* * * * *

"BEAUTIFUL SNOW."

Circumstances having rendered it probable that the dispute respecting
the authorship of the poem "Beautiful Snow" may shortly be revived,
PUNCHINELLO takes this opportunity of setting the public right on the
subject, and silencing further controversy regarding it for ever.

It is the production of Mr. PUNCHINELLO, himself; was composed by him so
long ago as July, 1780, and copyrighted in August of the same year. It
may be asked how the idea of snow-flakes happened to occur to him in
July. That question is easily settled. The day was sultry; thermometer
98 deg. in the arbor. Drowsed by the sultry air--not to mention the iced
claret--Mr. PUNCHINELLO posed himself gracefully upon a rustic bench,
and slept. Presently the lovely lady who was fanning him, fascinated by
the trumpet tones that preceded from his nose, exclaimed: "Beautiful
Snore!" This was repeated to him when he awoke, and hence the origin of
the poem.

* * * * *

Fish Culture.

The Grand Duke ALEXIS, of Russia, proposes to come to these shores and
inspect the American system of fish culture. With this end in view, he
will, of course, be the particular guest of Gen. GRANT, and will, no
doubt, be surprised to find that our principal FISH is a cultivated man.
But he will better understand our FISH system by witnessing its