72 
Correspondence. 
All communications relating to advertisements, contributions, or the supply 
of this magazine, should be addressed to the Editor, care of Mr, Butler, High 
Wycombe. Contributions must be sent in before the 15th of the month pre- 
ceding the date of publication. The Editor will be glad to receive notes con- 
cerning any of our local plants and animals, their times of appearing, their 
popular names and traditions, abnormal forms and colours, §c.; these must be 
authenticated by the writer’s name and address, but not necessarily for 
publication. 
Hesrtnon.—Henbane v. Ebony.— 
Although quite unable to equal the 
amount of learning displayed by Mr. 
Payne at p. 48, I still adhere to my 
opinion that by hebenon, Shakespeare 
most certainly intended Henbane. 
In this opinion I am supported by a 
great majority of Shakespearian com- 
mentators. But if the Ebony was 
indeed intended, we are forced to 
believe that our great poet did not 
know what he was talking about! 
Mr. Payne seems to think it almost 
impossible that a king could “suc- 
cumb”’ to the action of Henbane, 
which he humorously terms “a con- 
temptible bird-poison;’’ but as- 
suredly it would be more unlikely 
that the juice of a tree, perfectly in- 
nocuous, in its effects, could in any 
way tend to such a result : and if we 
admit that kings are, after all, but 
ordinary flesh and blood—it seems 
to me that a monarch is as likely as 
a peasant to fall a victim to the 
effect of a poison. Again, Henbane 
produces different effects upon dif- 
ferent people; and the symptoms 
given in my “‘amusing little monas- 
tic fiction’’ (which, however, rests 
on a solid basis of fact); although 
they may not exactly coincide with 
those of the poet, may be quite as 
correct as his. The ‘rendering’ to 
which I referred has been given, 
more than once, at a village penny 
reading: and I am quite willing to 
allow Mr. Payne to cite this as an 
authority, should he think fit. The 
conclusion to which we must come 
is briefly this: if Shakespeare knew 
what he was talking about, nothing 
but Henbane could have been inten- 
ded by him; but, if on the other 
hand, we allow that he was exer- 
cising his right of ‘ poetical license’ 
in no ordinary degree, Ebony, or 
anything else, might have been selec- 
ted for his purpose. I cannot help 
thinking that the former supposition 
will be most generally assented to. 
James BritTen. 
Tue Larcr TortoisE-sHELL (Va- 
nessa Polychloros). (See p. 45.)— 
This fine butterfly is not unfrequent 
all round Marlow. It appears about 
the end of July, and almost imme- 
diately enters into its state of hyber- 
nation. For a few days only it may 
be observed in the sunshine, basking 
on the bole of some tree, and flying 
about it when disturbed. We only 
saw one last summer, and it was just 
outside a wood at Fingest. In April 
and early May it is more easily 
found, flying in the open walks of 
our woods; but the specimens are 
then worn and should not be cap- 
tured, as they are laying the eggs of 
a future brood. I haye taken the 
larya just ready to turn, on palings 
in this town, and the perfect insect 
appeared about a fortnight after. 
Although called by Harris in his 
“ Aurelian”’ the * Nettle Butterfly,” 
it is well known to feed on the elm, 
as stated by Mr. Ullyett. Itis gene- 
rally called “The Large Tortoise- 
shell,’ and is regarded as a prize 
among our young collectors. 
Rey. BERNARD SMITH, Great Marlow. 
