lot on that.” Favourite games of cards have caused such expressions as “euchred!” to signify that one is exposed or thwarted; “I pass,” meaning that one declines further conjecture or speculation; “let’s make a Jack-pot,” a proceeding in the game of poker similar to making a pool; “pooling the issues,” denoting an intention or proposal to put all the results of some action together and “divvy up” or divide equally among the partners. To “catch on” means to understand or comprehend quickly, and has its parallel on this side of the Atlantic in “do you catch my meaning?” It is usual in the States to call railways “railroads,” railway lines “tracks,” carriages “cars,” and stations “depots.” Tramway carriages are referred to as “street” or “horse” cars, in contradistinction to “steam-cars” or railway trains. A railway engine is known as a “locomotive,” in opposition to a stationary engine. The guards are all “conductors;” and there is no luggage, but all “baggage,” and hence porters are called opprobriously “baggage-smashers,” from their anything but gentle handling of the baggage. The speed of the trains has given rise to the phrase “to railroad a thing through,” meaning to get a thing done quickly; and the huge lamp which flashes along the line from the front of the engine has given its name to a special lamp-oil called “headlight oil.” Very nearly every State has its special provincialisms, and they are as numerous as the words peculiar to the counties of England. Climate has had a great deal to do with many of these peculiarities, the languid heat of the Southern States having induced a soft drawling accent and a habit of slurring over certain letters, syllables, and sounds.’ A NATURAL SALMON-TRAP. The salmon, the cousin of the trout, is famous for its method of going up-stream; it darts at falls ten or twelve feet high, leaps into the air, and rushes up the falling water in a marvellous manner. So determined are the salmon to attain the high and safe waters, that in some localities nets are placed beneath the falls, into which the fish tumble in their repeated attempts to clear the hill of water. Other than human hunters, moreover, profit by these scrambles up-hill. Travellers report that on the banks of the Upper St John River, in Canada, there was once a rock in which a large circular well, or pot-hole, had been worn by the action of the water. At the salmon-season, this rock proved a favourite resort for bears; and for a good reason. Having an especial taste for salmon, the bears would watch at the pot-hole, and as the salmon, dashing up the fall, were thrown by its force into the rocky basin, the bears would quickly scrape them out of the pot-hole, and the poor salmon would be eaten before they had time to wonder at this unlooked-for reception. The Dominion government finally authorised a party of hunters to destroy the pot-hole, and thus break up the bears’ fishing-ground. ‘POOR JACK.’ A correspondent sends us the following. He says: