nd of Ladybird--that is,
the _sun-chafer_, or _barn-bie_, the _fire-fly_, "whose house is burnt,
and whose bairns are ten," of course the first ten days of the Egyptian
year[4]--with the mystical stories of the said black or dark blue lords
of radiance, _Pan_ and _Papan_.

The Egyptians revere the beetle as a living and breathing image of the
sun, quoth Porphyry.[5] That will account for this restless delver's
extraordinary talismanic renown. I think the lady-bird is "the speckled
beetle" which was flung in hot water to avert storms.[6] Pignorius gives
us the figure of the beetle, crowned with the sun, and encircled with
the serpent of eternity; while another, an onyx in the collection of
Abraham Gorlaeus, threatens to gnaw at a thunderbolt.[7]

Reuven's book on the Egyptian Museum, which I have not seen, notices an
invocation to "the winged beetle, the monarch ([Greek: tyrannos]) of
mid-heaven," concluding with a devout wish that some poor creature "may
be dashed to pieces."

Can any of your readers inform me what is meant by "the blood of the
_Phuon_?"

Yours truly,

?

St. Martin's, Guernsey, Jan. 9. 1850.

* * * * *

EXTRACTS FROM CHURCHWARDENS' ACCOUNTS OF ST. MARGARET'S,
WESTMINSTER--WEIGHT OF BELLS IN ANCIENT TIMES--HISTORY OF A
ROOD-LOFT.

I send you a few Notes, collected out of the Churchwardens' Accounts of
St. Margaret's, Westminster.

1stly. Some regarding the weight of bells in ancient days:--

"1526. The first bell weith ccccc lb.
The second bell weith ccccccxxj lb.
The third bell weith ixCvj lb.
The fourthe bell weith M.x lb.
The fyfthe belonging to our grete Lady
Bretherhed MvjCxiiij lb.
The sume of all the weight MMMMVIIC Li lb.

"1592. The broken Tennor waied xvjCxxj lb.
The new tennor ys. xiijC di
The greatest bell ys xxjC and di at lvjs. the C.
The iiij bell ys xvijC and di and xiiij lb.
The xiiij bell taken awaie was xiijC di.
The ij bell carried awaie was viijCiij qters.
The new bell viijC di.
Som totall of the bells, yron, tymber, and
workmanshipp lxxvl. vs. vd."

This appears to have been a sorry bargain, for
soon after occur sad complaints of t