Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 1.djvu/471

 io*s. i. MAY u, wo*.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

387

beginning of the present year, into "The finest comets of the nineteenth century were" those above named.

The other work referred to (of great interest to all lovers of nature) is ' The Country Month by Month,' by Mrs. Visger (nee Owen, under which name her portions appear) and Prof. Boulger. In the second edition, published in 1902, we read, at p. 107, "this so-called 'flowering currant,' introduced from North America within the present century." I believe two species of Kibes are included in this description, the Ribes sanguineum and the Ribes sjjeciomm. The former was brought into this country (according to Pax ton) in 1826, and the latter in 1829. Undoubtedly, Prof. Boulger meant the last, not the present (twentieth) century. W. T. LYNN.

WALNEY ISLAND NAMES. At 8 th S. xi. 365 the late CANON ISAAC TAYLOR refers to a curious explanation of the name " Cove o' Kend " (not Cove o' Ken), which appears as the name of an enclosure near Biggar, on Walney Island, on the six-inch O.S. map of Lancashire, sheet 21, surveyed originally in 1847, and perpetuated on the O.S. maps engraved in 1895. As a matter of fact, "Cove o' Kend" is found on an old chart dated 1737, as the name of the enclosure referred to, and thus the modern surveyors cannot be blamed for the " absurd blunder" which the chart-maker of 1737 appears to have originated. In a list of field-names in 1805 of an estate at Biggar, on Walney Island, the name appears as "Colvac End " or "Calvac End." These words are not pronounced " Goaf Hook End " by the natives of Walney Island, but Calvac End the first a as in "call," and the I silent as in "calf." Another place-name adjoining Calvac End is spelt on the O.S. maps Cove Hakes," which appears to be an attempt at the local pro- nunciation of " Colv-heaks " pronounced in a breath quickly. It is impossible to put in type the exact local sounds, but I would suggest that the word " Col vacs " is meant, and that the plural form here given repre- sents the possessive. In the Furness dialect there is no apostrophe s to represent the possessive case e.g., Tom wife," "Colvac End," " Ashburner wife ford," except, as in the case of "Col vacs," when the thing possessed is omitted. Who this Colvac may have been it is impossible to say, but it is not unreason- able to infer a settler from the Isle of Man, or Ireland, where the word was a common proper name. The Isle of Man can be dis- tinctly seen from Walney.

HARPER GAYTHORPE.

Prospect Road, Barrow-in-Furness.

WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that the answers may be addressed to them direct.

THE TURIN NATIONAL LIBRARY. The recent fire at the National Library of Turin caused the total or partial destruction of many treasures belonging to one of the most valuable collections in the world. To remedy this terrible evil, which struck the universal brotherhood of the worshippers of artistic and literary memories, a spontaneous offering of help sprang from every side, in Italy and abroad.

The Italian Bibliographical Society, with the aim of contributing to this noble deed of reparation, has decided to co-operate in the restoration of the lost treasures, according to its particular competence, namely, gathering material for the reconstruction of a collection of Italian and foreign bibliography, which has been completely destroyed.

This project, having been submitted to the judgment of the Principal of the National Library of Turin, has been heartily approved. Considering one of the greatest helps to scholars to be the consultation of catalogues of libraries and archives, and of the biblio- graphical works belonging to scientific insti- tutions of every country, the Committee named for that purpose by the Italian Biblio- graphical Society appeals for copies of biblio- graphical works. The volumes should be forwarded to the Societa Bibliografica Italiana, care of the National Library in Milan.

Each work will have a special ex-libris inserted in it, with the name of the donor ; and the National Library of Turin will be presented with an album containing a list of the donors as well as of their gifts.

GIUSEPPE GIACOSO.

Societa Bibliografica Italiana.

" ASHES TO ASHES" IN THE BURIAL SER- VICE. These well-known words occur in the Collect read while the earth is cast upon the body, and are coupled with " earth to earth " and " dust to dust." At first sight they seem to imply or record the rite of cremation, for an ash is usually something burnt out. Does ash mean metaphorically a light of life extinguished ? or is it merely a way of ex- pressing nothingness, as in Genesis xviii. 27, where Abraham says that he is but "dust and ashes " 1 The references in the margin there give instances of dust, but none of ashes so