Notes.

Unlucky Days.—The subjoined lines on certain days of the several months, I copied some years ago from a MS. on the fly-leaf of an old Spanish breviary, then in the possession of an Irish priest. Though neither their grammar nor prosody are first-rate, yet they may be worthy of preservation as a curiosity. I may add that they appear to have been written by a Trinitarian Brother of Redemption, in the early part of the sixteenth century.

W. Pinkerton.

Ham.

The Pancake Bell.—At the Huntingdonshire village from which I now write, the little bell of the church is annually rung for ten minutes on Shrove Tuesday, at eleven o'clock in the morning: this is called "the Pancake Bell."

Cuthbert Bede, B.A.

Quoits.—The vulgar pronunciation of the irons used in this game is quaits. From the following passage in a letter from Sir Thomas Browne to Ashmole, it is probable that the word was formerly thus spelt: "Count Rosenberg played at quaits, with silver quaits made by projection as before."

Uneda.

Philadelphia.

The Family of Townerawe.—One great advantage of "N. & Q." is not only that inquiries may be made and information obtained by those who are engaged in any research, but also that such persons as happen to possess information on a particular subject may make it known before it is sought or asked for. I therefore beg to inform any person that may be interested in the family of Townerawe, that there is in the library of Trinity College, Dublin, a Latin MS. Bible, which belonged to "Raufe Townerawe," who on the 17th of June, 1585, was married to Anne Hartgrane, at Reavesbye, in Lincolnshire, and that at the end of this Bible are recorded the births, deaths and marriages of his children and other members of his family, from the date above mentioned to 1638.

James H. Todd.

Trin. Coll. Dublin.

"History of Formosa."—The writer of the fictitious History of Formosa, inquired about at Vol. vii., p. 86., was George Psalmanazar, himself a fiction, almost. And this reference to Wiseman's Lectures reminds me that your correspondent Rt. (Vol. vii., p. 62.), who discovered the metrical version of that passage of St. Bernard in Fulke Greville's poem, was (to say the least) anticipated by the Cardinal, in the magnificent peroration to the last of those Lectures upon Science and Revealed Religion.

B. B. Woodward.

Notes on Newspapers.—The following may be worth a place among your Notes. I copied it from the Evening Mail (a tri-weekly issue from The Times office), but unfortunately omitted to take the date, and the only authority I can offer is Evening Mail, No. 12,686. p. 8. col. 2. (leader):

"The Times has its share of antiquities. Our office stands upon the foundations of Blackfriars, where for centuries Plantagenets, Yorkists, Lancastrians, and Tudors, held court. We have reason to believe that just about where we sit was heard that famous cause for annulling the marriage of Catherine, which led to the English Reformation. Under these foundations others still older are now open to view. First we have under us the Norman wall of the city, before it was extended westward to give more room to Blackfriars, and under that presents itself the unmistakeable material and composition of the old Roman wall."

Tee Bee.

Queries.

WILD PLANTS AND THEIR NAMES.

In looking over some memoranda, I find the following Queries entered; and, as it is more than probable that some of the readers of "N. & Q." who take an interest in our wild flowers, and love the simple, homely names which were given them by our fathers, will easily solve them, I send them for insertion:

1. Capsella, Bursa pastoris, "Shepherd's Purse." Why was this plant called "St. James's Wort;" French, "Fleur de St. Jacques?" Was it used in medicine? Its old name, "Poor Man's Parmacetic," would imply that it was.

2. Veronica Chamædrys, "Eye-bright," "Paul's Betony," and "Fluellin." What was the origin of these two names?

3. Primula veris, "Cowslip," "Palsy Wort;" French, "Herbe de la Paralysie." Is this plant used in any of our village pharmacopœias as a remedy for palsy; and if so, how? I may also add another Query on this plant, and which I trust some fair reader will answer; and that is, How is the ointment prepared from the leaves (?), which is used to remove tan and freckles from the sunburnt?

4. Viburnum opulus, "Guelder Rose." Was this plant originally a native of the Low Countries? I am inclined to think that its distribution was of a very wide range.

5. Neottia spiralis, "Ladies' Tresses," "Sweet Cods," "Sweet Cullins," and "Stander Grass." What is the origin of these names?

6. Ribes nigrum, "Black Currant," "Gazel" (Kent). Meaning?

7. Stellaria holostea, "Stitchwort," "All-bones." Meaning? The plant is very fragile.

8. Orobus tuberosus, "Bitter Vetch," "Cormeille" (Highlands of Scotland), and "Knapperts" (Scotland generally). Have these terms any signification?

9. Sinapis arvensis, "Wild Mustard," "Charlock," "Garlock," "Chadlock," and "Runsh." Derivation and meaning?

10. Saxifraga umbrosa, "London Pride," "Saxifrage," "St. Patrick's Cabbage." Is there a legend in connexion with this name; and in what county is this saxifrage so called?

11. Geum urbanum, "Yellow Avens," "Herb Bennet," "Star of the North," "Blessed Herb." These names would appear to point to some virtues supposed to be attached to this herb. What are they?

12. Linum catharticum, "Purge Flax," "Mill Mountain"?

13. Sedum acre, "Biting Stone-crop," "Jack of the Buttery," "Pricket," "Bird's Bread"?

14. Gnaphalium germanicum, "Common Cudweed," "Wicked Herb" (Herba impia), "Live-long," and "Chaff-weed."

15. Euphorbia helioscopia, "Sun Spurge," "Churn-staff"? juice milky, but acrid.

16. Euphorbia cyparissius, "Cypress Spurge," "Welcome to our House"?

17. Chrysanthemum segetum, "Wild Marigold," "Goules," "Goulans" (Query remains of its old name gold?), "St. John's Bloom," "Ruddes"?

18. Spergula arvensis, "Spurrey Yarr" (Scotch)?

19.