The names of flowers, birds, &c., can be treated in like manner and afford much amusement. For instance, who would recognise "The calceolaria" when transformed into "Eat coal, Charlie," or the "Geranium," "Ear in mug," the "Heliotrope," "Hit or elope"?
Bird-fanciers would be at a loss to discover "The nightingale" in "High gale in tent," or "The turtle dove" in the words "Eve, let truth do." And if we turn to Natural History fresh illustrations abound—"Cool'd rice" effectually disguises that carnivorous reptile the "Crocodile."
WORD SQUARES.
This is a form of word puzzle which has only to be known to become widely popular, demanding ingenuity and patience of no common order before it is mastered. On first setting out we will confine ourselves to words of four letters. Each line of words from left to right and downwards must form the same word. One example will clearly show our meaning.
| 1 | M | E | A | D |
| 2 | E | D | G | E |
| 3 | A | G | U | E |
| 4 | D | E | E | D |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
These letters being read from left to right and downwards, the first row and the first column will be found to form the same word; the second row and the second column the same; and so on. This is the basis of the puzzle. It requires some research to select the fitting words, when words of four letters only are used, but when words of five letters are employed we are more puzzled; with words of six letters our perplexities increase, and upon proceeding to higher numbers we are almost prompted to be content with what has already been attained. But difficulty is the great charm to the true riddler, who finds the construction of riddles to be "a whetstone of patience," as Camden aptly named it years ago.
| 1 | A | M | E | N | D | S |
| 2 | M | I | N | I | O | N |
| 3 | E | N | A | B | L | E |
| 4 | N | I | B | B | L | E |
| 5 | D | O | L | L | A | R |
| 6 | S | N | E | E | R | S |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
In propounding these puzzles the synonyms only of the different words out of which the puzzle squares are to be formed are to be supplied, and care must be taken in the selection of the words that they are of the same number of letters. The following illustration will assist to make our meaning clear:—