domain, had not been dragged for upwards of fifty years, Mr. Keene put in the nets, in order to report to the Prince what stock of fish he had there. The net brought out a number of carp, tench, &c. Keene thought from the commotion in the net, that he had caught an unusually large fish. When the net shoaled he was delighted to find a monster pike in it; the fish rushed between his legs and nearly upset him. He took his prize at once to Cumberland Lodge to the Prince, who was good enough to send it on to me immediately. This magnificent fish weighed no less than thirty-five pounds; length, three feet ten and a half inches; girth, two feet. I never saw a fish in such perfect condition before: the eye was exceedingly beautiful, the head shone like smoked mother-o'-pearl, every scale was perfect, the fins as red as those of a perch; four black bars extended some distance from the tail upwards, giving the fish a zebra-like appearance. Mr. Keene asked me what I thought was the age of the fish. I guessed offhand from twelve to fifteen years, and it really appears that I was not far wrong, for about twelve years ago Sir James Clark's butler put six or eight jack, weighing about a pound and a half each, into Rapley Lake. This great fellow was probably the last of them, who had very likely eaten up all the rest. The fish was a female; the roe weighed threeand-a-half pounds, and contained over forty-three thousand eggs. The only regret I have is that this freshwater shark was not kept alive and sent to Brighton Aquarium. She should have been tethered by the gills till I came with a carrier for her. That this part of the royal domain is well adapted for growing big pike is evident, inasmuch as not many years ago a lad who had gone into Inglemere Pond (near Ascot Heath) to bathe was attacked and severely worried by a pike. This pike is undoubtedly the largest in my collection; the two next approaching in size are one from the Norfolk Broads, thirtytwo pounds, and Mr. Rooper's celebrated pike, which he was fortunate enough to catch with rod and line in Loch Awe, in 1869. I need hardly say that I and the public in general are much obliged to his Royal Highness Prince Christian for preserving this fish, and enabling me in the interest of science to perpetuate its magnificent proportions and unusual weight. One of the casts of this magnificent fish has been painted to life by Mr. Rolfe and presented by him to the Piscatoria! Society, who have had it handsomely mounted. The fish is represented as lying on grass and weeds. The duplicate cast is in my Fish Museum at South Kensington. I am told that the best bait for a large pike of this kind is the so-called calves'-tail bait. The angler should take about four inches of

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the lower end of the tail of a calf, skin it open, and insert a cork perforated with a bit of gimp; on the end of the gimp must be attached the ordinary double hooks, which should be properly concealed by the hair on the skin; put a thick boot-lace for a tail, and a cork with two boot buttons for the head. The big pike sees this, thinks it a water-rat, and most likely will come and take it.

CARP, p. 22.-Mr. Charles, fishmonger, of Arabella Row, in 1866, sent me two very fine carp. The largest weighed 21 lbs., was 33 inches long, and 20 inches in girth. The smaller fish weighed 16lbs., being 25 inches in length, and 23 inches in girth. They came from Haarlem Meer, in Holland, and were both females.

I had the opportunity of casting the larger fish, and I also carefully counted her roe which weighed 3lbs. This was done by taking the average of two or three grains, a calculation was then made of the aggregate number of eggs. These amounted to no less than one million three hundred and ten thousand seven hundred and fifty (1,310,750) in this one fish, nearly equal to half the population of London. I also weighed the eggs of the smaller carp, they weighed 5lbs., giving their total number, two millions and fifty-nine thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine (2,059,759). I can guarantee the accuracy of the weighing, and also the calculations, which were made for me by Mr. Thomas, a professional accountant.

AMERICAN WATER WEED.-Since White's time the American Water Weed has appeared. It has done an immense amount of mischief by filling up our rivers, canals, lakes, &c. Babingtonia damnabilis-or, as it is usually called, B. diabolicais a Cambridge name, invented by Mr. Charles Kingsey, for this American water-weed, the proper scientific name of which is Anacharis Alsinastrum, or Elodea Canadensis. The first name was given at the expense of the Professor of Botany at Cambridge, probably under the impression that he had to do with the introduction of the weed into this country, inasmuch as it has been said to have seeded from a piece originally brought to Cambridge by Mr. Babington; but it is generally supposed to owe its introduction to the American timber which is floated down the American rivers and then brought up our own, bringing with it pieces of the weeds. It was first seen here about 1842, and no doubt came from North America; how, is not known.

It never perfects seeds in England; the sexes are no different plants, and only the female grows in England in enforced celibacy.

Its vast increase therefore is entirely dueto division; every fragment grows.

WOLMER.-Mr. Harting remarks in his edition of White :'The name Wolmer is doubtless a corruption of Wolf mere or Wolvemere; and it is not a little remarkable that the three great meres of that district, Hogmer, Cranmer, and Wolmer, were named after wild animals which are now all extinct in Britain-viz., the hog or wild boar, the crane, and the wolf.” The existence of wolves in England is testified by the story of "Little Red Riding Hood." C. T. W. writes:"Can anyone inform me if the famous wolf, the last of its race in Britain, which was killed by Sir Evan Cameron, in 1680, and which was prepared as a stuffed specimen, is still extant and in good preservation? I find that in a catalogue of Mr. Donovan's sale of the London Museum, by Mr. King, April, 1818, one article is (in p. 53, lot 832) a 'wolf, a noble animal, in a large glass case: the last wolf killed in Scotland by Sir E. Cameron.' Where can it be now?" In Ireland, parish registers of the destruction of wolves come down to last century.

COINS AND ANTIQUITIES, p. 24.-At Barnstaple, in the autumn of 1874, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Townshend M. Hall, F.G.S., author of many valuable pamphlets on the geology and antiquities of Barnstaple and its neighbourhood. Mr. Hall's father is rector of the church at Pilton, close to Barnstaple.

The Priory of Pilton was one of the most important, as well as one of the most ancient ecclesiastical establishments in the neighbourhood of Barnstaple. It was founded by King Athelstan, who died A.D. 940, and an impression of the official seal of the priory is still in existence. The inscription on the seal reads as follow:

HOC. ATHELSTANUS-AGO. QUOD. PRESENS. SIGNAT. IMAGO.

A few years ago a very interesting and valuable ring was dug up in Pilton Churchyard (it is now in the possession of Mr. J. R. Chanter). Mr. Hall kindly showed me a drawing of it. It measures one inch and an eighth across. The gold portion of it contains a large sapphire, and around the sapphire on each side there is an inscription. A rivet of gold passes through the sapphire. The inscription on one side is written in Hebrew, and reads thus:

IMMANUEL JEHI JESU JEHOVAH ELOHIM EL, which should thus be translated :-" May Jesus Immanuel, Jehovah, God, be with us."

On the other side of the ring there is also an inscription, which reads as follows:

NOBISCUM SIT IHESU ADONAI.

That is, "Lord Jesus, be with us." This ring was pronounced by the authorities of the British Museum as dating between 1100 and 1130, or over 700 years ago, and it probably belonged to one of the abbots of Pilton. Returning from Barnstaple, I showed the drawing in my note-book and the inscription to a clergyman who happened to be in the carriage. He, by a curious coincidence, was a Hebrew scholar, and informed me that the word "Jehovah" is considered so sacred that it is never pronounced by the Jews; and that a learned scholar interested in the study of phonetic writing, had ascertained that in this word existed all the sounds which can be made by the human voice as representing language. The word Adonai is used by the Jews for Jehovah. Wherever we see the word "Lord" in our Bible, the Jews read it Adonai.

WILD BOAR, p. 26.-Gilbert White, if living, would be very much interested at seeing the wild boar, now residing not far from Selborne. It is the property of my friend, Captain Salvin of

Whitmoor House, Guildford. Lady Susan-for that is the name of the tame wild boar-is thus described by her kind master :"My sow-of whose fighting stray pigs, &c., I sent you an account some time back-originally came from Syria, and was given to me by H.H. the Maharajah Duleep Singh about six years ago. She is a remarkably fine healthy animal, and her instinct and affection can only be equalled by the dog. She follows me almost daily in my walks like a dog, to the great astonishment of strangers. Of course I only take her out before the crops are up, and too low to injure, during the spring and summer months.

"I always have her belled to hear when she is in the woods, &c.; and the bell, which is a good sheep's bell, is fastened round her neck with a strap and a buckle.

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"Her leaping powers are extraordinary either over water' or 'timber,' indeed only a few weeks since she cleared some palings (between which she had been purposely placed to secure her for a time) three feet ten inches in height. Knowing my pig's excellent temper, even when she has young pigs, and when domestic sows are always most savage, I was once guilty of a practical joke. I got a blacksmith who was quite ignorant of even the existence of my pig, to come and ring a pig.' The stye being under a building he had to enter it at a low door, which was some distance from the sow's yard, where she was feeding. He entered, shutting the door to keep the pig in, and thinking his subject was an ordinary one and that assistants were following him to hold the cord, &c. He had not been gone a minute, before I heard the greatest rum-ti-tum' at the door, and cries of, For goodness' sake, sir, let me out let me out! I never saw such a beast in my life!' and out came the poor blacksmith, pale with fright, but all the consolation he got was a jolly good laugh at his own expense. From the many places called after the wild boar, as Wild Boar Clough in Cheshire, Branspeth and Brandon in the county of Durham, &c., it must have been very common in England some two or three hundred years back. Perhaps I may be forgiven if I explain the connection that Branspeth has with the subject: Bran in the north of England means a boar, and no doubt the peth' is a corruption of path, hence Branspeth. Brandon was originally Branden, or the den or the lair of the boar, and, curiously enough, tradition says they were very plentiful in the neighbourhood. Clough signifies a wood along the steep sides of two hills close to each other. The wild boar has long been extinct in the British Islands, but it is common in France, Germany, Italy, the islands of the Mediterranean, Albania, Syria, the north of Africa, and India,