"'_Extraordinary Number of Children._--The following extraordinary, yet well-attested fact, is copied from Brand's _History of Newcastle_, lately published. The fact is mentioned and corroborated by a quotation from an Harleian MS. No. 980-87. A weaver in Scotland had, by one wife, a Scotch woman, _sixty-two_ children, all living till they were baptized; of whom four daughters only lived to be women, but forty-six sons attained to man's estate. In 1630, Joseph Delavel, Esq., of Northumberland, rode thirty miles beyond Edinburgh, to be satisfied of the truth of this account, when he found the man and woman both living; but at that time had no children abiding with them. Sir John Bowes and three other gentlemen having, at different periods, taken each ten in order to bring them up; the rest also being disposed of. Three or four of them were at that period (1630) at Newcastle.'--_European Magazine_, Dec. 1786." But, of course, the question still arises, _can_ this wonderful instance be recognised as "a well-attested fact?" R. S. F. Perth. In Wanley's _Wonders of the Little Moral World_ (London, 1806), vol. i. p. 76., will be found several instances of numerous families by one mother; in one case (No. 27.) fifty-seven children; and in another (No. 6.), no less than seventy-three! Your correspondent can refer to the authorities, which are also given. The authenticity of one of the cases mentioned (No. 23.) will probably be easily ascertained, as it is said to be the copy of an inscription in the churchyard of Heydon in Yorkshire, to the following effect:-- "Here lieth the body of William Strutton of Padrington, buried the 18th of May, 1734, aged ninety-seven, who had by his first wife twenty-eight children, and by a second wife seventeen; was father to forty-five, grandfather to eighty-six, great-grandfather to ninety-seven, and great-great-grandfather to twenty-three--in all 251."--_Gent. Mag. Aug. 1731._ There appears to be some mistake in the reference, and I may mention that I have not been able to find the epitaph in Mr. Urban's pages with the assistance of the general index.[8] E. N. [Footnote 8: [It occurs in the October number of 1734, p. 571.--ED.]] _Reeve and Muggleton_ (Vol. v., pp. 80. 236.).--One of the handsomest quartos of our day, both in typography and engravings, is, _Two Systems of Astronomy: first, the Newtonian System ... second, the System in accordance with the Holy Scriptures_ ... by Isaac Frost, London, 4to., 1846 (Simpkin and Marshall). This work is Muggletonian, and contains some extracts from _The Divine Looking-Glass of the Third Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ_, by Reeve and Muggleton. I request your readers to draw no inference from the letter with which I sign my communications. M.