ALPHABETICAL PUZZLES.

The "Alphabetical Puzzle," though simple in its construction, affords an opportunity for the riddler, not only to display his ingenuity, but also to quicken his perception of sound. The puzzle consists in the choice of a word, the sound of which, when uttered, shall be comprised in the naming of one or more letters of the alphabet. The word chosen should then be briefly described or defined, the number of letters forming the word stated, together with the number of letters that, when uttered, give a sound similar to the sound of the chosen word, thus:

A word denoting a volume of water spelt with three letters, but that can be expressed with one.

Answer: Sea, C.

This simple example will make the above description perfectly clear; and we now give some other examples in order to set forth the variety that may be introduced into this kind of amusement.

	Words containing three letterswhich can be expressed in one:—
1.	Famous gardens	Answer:	Kew	Q.
2.	English rivers	„	Dee and Wye	D and Y.
3.	A tree	„	Yew	U.

	Words containing four letterswhich can be expressed in two:—
4.	An adjective	Answer:	Wise	Y Y.
5.	A prophet	„	Seer	C R.
6.	Repose and comfort	„	Ease	E E.

	Words containing five letterswhich can be expressed in two:—
7.	An exertion of mind or body	Answer:	Essay	S A.
8.	Decrepitude	„	Decay	D K.
9.	An English county	„	Essex	S X.
10.	To surpass	„	Excel	X L.
11.	A lady's Christian name	„	Ellen	L N.
12.	A lady's Christian name	„	Katie	K T.
13.	Plural of a species of corn	„	Peas	P P.
14.	To lay forcible hands on	„	Seize	C C.
15.	Requires replenishing	„	Empty	M T.

	Words containing five and sixletters which can be expressed in three:—
16.	A tax	Answer:	Excise	X I I.
17.	A flower	„	Peony	P N E.
18.	A plaintive poem	„	Elegy	L E G.

	Words containing six and sevenletters which can be expressed in two:—
19.	A superfluity	Answer:	Excess	X S.
20.	Akin to capsicum	„	Cayenne	K N.

	Words containing six and sevenletters which can be expressed in three:—
21.	A likeness	Answer:	Effigy	F E G.
22.	A state of being	„	Entity	N T T.
23.	To pardon	„	Excuse	X Q Q.
24.	Dissolution	„	Decease	D C C.

	Word containing seven letterswhich can be expressed in four:—
25.	A malady	Answer:	Disease	D D E E.