148 NOTES TO THE 



" CHINESE PIGEON-WHISTLES." My friend, Lady Dorothy 

 Neville of Dangstein, Petersfield, has in her possession some 

 most ingenious Chinese pigeon-whistles ; they are simply light 

 gourds cut so that a whistle is produced when the wind 

 blows into them. These whistles are fastened on to the backs 

 of the pigeons by a very fine wire or string ; when the birds 

 pass through the air a very melodious note is produced, 

 reminding me much of the sound of many JEolian harps. 

 The whistles giving different notes are fastened on to the backs 

 of various pigeons, and when many of them are in the air the 

 sound is very striking, and most beautiful. 



ECHOES, p. 217. Wherimyfatherwas officiating in Westminster 

 Abbey, he was always heard distinctly even by those at a 

 distance. He told me that he waited till the echo of the voice 

 came back to him ; he was then sure the sound had gone 

 as far as it could. His rule when speaking in public was to 

 address himself to some person who was standing at the ex- 

 treme end of the room. If this person showed by his actions 

 that he could hear, it might be taken for granted that every 

 one between the speaker and the listener in the distance could 

 hear also. I myself have found this advice of great use. 

 Every large assembly-room has its " key-note." I believe it 

 is the practice of singers to get the " key-note " of a room 

 such as the theatre at Oxford before they sing in public. I 

 must not omit a story of Westminster Abbey. In former 

 times the windows were out of repair, and the place full of 

 draughts. A gentleman about to preach remarked to the old 

 verger that he was afraid he should not be heard. The verger 

 calmly answered, "Never fear, sir; the wind is in your favour." 



One of the most celebrated whispering places is the gallery in 

 the dome of St. Paul's, of which I read, " A whisper may be sent 

 all round the dome. And not only in the gallery below but 

 above, and upon the scaffold, I tried and found that a whisper 

 would be carried over one's head, round the top of the arch, not- 

 withstanding there is a large opening in the middle of it into the 

 upper part of the dome." I understand that there is a remark- 

 able whispering place in Gloucester Cathedral, above the east 

 end of the choir. 



MOLE-CKICKETS, p. 243. I have had under observation two or 

 three mole -crickets, kindly sent me by Mr. Penny, of Poole. I 

 kept them in a finger-glass on the mantelpiece, but they did not 

 seem to care to bury themselves in the earth unless annoyed ; 

 they would feed greedily on worms, which they ate in a peculiar 



