The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-07 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS MAGAZINES.

The Alexandra Magazine is a very pr3iscwortby
little s,rial, devoted to the adv,)c-2cy of woman's
interests. It does not concern itself with her poll.
!lent standing, but Nritia t -far more useful and
necessary assistance of teaching her how to help
herself when left dependent on herown efforts. Much
useful practical i.iformstion is obtainable from the " Loiters
to Woreen on Money Earning," while another page tells
of the value of lithography as a branch of feminine indus-
try. 'There are of course stories and sketches, besides poems
and cri;ical notices, but all are animated by the same spirit
of kindly, cheerful industry.—Good Words shows no dimi-
nution of interest, but keeps up its high reputation with
unflagging energy. A, K. H. B. contributes one of his
pleasant essays, full of profitable moralising, and Mr Gosse
continues his " Year at the Shore," giving three illustra-
tions in the present instalment. We have besides several
able and interesting articles by ecclesiastical dignitaries,
and some verses by Miss Muloch and Isa Craig. Mrs
Wood, author of "East Lynne," proceeds with her story
of " Oswald Cray" with all her usual ability and life-like
style. The great charm of this writer is the easy, natural
way in which she depicts home life. The Eclectic and
Cortgregationalßeview has several pages of general interest,
prominent among them being an essay on Lawrence Sterne,
another on Phillimore's George 111., and a criticism of
Robert Browning's new volumes,—The Fisherman's Ma-
gazine is a great acquisition to anglers, and really contains
a good deal of curious information connected with the
piscatorial tribes. It is exclusively addressed to Izaak
Walton's fraternity; but it serves to show the uninitiated
how much there is to learn respecting the ancient sport.—
Newton's London Journal has as article on the long pend-
ing Chancery suit of Young v. Fernie, which, as most
readers are aware, concerns a patent for the manufacture of
paraffin oil. It has its usual compliment of notices and
registrations.—The Gallery of Geography is an admirably
got up work, containing a fund of useful information, co-
piously illustrated by excellent engravings.—Le Follet does
its best, by the grace of its fair ladies and the elegance of
their surroundings, to improve what appear to the unini-
tiated very unbecoming fashions ; but whether the toilettes
are admired or not, there can be no question of Le Follet's
high authority on all matters of costume.—The Sixpenny
Magazine shows no variation from its ordinary style. The
tales are numerous--the principal one, " Barry O'Byrne,"
being by a novelist of some pretensions, It is, however,
somewhat extravagant in parts. The reader has certainly
a plentiful allowance of light literature, and must be hard
to entertain if he cannot find something to amuse him in
the melie.—The current number of The Musical Monthly
is a decided improvement on its predecessors. The story of
the;;" Judge's Daughter" is very interesting, and the pre-
sentation piece for the pianoforte, " The Fern Dell Waltz,"
is pretty, flowing, and melodious.—The monthly part of
Chambers's Journal contains an abundance of light and
instructive reading, and a further instalment of " Lord
Lynn's Wife."—Cassells's Publications—The Illustrated
Shakspere, Illustrated Goldsmith, Robinson Crusoe, no"
tory of England, Natural History, and Popular Educator,
Bcc„ all maintain their usual excellence.

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WHALES AND THE PHOSPHORESCENCE OF THE
SEA,—The whale was not pursued by the ancients ;
500 years ago whales abounded in every sea. The great
demand for oil and whalebone of late years, however, has
caused such destruction of whales that they are disappear-
it is to the increase of these small enormously, ing from numerous parts of the ocean* They were once
which the sea abounds
numerous in the Mediterranean,
but are no longer so. They
phosphorescence of the Mediterraneanarl Paper.
live on soft gelatinous mollusks, in
. _
which must have increased outing to the ,
de-
struction of whales.
organisms that the
Sea is attributed.....

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Duringm e n
the reason onw e
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PILCHARDS.—The season has now fairly corn-
sands of fine pilchards were caught by the
etheol
tets.bei, Portreath, and other boats. There was not,
menced, anwditthl3
however, what could be called a largo catch. The retail
bi‘serovousearnatilsfithedou
price at the local markets on Saturday, which was tolerably
well supplied, from 24 to 30 for a shilling. Several baskets
have been transmitted to the metropolitan and other great
markets, for which there is great demand.
THE Moons.—A correspondent in G!enavon, who
reports a fresh tall of snow on the Cairngorms es
Well as in the valleys, says—" It is not likely to prove in
any way disastrous to the moors, as the young birds are
new pretty strong on the wing. The coveys are nume-
rous end he,llthy, and no sign of disease has been seen
in Glenavon this year, and we doubt not but the sports-
men will be abundantly rewarded for his toil,—Banffshire
Journal.

A SLEEPY CONGREGATION.—" In a perish church
in the Highlands of Aberdeenshire, not a day's
journey from Balmoral Castle," says the Aberdeen Free
Press, "we were seated in oar ordinary pew, listening to
the song of praise ascending from the choir and congrega-
tion, when our notice was attracted to the sleepers, and,
sacrilegious as the idea might be, we could not help count-
ing both the congregation as a whole, and the percentage of
sleepers, when—we blush to say it—out of a total of 101, no
less than 27 were sound asleep,