160 ROBERT POCOCK. 



and in the evening repeated a poem from a newspaper 

 about the mermaid to be seen in London, which was 

 very witty and laughable. Heard the Thames, East 

 Indiaman, was lost a second time, at which I am very 

 sorry, as it belongs to my friend Mr. Blan chard. 



"Sunday, 8th.~M.r. Povey of Northfleet brought 

 me a golden-crested wren, knocked down in North- 

 fleet. I never recollect seeing one before, and it must 

 be a scarce bird, although I have heard they are about 

 Fami ogham. 



" Monday, 9th. Mr. Moore, a clerk lately in the 

 Bank of England, brought me (he said) a great curiosity, 

 which he said was a calf's head, or dog's head, petrified, 

 which he got from Greta Bridge, in Yorkshire ; and 

 he set a good value on it, saying if I could dispose of 

 it I might have half. But on my examining it, I knew 

 what it was, and told him he had better not know 

 what it was as it would lessen its value; yet if he 

 would read Van Helmont's works, a Dutch physician, 

 they would tell him ! This Mr. Moore is related to the 

 Kev. Mr. Moore, of Kendall, an antiquary : I believe 

 it is his uncle. I had to-day two left-handed whelks 

 brought me, taken at Whitstable, for which I gave 

 sixpence each, being very rare shells. 



" Tuesday, Wth. Fine sun. Received a letter from 

 Miss Lousada, thanking me for a box of fossils, and 

 saying they were the best she ever saw (except Mr. 

 Mantell's, of Lewes, in Sussex). Mr. Bullock's daughter 

 married. 



"Thursday, 12th. White frost first observed this 

 year. Frances Pocock returns to Kingsdown by way of 

 Maidstone. Sent by her Mrs. Mark Noble's tin botani- 

 cal box. Wrote to Miss Lousada for her kind offer, and 



