Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 5.djvu/131

 12 S. V. MAY, 1919.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

125

"BAYNINGE" AND " BLANKETT," OBSO- LETE NAMES OF BIRDS. In the thirteenth volume of Archveologia (1800, pp. 315-89) there is given a curious " Breviare " of direc- tions for the ordering of a nobleman's house, which contains the names of about sixty-three birds, most of whioh can be identified, but two at least are quite un- intelligible " Bayninge " and " Blankett " (also spelt "Blonket"). "Bayninge" is

Eossibly a diminutive, meaning the little ay or red bird, but of what species ? The name " Blankett " may perhaps signify some sort of wild duck of a grey colour, in which sense the adjective " bloncket " is used by Spenser. Any explanatory assist- ance regarding these two obsolete names will be gratefully acknowledged.

J. H. GURNEY. Keswick Hall, Norwich.

THE ANT-BEAR AND THE TORTOISE. In Major Leonard's ' The Lower Niger and its Tribes,' 1906, p. 314, it is said that the natives have elevated the tortoise to the sovereignty of the beasts of the forest. One motive for this, according to the author, is that

"The animal in question can exist longer with- out food than perhaps any other animal of its gloomy forests, or indeed of other countries, the ant-bear of Brazil alone excepted."

The tortoise's extreme indifference, to hunger is proverbial in China. But is the same trait of the ant-bear a well- ascertained fact ? And, if so, where can I find an account of it ?

KUMAGUSU MlNAKATA. Tanabe, Kii, Japan.

RICHARD SNOW. Particulars wanted of the i parentage and marria.ge of Richard Snow, who was buried at Pilton, near Barn- staple, in 1791, aged 80. Wife's name Mary. Neither baptized nor married at either place. H. D.

LORD ROBERTS : HOUSE IN WHICH HE DIED. On Nov. 18, 1914, I w^ote from Lausanne where I then lived to the editor of The Daily Mail to suggest that a movement should be made to purchase the house in St. Omer where Lord Roberts died, and keep it as a memorial of the great soldier. As far as I am aware, my letter did not appear in the paper, and no action has been taken in any way. It would be well to put on record the name of the street and the number of the house. Can some one supply these details ?

HERBERT SOUTH AM.

WILLIAM SIMPSON FORD OF HOLYWEIL STREET. I shall be glad to learn if any- thing has been recorded of this interesting publisher, who in 1846 issued W. A. Dela- motte's ' Account of the Royal Hospital of St. Bartholomew,' &c. This work, now becoming scarce, is worth examination. The illustrations by the author are litho- graphs drawn on zinc plates, and while the second or half title, printed from type in two colours, shows that the book was first published when Ford was at 304 Strand , the first title, lithographed, gives his later address of 18 Holywell Street, Strand.

In some copies a catalogue of Ford's publications is inserted, and besides this work his productions were engravings and lithographs. There are mezzotints by James Stubbs, etchings, wood engravings, &c. ; and the same author -artist, W. A. Delamotte, provided a lithograph "drawn on zinc " : " Henry VIII. and Ann Boleyii, vide ' Windsor Castle,' an Historical Romance by "W". Harrison Ainsworth, Esq."

Ford dealt in prints, autograph letters, old books, &c.. and was, I believe, related to Ford of Islington Greoii. His business was at least so refreshingly different from that usual in Holywell Street that his enterprise is worth recording.

ALECK ABRAHAMS.

REV. W. BARTLETT. The Rev. William Bartlett, Rector of Newark and East Stoke, Nottingham, died May, 1835, aged 65. Will any descendants communicate with me ? H. R. P. BAKER.

DR. T. HARRISON. Dr. Thomas Harrison, of Mitford Villa, near Bath, was living in 1840. I shall be glad if any descendants will communicate with me.

H. R. P. BAKER.

77 Accrington Road, Blackburn.

CONVEX LIGHTS AND CONIC LIGHTS, c 1700. In the wardens' accounts of one of the City guilds the following item occurs vear after year, between 1696 and 1750: " Paid for Convex Lights, 12s."

I have often wondered what these " convex lights" were, and on looking through^ 'A New View of London ' (printed in 1708) I found the following :

" Convex Lights. The office is kept at the White Heart on the E. side of Bread Street, and by the Statute 5 & 6 W. and Mary, ch. 10, tj City may lease to the Persons concerned in .the Convex Lights, the sole use of such lights mthm the City. The Bates paid for these lights is 6s. per'ann. by such whose houses iront streets. And these lights begin to burn 3 days