2nd §, No 10,, Man. 8. °56.] 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
187 
“ Junius and his Works, compared with the Character 
and Writings of Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chester- 
field. By William Cramp, Author of The Philosophy of 
Language. Lewes: Baxter & Son.” 
“ Junius and his Works, compared with the Character 
and Writings of Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chester- 
field. By William Cramp, &c. London: Hope & Co. 
1850.” 
A mere re-issue, I believe, of the pamphlet 
published by Baxter & Son. 
“ Fac-simile Autograph Letters of Junius, Lord Ches- 
terfield, and Mrs. C. Dayrolles. Showing that the Wife 
of Mr. Solomon Dayrolles was the Amanuensis employed 
in Copying the Letters of Junius for the Printer. With 
a Postscript to the First Essay on Junius and his Works. 
By William Cramp. London: Hope & Co. 1851.” 
“ The Ghost of Junius: or, the Authorship of the cele- 
brated ‘ Letters’ by this Anonymous Writer deduced from 
a Letter, &c., addressed, in 1775-6, by Lieut.-Gen. Sir 
Robert Rich, Bart., &c., to the Right Hon. Lord Viscount 
Barrington, &c. Illustrated with a Geneological Chart, 
shewing the Connexion between Sir Robert Rich and the 
ennobled Families of Grenville, Lyttelton, &c. By Francis 
Ayerst. London: Bosworth. 1853.” 
Mr. Ayerst’s argument is in favour of Sir R. 
Rich. 
So far as I know, the last work on the subject, 
in which the author endeavours to prove that the 
Letters were written by Governor Pownall, is — 
“Junius Discovered. By Frederick Griffin. Boston: 
Little & Co. London: Triibner. 1854. Small 8vo.” 
That there are omissions in this list is more 
than probable; but, no doubt, your correspon- 
dents will enable you to make it perfect. 
W. J. 
CURIOSITIES OF DICTIONARIES : NATURAL HISTORY. 
I confess that I have a great partiality for old 
dictionaries. Amongst much information, they 
contain some amusing articles. I will, however, 
confine myself to a few examples of the state of 
natural science in their days. 
N. Bailey’s Dictionary :— 
“Corisus. The humming Bird, which makes a Noise 
like a Whirl-wind, though it be no bigger than a Fly; 
it feeds on Dew, has an admirable Beauty of Feathers, a 
Scent as sweet as that of Musk or Ambergrease.” 
“Lorror. A Bird, that being looked upon by one that 
has the Yellow Jaundice, cures the Person, and dies itself.” 
This is the Golden Oriole, woodwele, or witwal, 
lately discussed in “ N. & Q.” 
“ Nostock. Stinking tawney jelly of a fallen Planet; 
or the nocturnal Solution of some plethoretical and 
wanton Star.” 
Those who know the real value of old d:AoAoyos, 
will excuse him for not being in advance of 
the science of his time, 135 years ago. But 
what can be said of the state of knowledge in the 
principality of Wales? where, in the present cen- 
tury, articles like the following were published in 
Lewis’s Welsh-English Dictionary (Carmarthen, 
1805) : 
“ Huptewyn. An Ignis fatuus, Will with a wisp, &c 
Will with a wisp is more frequent in places unctuous, 
marshy, and abounding in reeds. They haunt burying- 
places, places of execution, and dunghills. Some that 
have been catched consist of a shining viscous matter, like 
the spawn of frogs, not hot, but only shining; so that the 
matter seems to be phosphorus, raised from putrefied 
plants or carcases,” 
“ Luewparp. A leopard. It is exceedingly swift, 
subtle, and fierce; most ferociously enraged against men, 
and of such a sweet savour, that it allures other beasts to it ; 
by which means they are caught and devoured.” 
Delpino, Spanish Dict. (1763) : — 
‘* JEREPEMONGA. A sort of sea-snake in Brazil, which 
often lies still under the water; and whatever creature 
touches it, sticks so fast, that it can scarce be parted, on 
which the snake feeds. Sometimes it comes out, and 
coils itself on the shore; and if a man puts his hand to it, 
it sticks fast; and putting the other to get it off, that 
sticks too; then the serpent stretches itself out, and get~- 
ting into the sea, feeds on its prey.” 
“ GUACHICHIL, or CHUPAFLORES, A wonderful bird in 
New Spain, called by the latter name by the Spaniards; 
because it is always hanging in the air, sucking the 
flowers, as the word implies, never lighting on the ground. 
The Indians say they stick their beaks into the boughs of 
trees, for several months in the year; where they take 
them asleep, to make of them pictures, images, and other 
curiosities.” 
E. G. R. 
THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 
Assuming that no lover of literature can be 
without a touch of anxiety as to the qualifications 
and character of the successor of sir Henry Ellis 
in the honourable office of Principal Librarian of 
the British Museum, I have extracted from the 
Act of the twenty-sixth year of George the second 
a short paragraph descriptive of the mode in 
which that appointment is made. 
“ And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That 
the principal librarian, to whom the care and custody of 
the said general repository shall be chiefly committed, 
shall, from time to time, be nominated and appointed in 
manner following; that is to say, The said archbishop of 
Canterbury, lord chancellor, or lord keeper, and the 
speaker of the House of Commons, or any two of them, 
shall recommend to his Majesty, his heirs and successors, 
two persons, each of whom they shall judge fit to execute 
the said office; and such of the said two persons so re- 
commended, as his Majesty, his heirs and successors, by 
writing under his or their sign manual, shall appoint, 
after he shall become bound to the said trustees by this 
act appointed, for the due and faithful discharge of his 
office, in such penal sum not being less than one thousand 
pounds, as the said trustees, at any general meeting 
assembled, or the major part of them, shall think proper, 
shall have and hold-the said office, during such time as 
he shall behave well therein.” 
It thus appears that two qualified persons are 
to be recommended by certain officers of state, 
and that her Mavzsry, aided by the advice of her 
