The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-19 00:00:00

Railway Traffic Returns for the Week,

The last week's railway receipts ascertained up
o this day are in round figures as under :-
1865. 1864.
▪ £76,193 £74,700
... 116,852 111,807
• 26,761 25,747
... 23,646 22,296

Great Western ...
North Western ...
South-Western ...
Brighton. ...
Midland

... 50;703 49,747

South Eastern 27,994 27;103
Great Northern 39,363 38,939
Lancashire and Yorkshire ... ... 40,070 36,022
Bristol and Exeter ... 6,979 6,827
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln. 20,313 18,940
Great Eastern . 36,432 35,988
London, Chatham, and Dover ... 11,277 9,556
These returns, when compared with those of the
corresponding period of last year, show in most in-
stances some favourable features. On the Great
Western there is an increase of £1,493 ; on the
North Western of £5,045 ; on the South Western
of £1,014 ;. on the Brighton of £1,350 ; on the
Midland of £957; on the South Eastern of £891;
on the Great Northern of £424 ; on the Lanca-
shire and Yorkshire of £4,048; on the Bristol and
Exeter of £125 ; on the Manchester, Sheffield, and
Lincoln of £1,373; on the Great Eastern of £444;
and on the London, Chatham, and Dover of £1,721.

Envelopes Rid., 3id., and 4d. per 100. Note-paper 3d.,
4id., and 6d. per five quires. If at any time you want
better and cheaper stationery than you get from your re-
gular stationer, try Arthur Grangers' patentee, of the new
safety envelopes and writing papers, 308, High Holborn,
and 95 and 96, Borough. Agents wanted.

A WORD ABOUT THE TERN.—The habits of the
tern are exceedingly interesting. From time im-
memorial, I believe, a colony of these birds has visited
annually the same locality. It is not easy to find their
nests, which are simply hollows made in the shingle, and
the eggs resemble the stones so much in their general colour
that they can only be distinguished by a quick eye. Tho
colour of the eggs is generally an olive brown, blotched
with dark brown; and I have observed that the small
stones on which they are deposited are often marked with
dark stains very much like those on the eggs. How appa-
rent here is that exquisite Providence without which the
balance of nature could not be maintained. The egg re-
sembles the stones in colour, and the instinct of the bird
prompts her to deposit it among them, that, though ex-
posed, it may be unnoticed by depredators, winged or
human.— Once a Week.

NEW ZEALAND WEST-COAST GOLD FIELDS.—
The Customs' duties at Hokitika for the month of
July, up to the 23d, amounted to £3,200 on imported goods,
in addition to the export duty on gold, which reached
£2,378, representing 19,0240 z. Tho total export of gold
from the West Coast during this year, up to the 23d of
July,fias been 73,0000 z., and 1,5000 z. more were exported
in 1864, the whole being valued at upwards of £288,000.
The population gathered on the new ground is estimated
at 3,000—a1l collected on the north side of the Arnold, in
Nelson province. Mr. Rochfort is laying out a town on
the Canterbury side of the Grey. Stores are being erected,
and there is every probability of a good sized town being
established there. Some specimens of the gold have
reached us. It is all heavy in character. One piece mea-
sures one inch in length and one-eighth of an inch in
thickness.—Letelton Times.