England Pigeon races took place at the Alexandra Palace on the 22nd. They were conducted entirely under the able management of Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier, author of the approved treatise on "The Homing or Carrier Pigeon," and in many other ways a high authority upon the treatment, breeding, and training of domestic birds. At eleven o'clock seventy-eight pigeons were let fly to Brussels, which was reached by the first of them at ten minutes past four in the afternoon, soon followed by others. Other birds were sent up to fly distances of 150 miles, and others 80 miles or shorter distances.

24. THE WIMBLEDON RIFLE MEETING concluded its fortnight's proceedings to-day, the Princess Louise of Lorne presenting the prizes. The first winner called forward was Sir Henry Halford, who took the Duke of Cambridge's prize for the best score in fifteen rounds at 1,000 yards, with military rifles. The first Queen's Prizeman was Mr. Edward Ross, who in 1860, as a mere boy, set an example of good shooting to the thousands who have since happily learnt to skilfully handle the rifle. His prize was one which shows that he is still one amongst the very first of British marksmen, for it was the second stage of the Albert, which is competed for only by winners amongst the match riflemen. The St. George's Challenge Vase fell to Captain Easton, of the 105th Lanark; in the Chancellor's Plate to Cambridge, against Oxford; the Kolapore Cup to the Canadian team. To take the Rajah of Vizianagram's Challenge Prize-two huge silver flasks, given by this Eastern potentate as a tangible inemento of the annual match between the Lords and the Commons-the Marquis of Lorne came forward as the representative of the winners of the Lower House. He was obliged to content himself with taking one of these ponderous utensils from the table, and going with this up to the marchioness, Her Royal Highness with a merry laugh confirmed his possession of it, and he retired amid some hearty cheers, followed by Col. Loyd-Lindsay, a member of his team, bearing the second flask. A totally new feature in Wimbledon prize presentations was then displayed, and one which, to judge from the hearty cheers with which the winners were greeted, met with unqualified approval. This was the presentation of the Irish trophy to the team of British officers, who, after a splendid contest, won it from an equal number of picked shots selected from the volunteer force. The Elcho Challenge Shield was a second time carried off by the Irish team after a match unequalled both for its splendid shooting and for the closeness of the finish of the Irish, Scotch, and English teams. Cries of "Bravo, Ireland!" followed them as they bore off the trophy. Then a number of volunteers came up and received badges and money prizes for the first stage of the Queen's competition. Amongst these was young Capt. Pearse, of the 18th Devon, distinguished by his stature. He had been up once before for another prize, and each time his appearance was the signal for

suppressed applause, which broke out into a full chorus of cheers when, for the last time, he was summoned to receive the gold medal of the Association, the gold badge of the N.R.A., and the Queen's Prize of 2501. In addition to these prizes he received as a special gift from the Secretary of State for War the rifle with which he had achieved his memorable triumph. Immense excitement was created by the young Devonshire man's victory at the time it occurred, and he was borne in triumph to the camp of the Victoria Rifles, where, as usual, the Victorias made a champagne cup in which congratulations were drunk. When he reached his own tent he addressed his comrades; and, after thanking them for their congratulations, said it had been the custom for past Queen's prizemen to attribute their good fortune to some special cause. Angus Cameron, who had won the coveted prize twice, said he attributed his good fortune to the fact that he was a teetotaller. For himself, he believed he had been allowed to win the prize because he had recently been bold enough to admit himself to be a convert to the truth of the Bible. The proceedings terminated with a review of the volunteers, who numbered about 3,000.

26. DEATHS OF TOURISTS IN WALES. A youth of seventeen, son of Mr. Liston Ives, of the Stockton Grammar School, started alone to go round Great Ormeshead; he did not return, and search was made for him all night. Next morning the dog of a mountain shepherd found him a corpse among the fallen rocks, at a point on the Conway side known as Hell Stones; he was upon his hands and knees, with his fractured forehead on a fragment of rock. About a fortnight before, a body was found near the summit of Snowdon, which was identified as that of Mr. Gregory Kendall, of Crosby near Leicester, who had been missing since June 11th. It is supposed that he had lost his way, and died from exposure.

- A SAVAGE HORSE.-The death is announced of the horse "Cruiser," who some fifteen or sixteen years ago enjoyed a unique reputation for intractability, and even ferocity. When the late Mr. Rarey came to this country to exhibit his method of taming savage horses, it was suggested to him that a suitable animal on which to try the merits of the system would be Cruiser. Far from being, in the language of an amiable naturalist," the friend of man," Cruiser seemed at this time to be the enemy of the human race, especially in the form of grooms. Most horses, even when they refuse to tolerate other advances, will suffer the approach of persons bearing them food. But Cruiser feared or hated his grooms "et dona ferentes ;" and it was not only impossible to saddle him but difficult to feed him. Mr. Rarey, on arriving in England, found this monster in equine shape shut up in a stable where it was thought he would have nothing to kick against but brick walls. Cruiser, however, discovered that only fourteen feet above him was a boarded ceiling, which he accepted as a convenient target for his attacks. He

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used at this time, says his American biographer in the New York Times, to be fed "through a sort of funnel." Mr. Rarey introduced himself to Cruiser; but, instead of bringing him to submission in the few minutes which he usually found sufficient for the purpose, could not overcome his spirit in less than three hours. He effectually tamed him, however, and afterwards purchased him and took him back to America, where Cruiser is said to have become very popular with breeders.

SEVERE FLOODS.-The month of July has been disastrous in point of weather to an extent that has not been known for some years. Heavy rains fell in France towards the end of June, and caused inundations at Toulouse and other places in the south which produced a frightful amount of distress in those districts, promptly met by large subscriptions not only in France, but in England as well. A "Mansion-House Committee" was immediately formed by the Lord Mayor of London, and subscriptions flowed in to the amount of several thousands. As the month went on, the rainfall advanced northward; tremendous thunderstorms were reported from various parts of England, and many fires were caused, and lives lost, by the lightning. At Birmingham on the 18th the low-lying suburb of Aston was flooded; but the worst disasters occurred in Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire. In the Forest of Dean, at Cinderford, a village situated on the Blakeney or Bideford Brook, the rains are described as terrific, and the escape of water from all the hills as unprecedented during the past eighty years. About two o'clock in the morning there was a broad cataract tumbling over the embankment of a neighbouring reservoir, with a hoarse roar that could be heard for miles. The alarm was given. The manager of Mr. Crawshay's works close by prepared to keep out the enemy by every means that energetic labour could supply, but the dam yielded at last to the pressure of the water in the reservoir, and gave way for a length of nearly thirty feet. Through this gap the pent-up flood burst with tremendous force, sweeping away in its first charge part of a railway line that connects the Forest collieries with the main system, and overturning whatever mineral trucks lay in its path. At this time a number of men were engaged lower down in demolishing a stone bridge which spanned the brook as a tramway, and they had to hurry for safety before the work was quite done. Checked for a moment by the obstruction, the flood divided and quickly inundated the colliery stables, from which the horses, stupid with fright, were driven in all haste. A night watchman, James Sherman by name, refused to leave the bridge with his comrades; he kept on hammering until the arch fell.

down with the dislodged masonry, and was borne downward by the current. One of the bystanders heroically leaped after his fellow-workman, and some distance below the scene of the accident brought him to shore, bruised and insensible. Sherman died soon afterwards, having sacrificed himself in his zeal. At Cwm

Carn, about ten miles from Monmouth, on the Western Valleys line, there was a loss of twelve lives through the bursting of a pond used as a reserve for supplying the Monmouthshire canal. The water, which had previously been observed to be washing over the bank, swept clear away every obstruction to its progress for nearly half a mile. Nearly parallel with the canal runs the River Ebbw, which had flooded its banks throughout the whole district. Between the river and the canal was a factory for the manufacture of Welsh flannel, kept by a man named Hunt, whose residence was close by. This house was swept away. The family consisted of Mr. Hunt, his wife, his two sons, two daughters, and two servant girls, all of whom had retired to rest before the fatal occurrence. By certain noises they heard they became alarmed, but before they could dress the waters suddenly burst upon them, and, excepting Mr. Hunt, all were drowned. The old man was, with the others, swept down by the current some distance, but secured a hold of some branches and was ultimately rescued. When help arrived his dog was found beside him, and for a long time it would permit no person to come near its master. Mr. Hunt was found to be much injured about the head, stomach, and legs, and he died soon afterwards. In a bedroom forming a portion of the old factory two apprentice boys were sleeping; one was saved with difficulty, the other was washed away. A small cottage which stood between the canal and the turnpike was also washed away, and its three inmates-John Davies, Howell, his son, and Margaret, his daughter-were drowned. One of the bodies was not recovered, and it is believed to have been swept into the Bristol Channel. In the same neighbourhood a collier named Govier had a narrow escape. His house was surrounded by the raging waters, but it stood firm, and Govier, who is an active young man, knocked a hole through his roof with a piece of his bedstead, and extricated himself with his wife and five children. Another sufferer, William Bowen, had to swim for his life from his bedroom window. His aged mother, who lived at Tredegar, came down to see her son, to offer her congratulations on his providential escape, and to sympathise with him on his losses; but such was the effect upon her of the appearance of the ruined home that she fell back into his arms and died. Inundations subsequently took place at Bristol, and more or less in all the Midland counties; and the hay crop in many places was entirely destroyed. At Cwm Carn, near Cardigan, a reservoir burst, houses and bridges were washed away, and two women were drowned.

31. GOODWOOD RACES.-The disastrous rains of the past month having given place to finer weather, the attendance at these fashionable races was very large, especially on the Cup day, when the Prince and Princess of Wales and many of the Royal family were present. The chief event of the week was the race for the Cup, which was won by Lord Ailesbury's "Aventurière." THE TITLE OF REVEREND. A case of some interest

was decided this day in the Court of Arches. In May 1874 Mr. Keet, a Wesleyan Minister, proposed to put up in the churchyard of Owston Ferry, in Lincolnshire, a tombstone to the memory of a daughter just deceased, the inscription on which was to describe her as "daughter of the Rev. H. Keet, Wesleyan Minister." The vicar refused to allow him to erect a tombstone bearing such an inscription, on the ground that it included the words "Reverend" and "Wesleyan minister." The Bishop of Lincoln, on being appealed to, replied that it was the duty of the incumbent to examine the epitaphs which it might be proposed to inscribe on gravestones in the churchyard of his parish, and that he was empowered by law to make objections to anything in them which, in his judgment, was liable to exception. The Archbishop of Canterbury, to whom application was next made, presuming that the petitioner was a regularly appointed, permanent minister of the Wesleyan denomination, did not feel called upon to give a legal opinion as to the action of the incumbent, but certainly considered that the objections urged by him should not be made. His Grace's letter was addressed to "the Rev. Henry Keet." The case was brought before the Chancellor of the diocese of Lincoln, Dr. Walter Phillimore, who in his judgment gave elaborate reasons against the title of Reverend being given to any but regularly ordained clergymen of the Church of England, and refused the petitioner's application. An appeal was brought before the Dean of Arches, Sir Robert Phillimore. Dr. Stephens, Q.C., and Mr. Bayford argued on behalf of the appellant that there was no statute, common-law custom, or ordinary usage which gave the clergy of the Established Church any such exclusive right to the title "Reverend" as made its use by any other denomination unlawful, and contended that this was the first time that such a claim had been made. Sir Robert Phillimore, however, declined to overrule, as he said, "not only the direct dissent of the incumbent, but also the deliberate judgment and authority of the Bishop in a matter, not of strict law, applicable to all cases, but of discretionary permission, applicable to the particular case;" -and the appeal was accordingly again refused.

AUGUST.

6. THE O'CONNELL CENTENARY.-It was resolved in Dublin to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Daniel O'Connell with various solemnities and rejoicings. Proceedings commenced on the 5th with a religious ceremonial in MarlboroughStreet Cathedral. A large number of Roman Catholic bishops, four archbishops, and 500 priests took part in the service. The scene was described as most impressive--indeed, it was said that only the obsequies of O'Connell could have equalled the magnificence, pomp, and ceremony displayed on the occasion. Pontifical