[Illustration:  FIG. 5.—­1.  Paper Cross. 2.  Method of Making the Cross. 3.  Rabbits Made of Green Almonds. 4.  Basket Made of Sedges. 5.  Acorn Basket. 6.  Fly-cage Made of a Cork.]

All such amusements were much in vogue in former times, but we are assured that to-day mothers are less conversant with these curious and droll inventions, which were once transmitted like the tales of Mother Goose.  They buy playthings for their children at great expense, and allow the latter to amuse themselves all by themselves.  The toy paid for and given, the child is no longer in their mind.  Those mothers who have preserved the traditions of these little pastimes, and know how to skillfully vary them, find therein so many resources for amusing their children.  Then it is so pleasant to see the eyes of the latter eagerly fixed upon the scissors, and to hear their exclamations of pleasure and their fresh laughter when the paper is transformed under expert fingers into a boat, house, or what not!

[Illustration:  FIG. 6.—­The Lesson in Drawing.—­An Illustrated Five-spot of Hearts.]

It has required millions of mothers and nurses to put their wits to work to amuse their children in order to form that collection of charming combinations that at present constitutes a sort of science.  Mr. Gaston Tissandier not long ago conceived the happy idea of bringing together in an illustrated volume a description of some of these improvised toys and amusing plays, and it is from this that the accompanying illustrations (which sufficiently explain themselves) are taken.

* * * * *

THE AEOLIAN HARP.

The AEolian harp is a musical instrument which is set in action by the wind.  The instrument, which is not very well known, is yet very curious, and at the request of some of our readers we shall herewith give a description of it.

[Illustration:  FIG. 1.—­KIRCHER’S AEOLIAN HARP.]

According to a generally credited opinion, it is to Father Kircher, who devised so many ingenious machines in the seventeenth century, that we owe the first systematically constructed model of an AEolian harp.  We must add, however, that the fact of the spontaneous resonance of certain musical instruments when exposed to a current of air had struck the observers of nature in times of remotest antiquity.

Without dwelling upon the history of the AEolian harp, we may say that in modern times this instrument has been especially constructed in England, Scotland, Germany, and Alsace.  The AEolian harp of the Castle of Baden Baden, and those of the four turrets of Strassburg Cathedral are celebrated.

[Illustration:  FIG. 2.—­FROST & KASTNER’S IMPROVED AEOLIAN HARP.]