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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io* s. i. F EB. 13, im

there were no fewer than seven places bear- ing the name of Ash, viz., Ash Walter, now known as Ash water ; Ashreigny: Ralph's Ash, now Roseash (these are parishes) ; and Ash in Petrockstow, Brad worthy, South Taw ton, and Braunton. And besides the simple Ash, the name appears in combination in Ashcombe, Ashford, and Ashleigh.

OSWALD J. REICHEL. Lympstone, Devon.

"BiSK" (9 th S. xii. 186, 375). In 'The Book of the Table' is this derivation :

"Bisque biset, old French for wood -pigeon; derived from bois, whose root is the Low Latin boscus, whence the English bosk, busk, bush, and the French bisque, bois, buis, and buisson."

As the stock of crayfish soup appears origin- ally whatever may be the case now in the exquisite " Potage a la Bisque " served at the Cafe de la Paix, Paris to have been made of

igeon stewed down, the soup seems to have erived its name therefrom. HELGA.

ANATOMIE VIVANTE (9 th S. xii. 49, 157). MB. HOLDEN MACMICHAEL says that "a writer in the Daily Telegraph of 31 December,

1902, seems to be in error in saying that

the ' Anatomie Vivante' was exhibited at the Egyptian Hall "; but in ' Old and New Lon- don * (Cassell & Co., 1890, vol. iv. p. 257) it is stated : "Here [Egyptian Hall], in 1825, was exhibited a curious phenomenon known as ' the Living Skeleton,' or ' the Anatomie Vivante,' of whom a short account will be found in Hone's 'Every-Day Book.'"

EDWARD LATHAM.

SALEP OR SALOP (9 th S. xii. 448 ; 10 th S. i. 97). A similar question, with replies, will be found in 7 th S. vi. 468 and vii. 34. To what has been already said let me add that salep is not always obtained from the orchid-tuber. The late Dr. Aitchison, who accompanied the Afghan Delimitation Commission during 1884, showed see 'Annals of Botany,' iii. (1889), p. 154 that the source of badsha, or royal salep, is a species of Allium probably A. macleanii. I. B. B.

NOTES ON BOOKS, &c.

Early English Printed Books in the University Library, Cambridge (1475 to 1640). 3 vols. (Cam- bridge, University Press. )

THIS important contribution to bibliographical knowledge grew, as the compiler tells us, out of an earlier and a different scheme. It was accomplished in spite of innumerable difficulties, not the least of which were the limitations of the library itself and the gaps inevitable in the University collection, which are frankly stated to be enormous. As the

labour progressed its scope enlarged, and new matter was constantly introduced into the text. There are few conscientious workers who will not greet with a sympathetic sigh the statement that only at the conclusion of the work " did it begin to be apparent on what lines research was desirable." Part I. consists of incunabula, which are divided into books printed at Westminster, Oxford, St. Albans, and London, with others printed abroad at Bruges, Cologne, Venice, Antwerp, Louvain, Paris, Rouen, Basle, Deventer, and one place unknown. But small in this department is the collection, the catalogue occupying only 33 pages of the 1 ,700 and odd of the entire work. Most of the early books are, more- over, imperfect, and some of them are mere frag- ments. Of the ' Curial ' of Alain Chartier, translated by William Caxton, there is thus but a single leaf, and of ' The Four Sons of Aymon ' there are but four leaves. Some of the works are unique ; and we are not dreaming of disparaging the importance of the collection or its interest, though many curious lessons might be drawn from its shortcomings. The incunabula printed abroad consist largely of Breviaries and Missals. Much labour has necessarily been expended upon the volumes. We wonder if it is ungracious to wish that a little more had been bestowed, and that an index of authors had been supplied at the end, so that we might discover in an instant what works are or are not included in the collection. We might then without difficulty find out what books, if any. of distinguished writers or, indeed, of alumni of the University it may possess. In a glance through, which does not pre- terfd to be more than cursory, we have come upon no mention of Shakespeare or Milton. Chaucer, Lydgate, and Gower often occur ; but it would be a task of difficulty to ascertain what editions of Chaucer's works are to be found. Gower's 'Con- fessio Amantis' is traced by turning to Berthelet, by whom the only accessible edition is issued, and Barclay appears under Cawood, ' Stultifera Navis.' On the other hand, much information not elsewhere easily accessible is given in the shape of printers' marks,exact situation of their premises, and the like.. All bibliographers will desire to possess the three volumes. To those, if there are any such, who propose to continue the invaluable labours of the Brunets, Querards, Barbiers, Lowndeses, &c., they will be of immense value. It is, however, a sad fact that bibliographical labours on an extensive scale are unremunerative, and though the great works to which we refer are out of date as regards the information they supply, we see no probability of their being brought up to the present time. We are not sure, even, that some great works of the past are suitable to modern requirements. Works such as the present must, however, always have value, and cannot easily be out of date. They constitute to the worker a species of m&noirespour seri-ir, in which respect their value cannot easily be overestimated.

Old Time Aldwych, Kingsway, and Neighbourhood*

By Charles Gordon. (Fisher Unwin.) It is natural that advantage should be taken of the great alterations in progress between the Strand ind Holborn to write a volume concerning the dis- tricts now in course of being swept away. Mr. Charles Gordon, to whom is due a ' History of the Old Bailey and Newgate,' is first in the field, and has issued through Mr. Fisher Unwin an account of the movements being carried out and a record of the historical aspects of the region invaded*