Quirks and Quibbles from Queer Quarters. A MELANGE OF QUESTIONS IN LITERATURE, SCIENCE, PHILOLOGY, GEOGRAPHY, ETC. ETC. WITH THEIR ANSWERS. BY ALBERT P. SOUTHWICK, A. M. AUTHOR OF DIME SERIES OF QUESTION BOOKS, BOSTON: NEW ENGLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY, 16 HAWLEY STREET. 1884. TIF 132 ✓ HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY DEXTER FUND May1011927 COPYRIGHT, 1884, Electrotyped and Printed by IN furtherance of the design of helping others to secure accurate scholarship, of correcting many popular errors and vulgar fallacies, of tendering an explanation of the many common philosophical principles which arise daily, and of the casual expressions and frequent quotations interpolated in ordinary conversation, this work is offered to an appreciative and critical public. That it may produce higher and more noble results of awakening an intense interest in general study among the great body of teachers and students, and that its literary worth may prove acceptable to the vast array of intelligent readers and the intelligence of the land, to whom educational technics are undiscussed problems, is the heartfelt wish of the writer. INTRODUCTORY. 'What song the Syrens sang, or what name Achilles assumed when he hid himself among women, though puzzling questions, are not beyond all conjecture." — URN-BURIAL, chap. 5. "The contents of his book seemed to be as heterogeneous as those of the witches' caldron in Macbeth. It was here a finger and there a thumb, toe of frog and blind-worm's sting, with his own gossip poured in like 'baboon's blood,' to make the medley 'slab and good."- Irving. "I did not ask you to come to talk business, but I think we are entitled to congratulate ourselves all round, I do, really. I say it's a deuced good-looking periodical we've turned out. I'm not ashamed to have it lying in my drawing-room, and when any one comes in, I'm not ashamed if they take it up." — William Black, SHANDON BELLS, chap. 8. |