The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-07 00:00:00

Railway Traffic Returns for the Week,

...
The last week's railway receipts ascertained up
to this day are in round figures as under :

1865. 1864
Great Western ... £78,174 £76,770
North Western 122,432 117,251
South-Western ... . 32,019 27,938
Brighton ... 26,264 24,149
Midland ... ... 55,042 52,147
South Eastern ... ... 33,657 31,661
Great Northern ... 37,972 36,011
Lancashire and Yorkshire ... 44,988 43,387
Bristol and Exeter ... 7,912 7,654
North Eastern ... 74,219 71,249
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln ... 19,729 17,965
Great Eastern ... 35,070 32,586
These returns, when compared •
with those of the
corresponding period of last year, are generally of
a satisfactory character. On the Great Western
there is an increase of £1,404; on the North Wes-
tern of £5,181; on the South Western of £4,081; on
Brighton of £2,115 ; on the Midland of £2,895 ; on
the South Eastern of £2,006 ; on the Great Northern
of £1,961 ; on the Lancashire and Yorkshire of
£1,601; on the Bristol and Exeter of £258 ; on the
North Eastern of £2,970 ; on the Manchester,
Sheffield, and Lincoln of £1,764 ; and on the Great
Eastern of £2,484.

TRULY RURAL.

(From Punch)
IN A COTTAGE NEAR A WASPS' NEST.

VOTES BY A DISGUSTED VISITOR FROM LONDON.
Moking.—The early bee on my dressing-table. Suicide
of earwig in my bath. Have to shake all my clothes to
see that nothing has crawled in during the night. Feel in
the toes of my slippers with the tongs. Once knew a man
who found a wasp in the toe of his slipper. Repeat proses!
with boots. _

Breakfast Time.—First appearance of wasps. Desultory
feeding in consequence. Everything on the table, including
napkins, becomes a defensive weapon against the wasps.
Some are knocked down. Uncertainty as to their being
killed. They crawl and sting. Once knew a man who was
stung through his stockings by a crawling wasp. Everyone
sits like a tailor or Turk on his chair. Ladies nervous.
Pocket-handkerchiefs used for hitting at wasps. Knew a
man once who got a wasp in his pocket-handkerchief, and
it crept up his nose. Forget what became of him.
Between Breakfast and Lunch. wasps on the grass.
Under the trees. In the sun, in the shade. Any place on
the grass free from wasps is occupied by ants, or bumble
bees. They say bumble bees don't sting. I tried one.
Didn't it. Sit by side of murmuring brook. Dragon-flies,
fearful-looking creatures that come at you with a whirring
noise. They say they don't sting. Never tried. Don't
intend to.

Lunch.—More wasps. Desultory feeding as before. Help-
ing each other by fits and starts. Hornets join the merry
throng. After a time a queen wasp and a king hornet,
to judge by their size. The king hornet suddenly disap-
pears, it is supposed that he is insidiously on the carpet.
Luncheon finished.

Afternoon—ln the shade fries, small, but imitating
wasps. In the sun, wasps and hornets. Horse-flies from
three till four. Dogs try to catch wasps, and shake their
heads some time afterwards.

Dinner—A few wasps. King hornet still unaccounted
for.

Evening—Cockshafers on the lawn ; also gnats who bite
viciously. Daddy longlegs. Moths of all sizes, in-doors.
Bats outside. Toads on gravel walk. All, except toads,
in bedroom. See with tongs if king hornet is in my
slippers. Spider on bed curtains. Daddies whirring
about. ilato country. Shall at once return to my rooms
and my club in St. James's-street.