172 The Naturalist in Siluria. 



to the den, unerringly as hound on the scent of hare. 

 Some are noted for superior cleverness in this speciality 

 of chase, and proud of it. In a camp I lately visited, a 

 gipsy woman with, by the way, a very pretty daughter 

 at her side while lauding the superiority of " hodgkins'" 

 flesh, also took occasion to sound the praises of her hus- 

 band who was absent enthusiastically proclaiming him 

 a " good hedgehog dog," the best in the community. 



A woodreeve of the Forest of Dean tells me that he 

 has seen as many as fifteen or sixteen hedgehogs in a 

 gipsy camp all at one time, hung up on the branches of 

 the trees, skinned, cleaned, and ready for the spit. 



The ancient British Kingdom, or Principality of 

 "Ergyn," in Saxon and Norman times known as the 

 Hundred of Urchinfield, now Archenfield, whose territory 

 extended along the Wye from the Forest of Dean to 

 Hereford, no doubt drew its primitive name from being a 

 special abode of the urchin, Britannice, " Ergyn." Pos- 

 sibly, too, the name of the Roman station, " Ariconium," 

 on the edge of this district, was of like derivation 

 Latinized. 



THE TREE PIPIT. 



Of late I have had excellent opportunities for observing 

 the habits of the Tree Pipit (Antlius trivialis) a more 

 interesting bird than its sober plumage might bespeak it. 

 I think there can be no doubt of its being a connecting 

 link between the wagtails and the larks ; its shape, 

 gait when on the ground, the nature of its food, with the 

 quaint vertical vibration of the tail, likening it to the 

 former^ while the colour of its plumage and markings, but 



