (ch.) 22. Q. R. P. 1. 23. Resigns.

NOTES TO AME VIII.

(a.) Not good; he ought to have played K. Kt.

to B. 3.

(b.) Very ingenious.

(c.) B. to B. 7. (ch.) first would have been better, since, wherever White K. went, Black would have had time to Queen his Kt. P.

you go on in this way, you will come to

CHURCH.

BY MARY BENNETT.

BONCHURCH, in the Isle of Wight, is a picturesque village on the upper cliffs of Ventnor. Here, some few years since, lived a poor schoolmaster, who rented a cottage of two rooms for his dwelling, and a barn for his school. He was self-educated in the common elements of knowledge, and had made the human heart his study; and it was his delight not merely to teach the mechanical parts of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also to influence the moral and intellectual powers of his children, and to strengthen, elevate, and purify them. In this large aim, he had but one text-book-the Gospel of the Great Teacher; and in this he learned one lesson in especial-that " it is good to seek and to save that which is lost."

Like all of his order, the master in his school had to contend with boys who could not learn, and boys who would not. But the boy who gave him most trouble, could and did learn; only he was so intractable in his general conduct, and such an imp of mischief, that it was a ceaseless perplexity with the good master what ought to be done with him. The master had no worldly motive for reclaiming so difficult a charge, since he gained not a penny by it; but he felt a Christian yearning toward the lad, who was an orphan, and was not without promise of better things.

"Harry, Harry, look in my face, sir," exclaimed the master one day, in his very

"I hope not, master."

A stout leathern strap was produced. "Hold out your hand," said the master. "No, thank you, sir." "Hold out your hand."

"Rather not, if it's all the same to you, sir."

"I insist."

The hand was held out very firmly, Harry winking hard; the strap descended, and then with an affected howl, ending in the laugh of a young savage, the culprit went back to his form-only to plan new offences.

"I feel this is not the way to reclaim that boy," said the master, after school hours, to his sister, an invalid dependent on him, who sat all day long in a wicker easy chair, generally employed in knitting dappled-grey worsted stockings; "yet what else am I to do with him; he is excessively hardened, full of courage and cunning; I never met with a boy so precociously wicked; everybody prophesies evil of his future life. He defies restraint. In any quarrel, all the boys fear him; but he fears no one. He invents wild fun enough for all the mischievous boys in England. He has robbed every orchard within ten miles; and really, I often fancy, he does it out of mere love of adventure and peril."

"Your strap will do him no good," said the sister, quietly.

"What then will?"