PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 179 



section, in which Dr Wright and Edwin Witchcll bore 

 the brunt :* or a pleasant chat on British Birds — some- 

 times on British Jail Birds — for our Vice-President, 

 Barwick Baker, was a specialist in both ornithologies. A 

 most genial, as well as able man, was the first President 

 of the Cotteswold Club : full of fun to boot, and given to 

 little piquant sayings which were made the more telling 

 by a slight hesitation in his speech. I remember being a 

 good deal tickled at the advice he gave to a visitor who 

 had accompanied him in one of our Club tramps across 

 country. The stranger was a tall dignified North country 

 squire, who had had troubles from a habit of the colliers 

 in his neighbourhood, of opening up new paths across his 

 fields in all directions, to get to their pits. Barwick Baker 

 advised him to put thorns at the two ends of the field, in 

 the gaps, and a bull in the middle : explaining that " some 

 Village Hampden " might pull up the thorns, but that the 

 bull discouraged trespassers effectually. " Well," said the 

 North countryman, " but they can pull you up for the 

 bull ! " " Ye-s," replied Barwick Baker, with a provoking 

 drawl — " they CAN: but they DON'T ! " 



This was on my first outing with the Club. I had been 

 invited by John Jones, at that time the Secretary, and 

 whose acquaintance I had recently made by asking him a 

 question on some Philological matter, as I met him in the 

 street : for he enjoyed a wide reputation as a savant in 

 Anglo-Saxon and other languages, as well as in Geology. 

 I don't remember what the word was, about which I was 

 curious, but he asked me to come to his house and refer 

 to Bosworth's Anglo-Saxon dictionary to . determine it. 

 Then, with the remark " I sec you take an interest in 

 Philology : can you tell me what this word means ? " 

 — taking out his pocket-book, and turning over a few 

 leaves, he showed me this : — " Skiln." 



I am reminded tli.-it the historical quarry debate in which I'rolVsbor Buckmaii 

 was a principal, was some five years earlier than this. 



