"BISK" (9th S. xii. 186, 375). In 'The Book of the Table' is this derivation :"Bisque-biset, old French for wood-pigeon; derived from bois, whose root is the Low Latin boscus, whence the English bosk, busk, bush, and the French bisque, bois, buis, and buisson." As the stock of crayfish soup appears originally-whatever may be the case now in the exquisite "Potage à la Bisque" served at the Café de la Paix, Paris-to have been made of pigeon stewed down, the soup seems to have derived its name therefrom. HELGA.

ANATOMIE VIVANTE (9th S. xii. 49, 157).MR. HOLDEN MACMICHAEL says that a writer in the Daily Telegraph of 31 December, 1902,......seems to be in error in saying that the 'Anatomie Vivante' was exhibited at the Egyptian Hall"; but in 'Old and New London (Cassell & Co., 1890, vol. iv. p. 257) it is stated: "Here [Egyptian Hall], in 1825, was exhibited a curious phenomenon known as the Living Skeleton,' or 'the Anatomie Vivante,' of whom a short account will be found in Hone's 'Every-Day Book.'

EDWARD LATHAM.

SALEP OR SALOP (9th S. xii. 448; 10th S. i. 97). A similar question, with replies, will be found in 7th S. vi. 468 and vii. 34. To what has been already said let me add that salep is not always obtained from the orchid-tuber. The late Dr. Aitchison, who accompanied the Afghan Delimitation Commission during 1884, showed-see 'Annals of Botany,' iii. (1889), p. 154-that the source of badsha, or royal salep, is a species of Allium-probably A. macleanii. I. B. B.

Miscellaneous.

NOTES ON BOOKS, &c. Early English Printed Books in the University Library, Cambridge (1475 to 1640). 3 vols. (Cambridge, University Press.)

THIS important contribution to bibliographical knowledge grew, as the compiler tells us, out of an earlier and a different scheme. It was accomplished in spite of innumerable difficulties, not the least of which were the limitations of the library itself and the gaps inevitable in the University collection, which are frankly stated to be enormous. As the

labour progressed its scope enlarged, and new matter was constantly introduced into the text. greet with a sympathetic sigh the statement that There are few conscientious workers who will not only at the conclusion of the work "did it begin to be apparent on what lines research was desirable." Part 1. consists of incunabula, which are divided into books printed at Westminster, Oxford, St. Albans, and London, with others printed abroad at Bruges, Cologne, Venice, Antwerp, Louvain, Paris, Rouen, Basle, Deventer, and one place unknown. But small in this department is the collection, the of the entire work. Most of the early books are, morecatalogue occupying only 33 pages of the 1,700 and odd over, imperfect, and some of them are mere fragments. Of the 'Curial' of Alain Chartier, translated by William Caxton, there is thus but a single leaf, and of The Four Sons of Aymon' there are but four leaves. Some of the works are unique; and we the collection or its interest, though many curious are not dreaming of disparaging the importance of lessons might be drawn from its shortcomings. The incunabula printed abroad consist largely of Breviaries and Missals. Much labour has necessarily been expended upon the volumes. We wonder if it is ungracious to wish that a little more had been bestowed, and that an index of authors had been supplied at the end, so that we might discover in an instant what works are or are not included in the collection. We might then without difficulty find out what books, if any, of distinguished writers or, indeed, of alumni of the University-it may possess. In a glance through, which does not pretend to be more than cursory, we have come upon Lydgate, and Gower often occur; but it would be no mention of Shakespeare or Milton. Chaucer, a task of difficulty to ascertain what editions of Chaucer's works are to be found. Gower's 'Confessio Amantis' is traced by turning to Berthelet, by whom the only accessible edition is issued, and Barclay appears under Cawood, Stultifera Navis.' On the other hand, much information not elsewhere easily accessible is given in the shape of printers' marks, exact situation of their premises, and the like. volumes. All bibliographers will desire to possess the three To those, if there are any such, who propose to continue the invaluable labours of the Brunets, Quérards, Barbiers, Lowndeses, &c., they will be of immense value. It is, however, a sad fact that bibliographical labours on an extensive scale are which we refer are out of date as regards the unremunerative, and though the great works to information they supply, we see no probability of their being brought up to the present time. We are not sure, even, that some great works of the past are suitable to modern requirements. Works such as the present must, however, always have value, and cannot easily be out of date. They constitute to the worker a species of mémoires pour servir, in which respect their value cannot easily be overestimated. Old Time Aldwych, Kingsway, and Neighbourhood. By Charles Gordon. (Fisher Unwin.) It is natural that advantage should be taken of the great alterations in progress between the Strand and Holborn to write a volume concerning the districts now in course of being swept away. Mr. Charles Gordon, to whom is due a History of the Old Bailey and Newgate, is first in the field, and has issued through Mr. Fisher Unwin an account of the movements being carried out and a record of the historical aspects of the region invaded.

As the work is liberally illustrated, it forms an interesting souvenir of spots which all living Londoners recall, and an indispensable portion of every library dealing largely with what are called Londiniana. Concerned as it is with legislation regarding the new streets to be erected, with conditions of competition, and with the compensation to be accorded to the owners of property, such as the Gaiety Theatre and the Morning Post, the early part, though important, is of limited interest. Much of the text is made up of reports of proceedings of the County Council and of the ineffectual attempt to induce that body to reconsider a portion of its scheme.

Not until the fifth chapter is reached do we come upon the philological and historical portion of the work, upon the reasons for the selection of the name Aldwych and the description of Danish and Norwegian influence in London, and especially of the Danish settlement around St. Clement's Church. What COL. PRIDEAUX says in N. & Q.,' 9th S. ii. 81, concerning the village of Eldwic or Aldwic, known later as Aldewych, and of Via de Aldewych, connecting it with the Hospital of St. Giles, is quoted. We hear much of the practice of nailing the skins of Danes upon the doors of churches. The maypoles of later times, around which Nell Gwyn may have danced, are depicted; and there is an account of the procession of the "Scald Miserable Masons" on 27 August, 1742, or, preferably, on 7 April of the same year. Very many antiquarian subjects are discussed in a gossiping fashion. Fiction is also employed, and a curious proof of the influence of Dickens is furnished in the insertion of long descriptive passages from his pen.

On Saying Grace. By H. L. Dixon, M.A. (Parker & Co.)

MR. DIXON has put together a very complete and scholarly little treatise on the origin and growth of the pious custom in which acknowledgment is made of a Higher Power who provides man with his daily sustenance, and to whom, consequently, a meed of gratitude is due. In a catena of passages from classical writers and the Fathers of the Church he traces the historical development of the institution from remote antiquity, quoting a remark of Athenæus that " none but Epicureans began their meals without some act of religion." Even that backward people the Ainus, according to Mr. Batchelor (whose name, by the way, is misspelt by Mr. Dixon), have a rude form of grace, in which they thank the Divine Nourisher for the food of which they are about to partake. The formula of a large number of college graces are given, which a little more trouble on the part of the author would have made complete. We miss, for example, the ancient form in use at Trinity College, Dublin, which bears a general resemblance to that used at Clare College, Cambridge. There seems to be a letter redundant in the phrase "libare paternam Jovi" as cited by Mr. Dixon (p. 75).

The Story of the Token. By Robert Shiells, F.S.A.Scot. (Oliphant & Co.)

Ir must every day become more difficult to find a subject for a book which is not already trite and hackneyed. The time is coming when the specialist in entomology, e.g., will have to devote his comprehensive monograph, not to the beetle, but to the leg or other member of that vast subject. Mr. Shiells has discovered for himself a minute depart

ment of ecclesiastical antiquities which was still waiting for its historian. For the token to which Mr. Shiells has devoted his reseaches is not the private coinage of small denomination with which the enterprising tradesman formerly used to advertise his firm, but the little leaden tablet or medal which Scottish ministers used to issue to their parishioners as a passport authorizing their admission to the Holy Table. This old-time observance, once distinctive of the Presbyterian Sabbath, is now rapidly becoming extinct, and it has been the author's laudable ambition to make a collection of these symbola or Communion vouchers, and then, as a natural sequence, to write their "story." Sooth to say, these leaden dumps have little to recommend them as works of art. They are rude and inartistic, and South Kensington would not be the poorer if none of them survived. The prevailing design consists merely of a date and the initials of the minister. They have not even the charm of antiquity to recommend them, as they date chiefly from the eighteenth century, and the very earliest only go back to the first quarter of the seventeenth. There is mention, however, of their being struck at St. Andrews in 1590, and the Huguenots made use of these Communion checks in 1559. Mr. Shiells conjectures that they may have come down by Catholic tradition from the tessera of the Romans, something similar being used for admission of the faithful to the Agapé. But the difficulty remains that no trace of such material symbols can be found during the fifteen intervening centuries. It must be added that the writer pads out his small book by much digressive and irrelevant matter. He is quite mistaken in his derivation of Fr. méreau from Lat. mereri, as if it denoted a token given to the deserving! There is a careless misprint of Χριστόν on p. 144.

Ships and Shipping. Edited by Francis Miltoun. (Moring.) WE have here, with coloured illustrations of flags, signals, &c., and with abundant other illustrations, a useful and pretty little volume, supplying landsmen with all the information they are likely to require concerning ships and shipping at home and abroad. This is, in phrase now classic, “extensive and peculiar." Much of it is derived from Lloyds.

THE Congregational Historical Society has sent us its Transactions for January; also a hitherto lost treatise by Robert Browne, "the father of Congregationalism," A New Years Guift," "in the form of a letter to his uncle Mr. Flower." To this Mr. Champlin Burrage has written an introduction, in which he states that in 1874 the manuscript was acquired by the British Museum. Mr. Crippen considers it to be the most important contribution to early Nonconformist history that has come to light since Dr. Dexter's recovery (about 1875) of the True and Short Declaration.' The contents of the Transactions show some good work done. There is a sketch of Congregationalism in Hampshire by George Brownen, with a map showing the places where ministers were ejected 1660-2. Mr. Edward Windeatt contributes Devonshire and the Indulgence of 1672.' Mr. W. H. Summers gives extracts from the diary of Dr. Thomas Gibbons, 1749 to 1785. This contains references to the Cromwell family, Whitefield, and the Abneys. On Thursday, the 8th of February, 1750, Gibbons