^g Retrospective Criticism. 



an opinion which derives much confirmation from the circumstance of the 

 spring having ceased to flow during the last two years of unusual drought, 

 and breaking out again in May of the present year, after the copious and 

 heavy rains which fell in the spring. White, in his History of Selborne^ 

 speaking of the wet autumn and winter of 1 773, says that " the land springs, 

 which we call lavatits, break out much on the downs of Sussex, Hampshire, 

 and Wiltshire. The country people say, when the lavants rise corn will 

 always be dear ; meaning that when the earth is so glutted with water as to 

 send forth springs on the downs and uplands, that the corn vales must be 

 drowned : and so it has proved for these ten or eleven years past. For 

 land springs have never obtained more since the memory of man than during 

 that period ; nor has there been known a greater scarcity of all sorts of 

 grain, considering the great improvements of modern husbandry.*' (See 

 Let. 19. to Hon. D. Harrington.) It is an acknowledged fact, that a dry 

 season is most favourable to the produce of corn in this country, to say no- 

 thing of the getting in of the harvest. There are several old proverbs to 

 this effect, such as, " Drought never bred dearth in England : '* and, 



" When the sand doth feed the clay (which is in a wet summer), 

 England, woe and well-a-day ! 

 But when the clay doth feed the sand (which is in a dry summer), 

 Then it is well with England." {Ray's Proverbs, ) 



Now, this being the case, and the flowing of the land springs depending, as 

 it should seem it certainly must do, on the quantity of rain that falls, it is 

 easy to perceive how these corn springs, as they are called, came to have 

 attributed to them a character for foretelling a dearness of corn. It would 

 be worth while, however, to watch their operations more minutely ; and it 

 is in the hope that some intelligent persons, who have the opportunity, may 

 be induced to do so, that I have now called your attention to the subject. 



The Dudley's spring is still flowing (Sept. 13.) as copiously as when I 

 visited the spot two months ago. Yours, &c. — W. T. Bree. Allesley Rectory y 

 Sept. 20. 1828. 



Laudanum, a species of dew. — Laudanum is procured in a curious man- 

 ner, in some parts of the fsle of Cyprus. It is a species of dew, which falls 

 during the evening and night upon plants resembling sage, the flowers of 

 which are like those of the eglantine. Before the sun rises, flocks of goats 

 are driven into the field, and the laudanum fastens on their beards, whence 

 it is taken. It is of a viscous nature, and, collected in this manner, is purer 

 than that which adheres to the plants; because these plants are subject to 

 being covered with dust during the day. {Ruche's Beauties of Nature.) 

 Can any of your readers explain this ? — R. S. March^ 1829. 



Art. X. Retrospective Criticism. 



Accentuation of Names. — Sir, I never take up your Magazine of Natural 

 History, but its multifarious contents bring before my mind the imaginary 

 picture of Horace, "undique collatis membris." * I say this with reference 

 only to the sources of your information : the consummation of the poet's 

 supposition, " ut nee pes nee caput uni reddatur formae," -f will by no 

 means attach to your work; for I am persuaded that it will hereafter 



* " Members collected from all parts." 



f " That neither foot nor head can be referred to the same form." 



