The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-31 00:00:00

Londnn—W. TWREDTE an. fitrand.

Nearly Ready. Fifteenth Year of Publication. Price 6d.. post, 7d
GYMNASTICS FOR FAMILIES AND
SCHOOLS (New). By Dio Lewis. M.D. With introduction
by M: C. Tyler, M.A., M.C.P. Designed to be used to the accom-
paniment of music, fit alike for the drawing-room and the public
hall ; with "Dumb-Bell Instructor," and the " Pangymnasttkon"
—a valuable work on Physical Education. With Three Hundred
Illustrations, price 3s. 6d., cloth LOards. Post free for stamps.

London—W. TwEr.niE. 337. Strand.

THE NATURALISTS' CALENDAR : a Register
of Periodic Natural Phenomena, referring to more than a
thousand native and cultivated plants, native insects, native and
domesticated mammals, native and domesticated birds and birds of
passage, and giving the mean times of appearance of insects, the
periods of birds in respect of song, migration, &e. ; the time of
hybernation and first appearance of reptiles and mollusks ; the time
of leafing, flowering. and fruiting of trees and other plants, &c., &c.
Prefixed to each day is the mean temperature—i.e., the temperature
at nine a.m.—deduced from an average of thirty-five years at Green-
wich. Also, a complete plan of entomological operations for each
season, shewing when, where, and how to capture the various orders
throughout the year. _ . .

Appended is a review of organic nature, namely ;-1. The Vege-
table Kingdom, including a census of the plants of the world, the
manner and proportion of their distribution ; census of British
plants, their distribution and origin. 2. The Animal Kingdom,
divided into families, classes, and orders ; estimate of the numbers
of each, and their distribution, with special reference to British
Animals. dm., &o. Also, Weather Prognostics, from the aspect and
other indications furnished by inanimate nature, the conditio-t of
plants and flowers. and the actions of animals.
Illustrated by Wood Engravings in the highest style of art—
British Planta, British Insects, British Reptiles, British Birds.

EAMEN'S HOSPITAL (late Dreadnought).-
INotice is hereby given, that this HOSPITAL is now RE-
ED to the late Infirmary of the Royal Hospital, Green-
wich, where any seaman, needing medical or surgical care, will
be admitted on personal application, as heretofore, without in-
troduction or recommendation. The Society's offices are re-
moved from the City to the same building.
KEMBALL COOK, Hotse-Governor and Secretary.

HOSPITAL for DISEASES of the THROAT,
square, W.
President—the Right Golde- Hon. the Earl of STRAFFORD, F.R.S.
This Hospital has relieved upwards of 24,000 patients since its
foundation, and is in great NEED of FUNDS to meet the heavy
current expenses. EDMUND W'YLD, Secretary.

THE MITRAILLEUSE AND THE PRUSSIAN ARTIL-
IERY.—I did succeed myself, says the correspondent of
the Pall Mall Gazette, in capturing (on Friday bier en-
tertain) a loaded case jutit ready to be emptied into the
breech of one of the " infant Louis's" pet weapons. This
case, made of strong cardboard, is composed of twenty-five
separate cells for as many cartridges. The front or lid
is torn off when the cartridges are wanted, and
a slight shake makes them fall into the breech. Tho
cartridges themselves strongly resemble ordinary central-
fire Daw or Boxer cartridges, only they are bigger and
longer, about six inches long and an inch in diameter.
The balls are the shape of an Enfield ball,
and I should fancy abot it double the weight.
Round one of the works in which a mitrailleur
had stood, I counted 43 empty cases and 43 x 25 = 1,075
pretty well for one gun con .sidering that the 90 guns
which belong to the Bth Army Corps have only fired 7,000
shot and shell in the battle s of Spicheren, Colombay,
Rezonville, and Gravelotte, or 71 shots each in four
battles, in the two latter of a ihich artillery played a very
large part. During part .of Thursday's battle I was
only ten yards behind four Krupp 4-pounders,
and had thus a goal chance of seeing the
working of Krupp breech-pioces. At the risk of offend-
ing my many Prussian friends, I must say that I saw
nothing to prove the great superiority which they claim
for their breech-loading guns over the muzzle-loading gun.
After more than one discharge the gunner at the breach-
piece had to tug tremendously hard to get the breach open,
and once I saw the lever had to be applied before the gun
could be reloaded. I have spent many a long day on the
sands of Shoebur-gness, and it would be mere flattery to
pretend that the practice on Thursday was comparable to
what our own gr inners can do. Relative to the French,
the Prussian fire, was superior I must allow, but abso-
lutely excellent I beg leave to doubt its )being.