REPTILS AND INSECTS : BEES, ETC. 67 



Snailes are everywhere ; but upon our downes, and so in Dorset, and I believe in Hampshire, at 

 such degree east and west, in the summer time are abundance of very small snailes on the grasse and 

 corne, not much bigger, or no bigger than small pinnes heads. Though this is no strange thing among 

 us, yet they are not to be found in the north part of Wilts, nor on any northern wolds. When 

 I had the honour to waite on King Charles L* and the Duke of York to the top of Silbury hill, his 

 Royal Highnesse happened to cast his eye on some of these small snailes on the turfe of the hill. He 

 was surprised with the novelty, and commanded me to pick some up, which I did, about a dozen or 

 more, immediately ; for they are in great abundance. The next morning as he was abed with his 

 Dutches at Bath he told her of it, and sent Dr. Charleton to me for them, to shew her as a rarity. 



In the peacefull raigne of King James I. the Parliament made an act for provision of rooke-netts 

 and catching crows to be given in charge of court-barons, which is by the stewards observed, but I 

 never knew the execution of it. I have heard knowing coimtreymen affirme that rooke-wormes, 

 which the crows and rookes doe devour at sowing time, doe turne to chafers, which I think are our 

 English locusts : and some yeares wee have such fearfull armies of them that they devour all manner 

 of green things ; and if the crowes did not destroy these wormes, it would oftentimes happen. 

 Parliaments are not infallible, and some thinke they were out in this bill. 



Bees. Hampshire has the name for the best honey of England, and also the worst ; sc. the forest 

 honey : but the south part of Wiltshire having much the like turfe must afford as good, or little 

 inferiour to it. 'Tis pitty these profitable insects should loose their lives for their industry. 



" Flebat Aristxus, quod Apes cum stirpe necatas 



Viderat incoeptos destituisse favos." OVID. FAST. lib. i. 



A plaster of honey effectually helpeth a bruise. (From Mr. Francis Potter, B. D., of Kilmanton.) 

 It seemes to be a rational medicine : for honey is the extraction of the choicest medicinal flowers. 



Mr. Butler of Basingstoke, in Hampshire, who wrote a booke of Bees, had a daughter he called 

 his honey-girle ; to whom, when she was born, he gave certain stocks of bees ; the product of which 



when she came to be married, was 400U. portion. (From Boreman, of Kingston-upon- 



Thames, D.D.) 



Mr. Harvey, at Newcastle, gott SOOli. per annum by bees. (I thinke Varro somewhere writes 

 that in Spaine two brothers got almost as much yearly by them. J. EVELYN.) Desire of Mr. 

 Hook, R.S.S. a copie of the modelle of his excellent bee-liive, March 1684-5 ; better than any yet 

 known. See Mr. J. Houghton's Collections, No. 1683, June, where he hath a good modelle of a 

 bee-hive, pag. 166. Mr. Paschal hath an ingeniouse contrivance for bees at Chedsey ; sc. they are 

 brought into his house. Bee-hive at Wadliam College, Oxon ; see Dr. Plott's Oxfordshire, p. 263. 



Heretofore, before our plantations hi America, and consequently before the use of sugar, they 

 sweetened their [drink, &c.] with honey ; as wee doe now with sugar. The name of honey-soppes yet 

 remaines, but the use is almost worne out. (At Queen's College, Oxon, the cook treats the whole 

 hall with honey-sops on Good Friday at dinner. BISHOP TANNER.) Now, 1686, since the great 

 increase of planting of sugar-canes hi the Barbados, &c. sugar is but one third of the price it was at 



* [This should be " Charles II." who visited Avebury and Silbury Hill, in company with his brother, afterwards James II., in 

 the autumn of the year 1663, when Aubrey attended them by the King's command. See his account of the royal visit, in the 

 Memoir of Aubrey, 4to. 1845. J. B.] 



