NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



Its vast increase therefore is entirely dne to division ; every 

 fragment grows. 



WOLMER. Mr. Harting remarks in his edition of "White : 

 " The name Wolmer is doubtless a corruption of Wolf mere or 

 \Volvemere; and it is not a little remarkable that the three 

 great meres of that district, Hogmer, Cranmer, and Wolmer, 

 were named after wild animals which are now all extinct 

 in Britain viz., the hog or wild boar, the crane, and the wolf." 



The existence of wolves in England is testified by the 

 story of " Little Eed Biding Hood.'" C. T. W. writes : 

 " Can anyone inform me if the famous wolf, the last of its 

 race in Britain, which was killed by Sir Evan Cameron, in 

 1680, and which was prepared as a stuffed specimen, is still 

 extant and in good preservation ? I find that in a catalogue of 

 Mr. Donovan's sale of the London Museum, by Mr. King, April, 

 1818, one article is (in p. 53, lot 832) a 'wolf, a noble animal, 

 in a large glass case : the last wolf killed in Scotland "by Sir E. 

 Cameron.' Where can it be now ? " In Ireland, parish registers 

 of the destruction of wolves come down to last century. 



COINS AND ANTIQUITIES, p. 24. At Barnstaple, in the autumn 

 of 1874, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Townshend M. Hall, 

 F.G.S., author of many valuable pamphlets on the geology and 

 antiquities of Barnstaple and its neighbourhood. Mr. Hall's 

 father is rector of the church at Pilton, close to Barnstaple. 



The Priory of Piltou was one of the most important, as well 

 as one of the most ancient ecclesiastical establishments in 

 the neighbourhood of Barnstaple. It was founded by King 

 Athelstan, who died A.P. 940, and an impression of the official 

 seal of the priory is still in existence. The inscription on the 

 seal reads as follow : 



HOC. ATHELSTANUS AGO. QUOD. PRESENS. SIGNAT. IMAGO. 



A few years ago a very interesting and valuable ring was dug 

 up in Pilton Churchyard (it is now in the possession of Mr. 

 J. K. Chanter). Mr. Hall kindly showed me a drawing of it. 

 It measures one inch and an eighth across. The gold portion of 

 it contains a large sapphire, and around the sapphire on each 

 side there is an inscription. A rivet of gold passes through the 

 sapphire. The inscription on one side is written in Hebrew, 

 and reads thus : 



IMMANUEL JEHI JESU JEHOVAH ELOHIM EL, 



which should thus be translated : " May Jesus Immanuel, 

 Jehovah, God, be with us." 



