A. A mixture of minced veal, chicken, pickled herrings and onions all chopped together and served with lemon juice and oil: so called, it is said by some, from Salmagondi, one of the ladies attached to the suite of Mary de Medicis, wife of Henry IV of France, who is reputed to have invented the dish. The word is more probably a corruption of the Latin _salgamum_ (meat and salad chopped together). Q. Which is the largest library in the world? A. The National Library, in Paris, containing 2,000,000 volumes, is the largest. Q. I saw recently an allusion to the “Vinegar Bible,” but have no idea what was meant. Can THE CHAUTAUQUAN tell me? A. A Bible printed by the Clarendon press in 1717, by mistake gave the heading to Luke xx as “The Parable of the Vinegar,” instead of Vineyard. Q. In what historic period was the Persian Avesta written? A. The Avesta is one of the most ancient documents remaining to us for the early history and religion of the Indo-European family. It is made up of several distinct parts, and many circumstances favor the theory of its collection into its present form during the early part of the Sassanian period, about 226 A. D. Q. I have access to “Hudson’s Shakspere;” will it be accepted in place of Rolfe’s edition of “Hamlet” and “Julius Cæsar” in the required reading for the White Seal Course for this year, 1882-83? A. Yes, any edition. Q. What is the meaning of Peter-pence? A. An annual tribute of one penny paid at the feast of Saint Peter to the see of Rome. It was collected in England from 740 till it was abolished by Henry VIII. Q. Please give a list of some of the best small works on Geology, Mineralogy, and Paleontology. A. “Text-book of Geology,” by Dana; “Geology for General Readers,” by Page; “Elementary Geology,” by Gray; “Paleontology,” by Owen; “Manual of Mineralogy,” by Dana; “Rudiments of Mineralogy,” by Ramsay. Q. What war is meant by the “Seven Years’ War?” A. That of Frederick II of Prussia, against Austria, Russia, and France (1756-1763). Q. What is the origin of the word Tory? A. The word is probably from the Irish _toruigh_, used in the reign of Queen Elizabeth to signify a band of Irish robbers. Macaulay says, “The name was first given to those who refused to concur in excluding James from the throne.” He further says, “The bogs of Ireland afforded a refuge to popish outlaws called _tories_.” Q. What is the origin of the phrase, “to take a snack?” A. It means to take a morsel, from Saxon _snœd_, a morsel, a share or portion. Q. Who was the author of the Dies Iræ? A. It is probably the composition of Thomas a Celano, a native of Abruzzi, who died in 1255, though its authorship is not certainly fixed. Q. Is it true that Mr. Gladstone is a Roman Catholic? I saw it so stated recently. A. No, he is a High Churchman. Q. Is the “Life of Napoleon,” by the late J. S. C. Abbot, a reliable book?