Retrospective Criticism, 303 



has been in progress for some time, and, if not ready for this Number, it will 

 certainly be so in time for the titlepage of the voKime. We sincerely thank 

 W. H. for his criticism; it would have been easy to have made the correc- 

 tion and said nothing about it, but we have introduced his letter at length, 

 because we wish to show our young readers, that, in looking at even so 

 small a matter as an ornamental vignette, there is a great difference in the 

 number and kind of ideas which arise in the mind of a man of general 

 knowledge and taste, and those which present themselves to a mind, which 

 to this general knowledge and taste has added the science specifically be- 

 longing to the subjects inspected. — Cond. 



Superstition relating to Bees. — On further enquiry, I find that the super- 

 stitious practice, which I formerly mentioned, of informing the bees of a 

 death that takes place in a family, is very well known, and still prevails 

 among the lower orders in this country. The disastrous consequence to be 

 apprehended from noncompliance with this strange custom, I now un- 

 derstand to be, not (as before stated) that the bees will desert the hive, 

 but that they will dwindle and die. The manner of communicating the 

 intelligence to the little community, with due form and ceremony, I am 

 told is this : to take the key of the house, and knock with it three times 

 against the hive, telling the inmates, at the same time, that their master or 

 mistress, &c., (as the case may be) is dead ! — W.T. Bree. AUesley Rectory, 

 July 9. 1828. 



Psalm singing to Bees. — When in Bedfordshire lately, we were informed 

 of an old man who sang a psalm last year in front of some hives which were 

 not doing well, but which he said would thrive in consequence of that cere- 

 mony. Our informant could not state whether this was a local or indivi- 

 dual superstition. — Cond. 



Translation and Derivation of Technical Terms. — Sir, I am surprised to 

 see you found fault with by your correspondent A. (p. 200.), for giving the 

 derivations of technical words, enclosed between parentheses, in the body 

 of the page. It will be admitted, I suppose, by all, that it is both useful 

 and agreeable to know the meaning of the words we employ. Many of the 

 technical terms of science are not always immediately obvious, even to 

 those who have a knowledge of Latin and Greek; and to such as do not 

 possess that advantage, the words in question, unless they are explained, 

 must generally be downright hard words without meaning, and, as such, 

 prove impediments to the acquisition of knowledge. It may often happen, 

 too, that when a word is fiilly known as to its bare etymology, still the 

 dnft and propriety of its application to the particular plant or animal to 

 which it belongs may be far from apparent, till pointed out. In defence of 

 your own practice, you very justly say that " the translations and deriv- 

 ations are likely to have the best chance of being remembered, when given 

 where they occur." Might you not go further, and say that in this way 

 they have not only the best chance of being remembered^ but the best 

 chance of being known, or even read at all ? Whatever inconvenience may 

 arise to the reader, from the introduction of these parentheses in the body 

 of the page (and I do not deny that some slight interruption is hereby occa- 

 sioned), still, the inconvenience complained of appears to me quite trifling, 

 compared with that of being continually obliged to turn to a glossary at the 

 end of the Number to find the meaning of a word ; and rather than sub- 

 mit to such a disagreeable interruption, your readers, I suspect, will be con- 

 tent, oftentimes at least, to remain in ignorance of the meaning of many 

 a technical word they meet with. I should not have troubled you on this 

 subject, were it not that you say, " If other readers are of the same opinion 

 as your correspondent A., you shall reUnquish the practice.'' Now, I do 

 hope. Sir, that, for the reasons given above, you will not relinquish the 

 practice, but continue the same plan with which you have commenced. At 

 the same time I wish to observe that an index or glossary of translations 



