224 



The Country Gaitlcivomau 



^otc6 anb (il)u erica. 



NOTES. 



THE PRESENT DROUGHT. 



Sir, — It seems to be understood that the 

 foliage of trees has its influence in so regu- 

 lating meteorological phenomena, that to de- 

 stroy the arborescent growth of a country is 

 to subject it to drought and barrenness. Now, 

 it would seem an important question at pre- 

 sent — and is it not one to which statisticians 

 might furnish an approximate answer — 

 whether, through the destruction of foliage on 

 the European continent, incidental to carry- 

 ing on the warlike operations of the last few 

 years (whether in making gunstocks or 

 otherwise), the similar destruction, whether on 

 the Continent or in England, incidental to 

 railway operations, and the destruction of 

 Hainault and the Epping forests, &c., we 

 have not at length reached that limit, which, 

 suffered to be exceeded, may subject us here 

 in Great Britain to a chronic barrenness like 

 that of the rock of Gibraltar.— 6^. M.^ Hol- 

 lowayj/ie/y 1868. 



THE RAID UPON DOGS. 

 It would appear that the chimney-sweeps 

 formerly performed the duties that have now 

 devolved on the force of Sir Richard Mayne, 

 the Court of Common Council being the 

 directing power in the business. In a Lon- 

 don newspaper of August 1760 we read: — 

 " In the pursuance of the resolution of the 

 Court of Common Council, held on Tuesday 

 at Ckiildhall, all dogs that are found at large 

 in this city after Wednesday are to be de- 

 stroyed." 



And in September 1760 we, from another 

 newspaper paragraph, learn how the resolu- 

 tion was carried out: — "Thursday three 

 chimney-sweepers, having each killed a dog 

 in the parish of St Paul's, Covent Garden, 

 went to receive the reward, which, being 

 paid to one of them in a half-crown, shillings, 

 and sixpences, a sharp contest arose amongst 

 them concerning the dividing of it, one insist- 

 ing it was two shillings and threepence, 

 another but two shillings and twopence each. 

 At length, after a great dispute, it was pro- 

 posed by one of them to change the whole 

 sum into halfpence, and lay it in a heap, and 

 then stand round and take up a halfpenny a 

 piece as long as they lasted, by which means 

 they would all have an equal share, which pro- 

 posal being readily agreed to, they immediately 

 put it in practice, [and all went off very well 

 satisfied." 



QUERIES. 



IRISH WOLF-HOUNDS. 



Any reliable information regarding the ex- 

 istence of this rare breed, in its original form 

 at the present time, will greatly oblige. 



MERAC. 



In Blakey's Hinc to Ang/c, and Where to 

 Go, he affirms, on the authority of a Captain 

 Guillaume, that merac is the best and most 

 attractive bait for tench. Pray, what is mcrac, 

 and who is Capt. Guillaume ; is he a French 

 writer on angling ? 



