A FISH STORY

With the opening up of Africa by Stanley and Livingston, there came a sudden increase in foreign trade, particularly in wild beasts. Two enterprising young men, Messrs. Barnum and Balley engaged a stock company of particularly well-dispositioned wild animals, and took to the road. Later out of business courtesy or for advertising purposes. Barnum donated Jumbo to Tufts and the natural history course became overcrowded. By such means were lands terrestrial familiarized; going to Africa was thought no more of than going to get a milk-shake. Then within a few decades the South and North Poles were "exposed" and it was found, much to the chagrin of romanticists, that there was no evidence of a race of web-footed gentlemen who were wont to use their feet for sun shades.

But the sea still retained its mystery. Even Barnum could not dispell that. Recently, however, with the discovery of some bottle-nosed whales, which lay derelict on the shore (incapacitated. no doubt, by auto-intoxication) even the sea promises to become an open book. Only yesterday there was a report that a 4000 pound walrus was shot in the Arctic Circle, and is to be presented to the B. A. A. That may be the well-known B. A. A. or it may be a Barbers Arctic Association, in which case the wairus is of course to be used as a subject for sartorial practice.

Thus with Verne and other aids people are beginning to have a contempt for the stories of mysterious denizens of the deep. Sea-serpents will be found crouching among the water lilies of every garden pool, and the next problem in upholstering will be how to transform the octopus into the parlor couch.