AUTUMNAL GLEANINGS.
THE Autumn, which ripens the fruits of the earth, has also a very fine effect on the stories of the daily press. Pole-cats now strike a terror into men and dogs ; cabbages and turnips commit all sorts of excesses ; bob-majors are rung "in no time," in every part of the country ; and Joe Millars are said for the first time--all jests are new, and all prodigies credible. A general act of oblivion and non-investigation is passed, because the newspapers must be filled ; and accordingly we have such treats as these in admirable abun- dance, which must needs exceedingly nourish the public mind, and promote that goose-step called the march of intellect. It will be observed that, like the good housewife in Proverbs, the press, at this season, fetches its food from afar.
A German paper gives the following, under the date of Agram, August 12 :—" A vulture of' extraordinary size lately took up its abode near the house of a peasant, who, on seeing it, fired at it, and it fell. The peasant believing it to be dead, wished to possess himself of his prey, but the vul- ture, which was only wounded, seized him so violently on the left hand with its talons, that it was with great difficulty that some persons, who were attracted to the spot by his cries, could extricate him. Three days afterwards the wound became inflamed, and the peasant, after having suffered great agony, expired."
A few days ago M. Richard, a tobacconist, went to dine with some friends at a wine-merchant's. During the evening he left the room for the purpose of proceeding into the garden, but, mistaking his way, fell into the wine-cellar among the casks. His absence was noticed by one of the guests, and it was surmised that he had returned home. After supper one of the party proposed to have in the last bottle, and the wife of the wine-merchant went into the cellar without a light to procure it. Having al-lived at the bottom of the stairs, her foot struck against some- thing, and she fainted. The bottle not being brought up so soon as ex- pected, caused the husband and the guests to proceed to the cellar with lights, where they discovered M. Richard bathed in his blood and quite dead, and the wife of the wine-merchant senseless.—French Paper.
A TA ILO R'S CABBAGE.—A short time since two cabbages were cut in a garden at Aberystwith, one Ifilbs. and the other 171bs., which we thought extraordinary ; but we have been informed (for the truth we can vouch) that cabbages have been cut at Narberth, weighing not less than 241bs. each, and there are many of an equal size growing in the same garden, belonging to Mr. Thomas, tailor, of Narberth.—Bristol Mercury.
The following extraordinary instance of the growth of fish has occurred in a pond belonging to Hoper Dixon, Esq., at Ashford, near Brecon :— Five trout, weighing together not more than a pound and a half in Oc- tober, 1826, on being taken out in August, 1828, were found to weigh twenty pounds and a half, the largest being five pounds and a half.—Ibid.
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