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NOTES AND QUERIES.

[ 2 d g. NO 21., MAY 24. '56.

See Aikin's General Biography, vol. viii. 4to. ; Gent. Mag., Sept. 1783. S. D.

Great Bustard (2 nd S. i. 314.) In reply to R. G. T. I beg to inform Lira that be will find the most authentic and interesting account of the bustard in Frasers Magazine for September, 1854, and a letter in the same work for October, recording the particulars of a great bustard (fe- male) being shot on the estate of the Rt. Hon. Baron Parke, at Lees Hill, in Kingswater, on the 8th of March, 1854. Also in Yarrell's beautiful work, The History of British Birds, vol. ii., is an exquisite representation of this king of British birds, with its history, which may now be con- sidered as quite extinct in this country. It may not be out of place here to note that our officers in the Crimea appear to have enjoyed much sport with flocks of these birds in December last, some of which were killed weighing fifteen or sixteen pounds. J. B. WHITBORNE.

Paraph (2 nd S. i. 373.) Q. will find in a number of The Times, which I cannot now refer to, but one published previous to the one he quotes, an explanation of the word paraph. It was, I remember, in the Paris letter, and stated that the rough draft of the peace-treaty had been prepared, and that it had been paraphed by the plenipotentiaries ; but as the word seemed to be new, and not generally understood, a note stated that paraphed meant the affixing of the initials of the names of the plenipotentiaries to the bottom of each sheet. ESTE.

Birmingham.

Rhubarb Champagne (2 nd S. i. 293.) Those who know the advice which a late celebrated phy- sician used to give in regard to this beverage, to patients who had any tendency to calculus, cannot wish it should be made either here or elsewhere.

X. Y.

In answer to your correspondent J. B. NEIL, I beg to say that the experiment has been made in this county (Kent), with the greatest success. I can vouch for the excellence of the liquor thus produced. I regret that, here, I cannot supply the facts of the case as they were familiar to me fifteen or twenty years ago ; but a reference to the Records of the Bath and West of England Society of Agriculture, Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, if such can now be obtained, will sup- ply all the requisite information. So far as my recollections extend, about twelve to twenty acres of land in the neighbourhood of Bath were planted with rhubarb, for the sole purpose of making wine, by a gentleman well known as an agricul- turist. Having, as an old vice-president of the above Society, taken some pains to encourage the experiment and recommend the produce, a case

of one dozen was presented to me ; and I can safely say no other imitation had any chiince with this. It was then sold by Fortt, in Milsom Street, Bath, at a cheap rate. I may, hereafter, be able to supply more particulars on this subject.

C. H. P. Brighton.

Here is a recipe for a rhubarb draught of some kind which Ma. Js. BKUCE NEIL may, perhaps, like to "try his hand at;" whether it is the genuine article which he inquires for, or the French or English method of preparing the beve- rage, I cannot say :

" Get some fine gooseberry rhubarb, string and cut it in small pieces, and put it in a tub. To every six pounds of rhubarb put one quart of unboiled spring water, and well braise the rhubarb. Let it stand twenty-four hours ; strain off; and to every six pounds of rhubarb add one pound of sugar, dissolved, and one pint of river water. Let it stand a day more ; remove all scum that rises quite clean, and put it into a flannel bag ; put the liquor into a barrel with the vent-peg not too low ; let what- ever liquor drains from the flannel bag go into the barrel, and let the whole work three days : now cover the barrel close, and let it stand four months before it is bottled."

As to the first part of the Query, the pleasure of furnishing replies cannot be better left than in the hands of " all honest wine merchants." I trust MR. NEIL will find the number large.

R. W. HACKWOOD.

St. Apollonias Teeth (2 nd S. i. 213. 323.) There is "yet another" tooth belonging to St. Apollonia's set (which I suppose was never in either of the "hogsheads" mentioned by R. S.), preserved in the chapel at Vienna, erected by Ferdinand III., and dedicated to that saint as patroness of the teeth, in consequence of a vow he had made when his son Prince Leopold cut his teeth.

The tooth here shown is adored and kissed by believers, who imagine the touch of it a cure for the tooth-ache; in this particular, at all events, confirming R. S.'s account and suspicions.

R. W. HACKWOOD.

Notes on Wife-Selling. Can we blame our neighbours across the Channel for thinking us a nation of wife-sellers when, ignorant of our manners, and with feelings embittered by a^long war, they read such paragraphs as the following?

" A fellow sold his wife, as a cow, in Sheffield market- place, a few days ago. The lady was put into the hands of a butcher, who held her by a halter fastened round her waist. 'What do you ask for your cow?' said a bye- stander. ' A guinea,' replied the husband. 'Done,' cried the other, and immediately paid the money, and led away his bargain. We understand that the purchaser and his cow live very happily together." JJoncaster Gazette, March 25, 1803.

" On Wednesday a most disgraceful scene took place in Pontefract. A fellow of the name of Smith brought his wife from Ferrybridge, and had her put up for sale by auction at the market cross, at the small sum of twelve