Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/351

 ii s. vii. MAY 3, 1913.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

347

on p. 537 of ' Fleet Street in Seven Cen- turies,' by Mr. W. G. Bell, who also reprints an account contributed by " Aleph " to The City Press. If I am not grievously mis- taken, this writer. Dr. W. Harvey of Lons- dale Square, was of an age that Would only allow of his having seen the Waxworks when, on their final removal, they were exhibited at the corner of Water Lane.

ALECK ABRAHAMS.

RICHARD CHATJSERE. As this name, and the calling which it has been proved to indicate, is of uncommon occurrence, it is worth while to note every individual. Hence, in case the above person has not been noticed, I venture to mention his occurrence as one of twelve good men and true on an Inq. P.M. at Gloucester, 30 June, 1359 ; that is, ten years later than the decease of Richard Chaucer, the vintner of St. Martin's. ST. CLAIR BADDELEY.

THE PRICE OF ' THE TIMES.' The following is taken from The Bookseller of the 25th of April :

" The price of The Times on and after Monday week, May 5, to the general public, will be reduced from 3</. to 2d. The reduction has been in force for regular subscribers since February, 1911. The price at which The Times has been sold to the public at different times is as follows : July 1, 1796, 4K ; January 1, 1799, 6d. ; May 22, 1809, fyd. ; September 1, 1815, Id. ; September 15, 1836; 5d. ; July 1, 1855, 'l ; October 1, 1861, U. ; May 5, 1913, 2c/."

F. e. j.

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 answers may be sent to them direct.

RICHARDSONS OF MuNSTER. William Richardson of London, merchant, paid in 50Z. for the Irish adventure in April and July, 1642, and in return drew a plot of land in the barony of Iff a and Off a in Tippe- rary. I should like to know if this William Richardson or any of his sons ever took possession of, or settled on, this land, and if so, at what period, and who are their descendants.

Charles Richardson of London, fishmonger, advanced 201. in 1642 for the Irish adven- ture ; he died in May, 1645, and administra- tion was granted to Sarah, his relict. By an indenture of 18 Nov., 1645, between the late King [?] and Sarah Richardson of Stepney, the wardship of Thomas Richard- son, as son and next of kin to Charles

Richardson, was granted to her, from which it appears he was Charles's son and heir.

Charles Richardson also subscribed 201. for houses and lands in Waterford in Septem- ber, 1644.

Did this Thomas Richardson, son of Charles, settle in Waterford ? If so, where ? What was his descent, and to whom was he married ? Any information relating to the Munster Richardsons will be much appreciated. BALLYPOREEN.

New York City.

" SCOLOPENDRA CETACEA." This animal is described as follows in John Johnston's ' Historia Natural is de Piscibus et Cetis,' 1767, lib. v. p. 221 :

"^lianus solus Exerunt aliquando totum e

mari caput. Narium pilos magnee excelsitatis ap- parere, caudam perinde atxjue locustse latam con- spici, reliquum corpus aliquando in superficie sequoris spectari, et cum triremi justae magnitu- dinis conferri posse : Permultis pedibus, utrinque ordine sitis, tanquam ex scalmis appensis natare. Addunt inquit harum rerum periti ac fide digni, ipsos etiam fluctus ea natante leviter subsonare. Pro hac Cetacea Scolopendra, hanc, quaiu exprimi curavimus, Aldrovandus exhibet. Coda ad colorem caeruleum vergebat ; ad latera tamen et in ventre nonnihil rufescebat."

The same book, tab. xliv., gives its figure, which differs from the one reproduced from Rondeletius in Gesner's ' Historia Animalium,' Frankfurt, 1604, p. 838.

Sir Thomas Browne's ' An Account of Fishes, &c., found in Norfolk and on the Coast ' relates briefly thus :

" I have also observed a Scolopendra cetacea of about ten [inches] long, answering the figure in Rondeletius, which the mariners told me was taken in the seas" (his 'Works 'in " Bohn's Antiquarian Library," vol. iii. p. 325).

Webster's ' International Dictionary,' s.v. ' Scolopendra,' says : " 2. A sea fish. [R.] Spenser.'"

What animal or animals were actually meant by these names ? I am desirous of being acquainted with their modern scientific appellations.

Kaibara's ' Materia Medica of Japan,' 1708, describes a venomous marine creature termed Mukade-kujira (literally, centipede - whale), which accords more or less with ^Elian's account quoted above (see my letter on ' The Centipede -Whale ' in Nature. vol. Ivi., 1897). Nowadays there lives nobody in this part who has ever heard of even the name of such a fish.

In his edition of .Elian, 1784, vol. ii. p. 432, Johann Gottlob Schneider ventured to associate the Scolopendra Cetacea with the Scolopendrous Millipede cast on rocks out