husbandry. There is at present no catalogue to assist the spectator, and to guide his eye from object to object in the astonishing collection. Indeed, the number and variety of the articles found on the four several periodic strata would have puzzled a powerful corps of catalogue-makers, and might even have taxed the experience and resources of South Kensington and its admirably picked and organised staff.

THE HARVEST OF THE SEA viewed from Yarmouth is enough to upset all belief in there being more fish in the sea than come out of it. The total number of herrings landed there this season is 254,760,000, that is, 193,000 lasts of 13,200 each. On one day thirteen million herrings were landed, and one lugger is reported to have brought in 356,000 fish. The entire yield has been more than ten times as large as in any recent year. The croakers about the need for fish conservancy are somewhat disconcerted by this extraordinary haul at Yarmouth; and whatever be the deficiencies of fish, flesh, and fowl, there seems for the present no prospect of lack of "good red herring."

21. CONSECRATION OF THREE BISHOPS.-The Feast of St. Thomas has witnessed many consecrations of bishops in Westminster Abbey, but this morning's ceremony differed from previous ones in the fact that the three prelates consecrated were all of them of the order of the Episcopacy called forth by the development of Church work in modern times. Bishop Mackenzie, the Archdeacon of Nottingham, has resigned the suffragan bishopric of Nottingham, to which he was consecrated in St. Mary's, Nottingham, early in 1870; and the Venerable Edward Trollope, D.D., Archdeacon of Stow, having been nominated by the Bishop of Lincoln and approved by the Queen, was this day consecrated as his successor. The other two bishops are appointed to newlyfounded Indian sees-Dr. Valpy French to the See of Lahore, where he has long laboured as a missionary and instructor of natives; and Dr. Titcomb to the See of Rangoon. The funds for these new sees have been raised in the dioceses of Oxford and Winchester respectively; but the new prelates are to be subordinate to the territorial bishop under whom they work. Owing, no doubt, to the fact that the bishops are nearly all engaged in examining their candidates for orders, the episcopal procession which preceded the Primate was singularly meagre and unimposing this morning, the English Episcopate being represented by the Bishop of Winchester, and the Colonial by the Metropolitan of Australia, Bishop Perry, and Bishops Piers Claughton (the sole connecting link with the Indian Province) and Anderson. Even the Bishop of Lincoln and Bishop Mackenzie were not present.

MURDER NEAR STOKE-ON-TRENT.-In the village of Hanford, near Stoke-on-Trent, a horrible murder was discovered this afternoon. Martha Billiter, a widow, 70 years of age, lived alone in a cottage, and yesterday in consequence of her neighbours not having seen or heard anything of her they entered the house.

At the

foot of the stairs in the kitchen they found the body of the woman. Her throat was cut in two places, and her face and head were fearfully bruised and disfigured. A smoothing iron, apparently one of the weapons used against the unfortunate woman, lay by her side. When or by whom the crime was committed remains a mystery. The only fact tending to throw light on the occurrence is, that on Wednesday evening a respectably-dressed man was seen in the cottage, and it is suspected that he is the murderer. The old woman is believed to have had money, and the drawers and cupboards in the house were ransacked. No doubt some property was taken, but as the deceased was very reserved towards her neighbours, no one knows the extent of the robbery. The village is in a state of great excitement in consequence of the occurrence.

22. A FASTING GIRL.-Martha White has died at Market Harborough, Leicestershire, under very peculiar circumstances. She had been ill five years and is popularly supposed to have taken no food for four years. She was at first attended by Mr. Francis, surgeon, and latterly by Dr. Grant, his successor, and has been kept alive by the injection of morphia into her system. The case has excited considerable interest among the medical profession. It is stated that a post-mortem examination fully satisfied the doctors who made it that no food had passed the stomach for a long time.

24. FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT, TWO PERSONS KILLED.-Soon after seven o'clock this morning a Midland and a North Eastern train ran into each other from opposite directions on the Leeds and Bradford branch of the Midland, and near to Holbeck Station, which is a mile from the Leeds terminus. The engine-driver and stoker of the Midland engine were killed by the overturning of the engine. The dead body of the former was found under the engine, and that of the latter underneath one of the carriages. One of the passengers from Bradford is dangerously cut on the head. Several other persons are hurt, but it is believed not seriously. The North Eastern train was coming from Harrogate to Leeds, and met the Midland train on its own line going in an opposite direction. The North Eastern have a right of user over the Midland from Armley to what is known as the Triangle, just outside the Leeds Wellington and New Stations. The morning was very hazy, and the signal lights were dim from long burning.

PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN EXHIBITION.-Australian papers state that arrangements are in progress for the international exhibition proposed to be held at Melbourne in 1879, and the scheme has the approval of the Legislation Assembly. The Governor, speaking recently at Stawell, said that the proposal could not fairly be described in any quarter as premature, if regard were had to the wonderful progress which the Australian Colonies have already achieved. In 1879 the aggregate public revenue of the several Australian Colonies will exceed 16 millions sterling, while their trade including exports and imports, will amount to nearly 90 millions in

value. In other words, Australasia, as a whole, could already take her place among the 10 or 12 great nations of the world in point of the value of their trade and general importance, for there are only 7 or 8 nations with a larger public revenue than 16 millions. The three powerful colonies of Victoria, New South Wales, and New Zealand have each a revenue and trade which would place them on a higher scale than ancient European kingdoms like Sweden, Denmark, and Saxony. The single colony of Victoria, with its yearly revenue of 4 millions, is already equal in wealth and importance to the kingdom of Portugal, while Melbourne is considerably above Lisbon in wealth and trade. The success of the Exhibition, he pointed out, would depend in a great measure upon the cordial co-operation of the mother country and the sister colonies of Australasia. His Excellency further stated that he was in correspondence with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who was anxious to give every possible assistance, and that the presence of the Prince of Wales was all that was needed to render the Exhibition a triumphant success.

- CAPTAIN BOYTON has achieved another great feat in swimming, having descended the Loire from Orleans to Nantes, where he was received by an enthusiastic crowd assembled to greet his arrival. It is said, however, that he seemed quite worn out from excess of fatigue, and that his wrists were swelled and painful.

25. A SHOCKING ACCIDENT Occurred at Sheffield to-day in the course of a football match which was being played at Walkley, a suburb town. Amongst the players was a young man named Beaumont. In the course of the match the ball was kicked out of the field. Beaumont seems to have been unaware that there was a quarry in the direction in which the ball had disappeared, and he jumped over a wall which divided the field from the quarry, into which he fell headlong, and sustained injuries resulting in death soon afterwards.

A CHINESE ADVOCATE.-The China papers state that Mr. Ng Choy, the Chinese gentleman who was a short time since admitted a member of the English bar, and who has lately been practising in Hong Kong, has received an engagement as legal adviser to H. E. Li Hung Chang, at a salary of Tls. 6000 (about 1,8001.) per annum.

THE DISTRESS AT MERTHYR and its neighbourhood continues to be very great. It was reported to the school board yesterday that numbers of the children were in a state of absolute nudity, and utterly unable to attend school; while many of those who did attend were in a starving condition.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY.-The Chaplain to the Bishop of Lichfield, the Rev. F. C. Beaumont, was set upon and robbed on the highway on Christmas Day. He had been officiating for the Vicar of Weeford, and was on his way back to Lichfield. At the time the robbery occurred-half-past one o'clock-three men advanced. to meet him, one of them asking for money. Mr. Beaumont drew

out his purse, and as he was doing so one of the gang struck him on the head with a stick and another snatched his purse. The three then ran away. Information has been given to the city and county constabulary, but up to the present time without result. SIR HENRY SUMNER MAINE was installed this afternoon as Master of Trinity Hall, in the College Chapel. The ceremony was performed in the presence of the Fellows, and after the Master had made the declaration required by the College Statutes, he was conducted by the Rev. Henry Latham to the Master's stall in the chapel. In the evening the Fellows entertained the Master at a banquet in the College Hall. The guests consisted chiefly of members of the College, but the Master of Pembroke and Dr. Guillemard, Sir H. Maine's former tutor, were present.

OBITUARY

EMINENT PERSONS DECEASED IN 1877.