Day." It is a sine Ledbury Mop," before a maid

qualified for the farmer's she make apple fritters, and out soot, or spoiling the

"ler's Wells." It closed this with a real benefit for Mrs. October 2d. The new fea1, the horse-racing, in the open ated as at Newmarket. Boards ed on every side, to conceal the the public in general, and enty to the play-going folks in To give publicity to this amusehigh-mettled racers, with riders, bugles, in proper costume, pahe environs daily, and distributed criptive of cups, plate, bets, and king articles of jockeyship, which lace at evening. The thing did ke so much money as wished. 1. "St. Patrick's Day" being my day, though not of Erin's clime, I I fail dedicating a large plum pudding s saintship; round my table the "olive auches" spread, and I make this record encourage all persons to do the same, remembrance of Meir parent's solicide, and the pros harmony of the

bun in flavour, claims preeminence in all the cities in England.

423. "Lifting" is a custom practised with hurdles among shepherds, in the South Downs, at their marriages. The bride and bridegroom are carried round a flock of sheep; a fleece is put for their seat, and may-horns, made of the rind of the sycamore tree, are played by boys and girls. There is another sort of " lifting," however; I have seen a tale-bearer in the village tossed in a blanket by the maids, as it is represented in "Don Giovanni in London," a scene in the King's Bench. I am, Sir, Your's sincerely,

MEMORANDA II.

JEHOIADA.

507. "The Martin." It is considered a presage of good, for this bird to build its nest in the corner of the bedroomwindow; and particularly so, should the first inhabitants return in the season. I know it to be true, that a pair of martins built their nest in the curtains of a bed belonging to Mrs. Overton, of Loverrall, Yorkshire. The nest was suffered to remain unmolested, and access given to it from the air. Six successive seasons the old birds revisited their chosen spot, brought forth their young, and enjoyed their peace, till the death of their most kind benefactress; when a distribution of the furniture taking place, it dislodged the tenants of the wing, which to each of them was not all Mihi Beati Martini— "My eye, Betty Martin."

570. "Milkmaids' garland." After I had sailed up the river Wye, and arrived at Chepstow-castle, my attention was arrested by one of the prettiest processions I remember to have enjoyed. It consisted of milkmaids dancing and serenading round an old man, whose few gray hairs were crowned by a wreath of wild flowers; he held a blossomy hawthorn in his right hand, and bore a staff, with cowslips and bluebells, in his left. A cow's horn hung across his shoulders, which he blew on arriving at a house. The youths and lasses were more than thirty in number. Their arms, and heads

writings Mr. Nichols's professional la bours and varied erudition had acquainted him with.

NATURALISTS' CALENDAR.

Mean Temperature... 40 82.

November 19.

CHRONOLOGY.

On this day in 1703 died, in the Bastille at Paris, an unknown prisoner, celebrated throughout Europe under the appellation of the Man with the Iron Mask; he had been confined, for state reasons, from the year 1661. There have been various disquisitions and controversies respecting his identity, but a recent work seems to have rendered it probable, that he was an Italian diplomatist who counteracted certain projects of Louis XIV., and was therefore condemned, by that monarch's despotism, to perpetual imprisonment, in an iron mask, for the concealment of his features.

web. Had I not accounted for this m tural circumstance, I should certamy have considered it as a phenomenon worthy of anxiety.

123. "The Spectre." A young lady in Bedfordshire, on coming of age, wa promised by her father a present of any thing she chose to accept at his hand She said, A skeleton! Her choice was gratified a skeleton was sent for from London, and placed in a case in a room accessible to her. The room has ever since gone by the name of the Strawger's Room." "Have you seen? or will you see, the stranger?" is the question put to all visitors. The daughter of Herodias seems to have scarcely exceeded the eccentric taste of this young lady.

136. "St. Agnes' Eve." After fasting the whole of the day, upon going to bed an egg must be filled with salt, and eaten, which occasions a great thirst. The ve sel the female dreams of drinking from, according to situation and circumstances, denotes who will be her husband.

This charm for the ague, on " St. Agnes' Eve," is customary to be said up the chimney, by the eldest female in the family

"Tremble and go!

First day shiver and burn:
Tremble and quake!

Second day shiver and learn:
Tremble and die!

Third day never return."

179. "Bears" are seen on the Stock Exchange in human shape, natural ones are kept by friseurs to supply grease for the hair. The Black Bear in Piccadilly, Taylor's Bear in Whitechapel, the White Bear, and the Bear and Ragged Staff, as a punster would say, are bear-able enough; but, I reprehend the "Dancing Bears being led through the streets to perform antics for money. Two have appeared this month. Each with two monkeys, a camel, dromedary, and organ. Travellers have told of their sagacity; we believe them: but, that bears are made to stand upon hot iron, and undergo the severest discipline before they are fit for public exhibition, is a truth which harrows the feeling, and makes me wish the dancing bears unmuzzled, and let loose upon those who have the guidance of their education. The ursa major of the literary hemisphere, Dr. Johnson, might have been a match for them.

207. "St. Blase." He seems to have

neglected the protecting the "Woolcombers." Since the introduction of machinery, by Arkwright and others, very little cloth is manufactured by hand. The woolcomber's greasy and oily wooden horse, the hobby of his livelihood, with the long teeth and pair of cards, are rarely seen. When scribblers, carders, billies, and spinning jennies, came into use, the wheel no longer turned at the cottage door, but a revolution among the working classes gave occasion for soldiers to protect the mills-time, however, has ended this strife with wool, and begun another with cotton

246. "Pancake Day." It is a sine qua non at "Tedbury Mop," before a maid servant is wholly qualified for the farmer's kitchen, that she make apple fritters, and toss them without soot, or spoiling the batter.

348. "Sadler's Wells." It closed this season (1826) with a real benefit for Mrs. Fitzwilliam, October 2d. The new feature has been the horse-racing, in the open air, represented as at Newmarket. Boards were erected on every side, to conceal the race from the public in general, and ensure novelty to the play-going folks in particular. To give publicity to this amusement, the high-mettled racers, with riders, flags and bugles, in proper costume, paraded the environs daily, and distributed bills descriptive of cups, plate, bets, and other taking articles of jockeyship, which took place at evening. The thing did not take so much money as wished.

361. "St. Patrick's Day" being my natal day, though not of Erin's clime, I never fail dedicating a large plum pudding to his saintship; round my table the "olive branches" spread, and I make this record to encourage all persons to do the same, in remembrance of their parent's solicitude, and the prospective harmony of the

young.

402. "Good Friday." The bun so fashionable, called the Sally Lunn, originated with a young woman of that name in Bath, about thirty years ago. She first cried them, in a basket with a white cloth over it, morning and evening. Dalmer, a respectable baker and musician, noticed her, bought her business, and made a song, and set it to music in behalf of "Sally Lunn." This composition became the street favourite, barrows were made to distribute the nice cakes, Dalmer profited thereby, and retired; and, to this day, the Sally Lunn cake, not unlike the hotcross

bun in flavour, claims preeminence in all the cities in England.

423. "Lifting" is a custom practised with hurdles among shepherds, in the South Downs, at their marriages. The bride and bridegroom are carried round a flock of sheep; a fleece is put for their seat, and may-horns, made of the rind of the sycamore tree, are played by boys and girls. There is another sort of "lifting," however; I have seen a tale-bearer in the village tossed in a blanket by the maids, as it is represented in " Don Giovanni in London," a scene in the King's Bench. I am, Sir, Your's sincerely,

507. "The Martin." It is considered a presage of good, for this bird to build its nest in the corner of the bedroomwindow; and particularly so, should the first inhabitants return in the season. I know it to be true, that a pair of martins built their nest in the curtains of a bed belonging to Mrs. Overton, of Loverrall, Yorkshire. The nest was suffered to remain unmolested, and access given to it from the air. Six successive seasons the old birds revisited their chosen spot, brought forth their young, and enjoyed their peace, till the death of their most kind benefactress; when a distribution of the furniture taking place, it dislodged the tenants of the wing, which to each of them was not all Mihi Beati MartiniMy eye, Betty Martin."

It

570. "Milkmaids' garland." After I had sailed up the river Wye, and arrived at Chepstow-castle, my attention was arrested by one of the prettiest processions I remember to have enjoyed. consisted of milkmaids dancing and serenading round an old man, whose few gray hairs were crowned by a wreath of wild flowers; he held a blossomy hawthorn in his right hand, and bore a staff, with cowslips and bluebells, in his left. cow's horn hung across his shoulders, which he blew on arriving at a house. The youths and lasses were more than thirty in number. Their arms, and heads

A

"Gentle reader, read the motto! read the motto!" Look at the engraving; "show it to your children, and to your children's children," and ask them what they think. If you desire an immediate living example to illustrate professor Malthus's principle, that "population always comes up to the mean of subsistence," set out a sugar cask, and there will be a swarm of boys about it, from no one knows whither, in ten minutes. The first takes possession of the inside, and is "monarch of all he surveys." Like the throne, it is an envied, and an unquiet possession. From the emulous, on all sides, he receives vain addresses and remonstrances, and against their threatening hands is obliged to keep a sharp look out; but his greatest enemy, and for whom he keeps a sharp look over, is the grocer's man. of that arch-foe "frightens him from his A glimpse impropriety" in a twinkling; unless, indeed, from the nearness of the adver sary he fail to escape, when, for certain, his companions leave him "alone in his glory," and then he knows for a truth, that" after sweet comes sour." The boy there, straddling like the "Great Harry,"

has had his wicked will of the barrel to satiety, and therefore vacates his place in favour of him of the hat, on whose nether end "time hath written strange defeatures." It is not so certain, that the fine,

fat, little fellow, with his hands on the edge of the tub, and the ends of his toes on the ground, will ascend the side, as that be who stoops in front is enjoying the choicest pickings of the prize. The others are mere common feeders, or gluttons, who go for quantity; he is the epicure of the party

He seeks but little here below But seeks that little good; and, of foretaste, he takes his place at the and there revels in particles of the bung-hole, where the sugar crystallizes, finest candies. "I pity the poor child," says Mr. Hood, "that is learned in alpha I pity every poor child who only knows beta, but ignorant of top and taw"-and that a sugar tub is sweet, and is ignorant of the sweetest of its sweets. There are are cuts in a shoulder of mutton, or Mr. as many different pickings in it as there Hood's book. My authority for this information is an acute, pale-faced, sickly, printer's boy, an adapt in lickerish things, who declared the fact the morning after he had been to see Mr. Mathews, by affirming, with enthusiasm, "I've tried it, I've analyzed it, and I know it."

"Ah! little think the gay, licentious proud," who spend their money on bulls-eyes and hard-bake, which are modern inventions, of the delicacies within a grocer's plain,