The Lyceum Theatre was crowded from roof to floor on Saturday evening, on the occasion of a performance by the Blackbird Minstrels in aid of the Theatre Decoration The programme was arranged after the time-honoured plan of nig rel performances, the first part consisting of comic and sentimental suriga interspersed with an exchange of compliments and jesta between the middle and corner men, and the second part of a miscellaneous entertainment. Mer. Jules Mumm acted as interlocutor, Mr. Henry was "bones," and Mr. Frank wielded the tambourine, The performance opened with an " ouver-2 Each minstrel was provided with a musical instrument, generally of huge size, and every man appeared to undergo almost superhuman exertions in producing hia notes, but the music had nevertheless a strangely far-away and at the same time familiar sound, such as might have led the audience to believe that the Town Band wore concealed somewhere behind the wings, had they not the Blackbirds playing before their eyes. On the conclusion of this overture, Mr. Smarty sang the favourite Christy-Minstrel ballad ' Still I love theo," and Mr. Henry followed with the ' great" Georg bourne's song "Take me in your love." A sories of ballads from various members of the troupe followed, amongst which "Baby Mine" from Mr. Valiant and "My Mary Anne," an absurdity rendered with considerable humour by Mr. Frank, wore especially well roceived, The jokes and comic dialogues which filled the intervals between songs were new and full of happy local hits may of which were received with hearty applause by the. audiones, a special zest being given to the amusement which these hits afforded from the fact that many of the subjects of the good-humoured raillery of the minstrels were present in the house. The first part of the programme was brought to an end by Mr. Choufileur singitig the Hen Convention, giving, in company with several of the other performers, some laughable imstations of the crowing of Shanghai roi ters and the cackling of their mates, Many of. the songs were well delivered and deserveily applauded. As compared with professional companies of minstrels, the troupe were, perhaps, a little woak in the matter of chorus, but any deficiency in this respect was fully atoned for by the amusing uso which the performers were able to make of their knowledge of passing events in the Sottlom: for a brief interval, the second with the quartet exceedingly well sang b Smarty, Jules Mumm and Chouffleur. The next item was a banjo Solo and Pas Afri ciano by " the Celebrated Combination and Variety Artistes Hiram J. Eggnogg and Friulein Djimkrow, of the Imperial War-the regulation stylo of banjo-soloist san, Bxsuogs, got up in an amusing ballad in which the dullest platitudes were rendered amusing by the mode of their delivery, and Fréulein Djimkrow, a dashing damsel with well developed' calves and a capacious waist executed a vigorous pas soul, A Grand Duo from It Trovatore," rendered by Signora Guiletta Mummi and Signor Valiantiani, was enthusiastically received by the audience. Arrayed in the most hideous of gaudy colours, the two performers went through some startling mock heroics in a most amusing m: ner,—a rendering of Verdi's music which has certainly never been paralleled by Her Majesty's Opera Company. Signor Smattzo then went through a marvellous performance onthe Trapeze, the obvious nature of the. mechanical contrivance by which he was aided and his want of control over it being very laughable. The fact that a similar performance was given by an Ashuelot Minstrel at this theatre a few months ago did not oppe from the amusement which Signor Smartzo afforded the audience. Professor Rohsohnmayer next performed some smus-
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