MISS EDITH WOGAMAN, Curra Creek, _viâ_ Wellington, New South Wales (19), wishes to correspond with “MISS INQUISITIVE” or another “nice girl.” MISS KATE PROUT, Bolarum, Deccan, India (19) would like an English girl to write to her at once, and “hopes they will be great friends.” MISS BEATRICE MILLER, 2, Talbot Villas, Prince’s Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, would like to correspond with a French girl. She is fond of painting, but backward in French. Letters should be corrected and returned. JANET and GRACE COUPER, aged 16 and 14, would like to correspond and exchange stamps with girls in the West Indies, India, Holland, and Central America. Address, Te Waikaha, Havelock, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. MISS DAISY BOUVERIE (18) would like to correspond with an American young lady. Address, 514, Commercial Road, Landport, Portsmouth. MISS NICHOLLS, Laburnum Villa, Leamington, would be pleased to correspond with an Italian lady interested in art, science, or literature—both writing in Italian. MISCELLANEOUS. INSECTO.—The beetles have been so crushed that it is not easy to say absolutely what they are. But we think there can be very little doubt that they are _Anobium domesticum_, a wood-boring beetle very common in old houses. The boring is, of course, the work of the larvæ, which are believed to take often three years to come to perfection and change into the pupæ—the little round holes being the open ends of their galleries. Canon Fowler says, “They may, to a great extent, be got rid of by the application of benzine, with which a small quantity of carbolic acid has been mixed;” if they have bored into furniture which is delicately polished, “the benzine had better be applied alone. Unpolished furniture would be best freed from the pest by immersion in boiling water, if the articles are not too unwieldy to admit of such treatment. Moderately strong carbolic acid will at once destroy both grubs, eggs, and perfect insects, but the furniture to which it is applied will require re-polishing.” As the query is as to the destruction of floor-boards, we should think the carbolic acid would not be difficult. AN IMPOVERISHED ONE.—We know of nothing to remove the black marks, unless French chalk may answer the purpose. Scrape a little on them at the back and try. DOLLY.—The smoking of your lamp may be prevented by a little more effort at thorough cleanliness. Take out the wick, soak it in vinegar, dry it well, and cut it exactly straight. Wash the lamp in soda-water, and when you fill it with oil, put a few little pieces of camphor in the latter, as this will improve the light. To whiten the dirty-looking boards, use newly-slaked lime—one part—and three parts of white sand. Another method is to apply moistened fuller’s earth thickly over the stains, and, after about twenty-four hours, rub it in gently, and then clear it off. A third plan is to lay chloride of lime on the boards, damp it frequently, and then wash them well with soda-water.