Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 10.djvu/297

 11 S. X. OCT. 10, 1914.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

291

suggests, the diagram shown by Dr. Wallace in The Times could be turned upside down, the unnamed lane mentioned between the two parcels of land in the deed of 1599 would probably represent Globe Alley before it was named after the new theatre. On the 1720 plan the Alley is not parallel to Maiden Lane, but at the wider end, on the west side, measures about 100ft., which, according to the deed, was the width of the parcel of land adjoining Maiden Lane. L. L. K.

" SPABBOWGBASS " (11 S. x. 227, 278). If MB. JOHNSON will refer to the ' N.E.D.,' t.v. ' Sparrowgrass,' he will see that the great dictionary is no more " reserved " than Dr. Wright in regard to this form. The words are : " Conniption of Sparagus, assimilated to Sparrow and Grass." MB. JOHNSON'S note seems a little misleading in one or two particulars, as does jalso his quotation from Nares. It is true, as Nares says, that Gerard and the older herbalists generally give " sperage " as the English name of this plant ; but Gerard uses both it and "asparagus" in his text, indexes " asparagus " under ' English Names,' and says definitely that the plant's names are " in English Sperage, and likewise Asparagus after the Latine name." Lyte in his descrip- tion uses only the names " asparagus " and " sparragus," but tinder ' The Names ' he says : "In Latine, Asparagus, and in shops Sparag ' . . . . in English sperage." Turner (quoted in 'N.E.D.'), like Lyte, attributes the form " sparagus " to the apothecaries. The derivation of " sparage " and " sperage " from this is not more clear than that of " sparagrass " and " sparrowgrass," which do not appear in literature until later. They are quite natural corruptions, and need no far-fetched analogy from Arabia to explain them. It will be seen that it was not the euphuism of the seventeenth century that first called sparrowgrass " asparagus."

C. C. B.

SKYE TERHIEBS (11 S. x. 250). Failing more precise information from some other correspondent, I may state in reply to ST. HUBERT

(1) That, like the origin of most British breeds, that of the Skye terrier cannot be definitely ascertained. It is probable that the different varieties of Highland terriers, Buch as the Scottish, the Skye, and the Dandie Dinmont, are all the descendants of a purely native Scottish original. They are all inter-related, but which was the parent

breed it seems impossible to determine. As the name implies, the Skye terrier had its early home in the island of Skye. There is a legend most probably fabulous that the dogs of that island were originally Scottish terriers, but that at the time of the Armada a Spanish vessel was wrecked upon the shores of Skye, and that the only living things saved were a number of white, long- haired dogs, which interbred with the native terriers, and from these have descended the breed as we now know it. In 1773 Dr. Johnson made, with Boswell, his celebrated tour to the Hebrides, and in his own ' Jour- ney to the Western Islands of Scotland,' pub- lished in 1775, made brief mention of these terriers, and observed that otters and weasels were plentiful in Skye, that foxes were numerous, and that they were hunted by small dogs.

(2) Queen Victoria had a great admiration of the breed, and from 1842 onwards usually owned very fine specimens. Sir Edward Landseer was a great favourite at Court, and introduced a number of Skye terriers into his paintings. For these among other reasons, Skyes gradually attracted notice south of the Tweed, and by about 1860 they had a great many English admirers, and in the first volume of ' The Kennel Club Stud Book ' (1873) the breed was included. At the present time, although it can scarcely be reckoned a popular breed, it has a number of admirers, and has two clubs one in Scotland, and one in England to promote its interests.

(3) Outside Great Britain the breed has not received much attention. Only a few American, and still fewer French and German, dog -lovers have purchased Skyes from British breeders, with the view of introducing the breed into their respective countries.

(4) I am not aware of any breed of dogs in the North of Europe even remotely resembling the Skye terrier.

There is now an extensive literature of the dog, but attention to pedigree is of relatively recent origin, and books dealing with the various breeds do not date back more than twenty years or so. One of the earliest is Rawdon B. Lee's ' Modern Dogs of Great Britain and Ireland,' first pub- lished near the close of the nineteenth century. This has illustrations from draw- ings by Arthur Wardle, but I cannot say whether the Skye is illustrated therein, as I have not a copy to refer to.

F. A. RUSSELL.

110, Arran Road, Catford, S.E.