289 



"Let others eulogise her floral shows, 



From me they cannot win a stanza, 

 I know her blooms are in full blow, and so's 

 The influenza. 



Her cowslip stocks and lilies of the vale, 

 Her honey blossoms that you hear the bees at. 



Her pansies, daffodils, and primrose pale 

 Are the things I sneeze at." 



A good wash and a good dinner wonderfully changed the aspect of aflfairs. 



After the transaction of the business of the Club and the proposal of several new 



members, a paper was read on "The Birds of Herefordshire," in continuation. 



The President read a very interesting letter from Mr. E. \V. Colt-Williams, 



speaking pleasantly of a nest of the forked-tailed kite, and a double family of 



young ravens on the immediate border of the county. He then gave the following 



extracts from the Churchwardens' accounts at Stretton Grandison : — 



s. d. 

 "1725 — Paid twenty crows 10 



Thirteen hedgehogs 3 3 



One fitcher (polecat) 2 



1741— Paid for crows, sparrows, kites and chatterpies (magpies) 1 7 



Inasmuch as these sums were paid out of the Church rate, the ratepayers 

 presumably thought they had a right to have obnoxious ferce iiaturoe destroyed at 

 the common expense. From the fact that threepence was paid for each dead 

 hedgehog, and twopence only for a polecat, may we suppose that in 1725 polecats 

 were more common than hedgehogs, or are we to think that the supposed crime 

 of sucking Herefordshire cows was considered more heinous than the certainty of 

 destruction among Herefordshire rabbits and chickens ? " 



So has passed the day into history. 



REMARKS BY MR. JAMES DAVIES, 



OF HEREFOKD, 



Secretary for Herefordshire of the Cambrian Archmological Society. 



The statement of the dedication of the Church to St. Ishaw, is somewhat at 

 variance with the name of the Patron Saint as Riven in Ecton's Thesaurus; indeed, 

 if the principle of nomenclature be followed, the name of Patricio or Patrick 

 would seem more reconcilable than that of St. Ishaw, which, according to the 

 usual Welsh appellative, would have handed down the name as Llanishaw, or 

 Capel Ishaw. 



Near the Church is an ancient well, known as "Ffynnon Ishaw," or the well 

 of St. Ishaw, who, according to local tradition, was martyred on the banks of the 

 little brook which flows into the river Grwynne Fawr. This brook is called "Nant 

 Mair," or "St. Mary's Brook"; another incident which connects this locality 

 with early Ecclesiastical record. 

 20 



