Notes. 107 



been given to the Society's Museum. Mr. W. J. Andrew, F.S.A., 

 writes with regard to it : — " Coins of Alexander the Great are not in- 

 frequently found in this country. Although called coins of Alexander 

 the Great the type in question was struck after his death, in memory 

 of him and had a long and prolific issue." The British Museum 

 authorities put the date at circa 300 B.C. Mr. Andrew mentions an 

 example found in Surrey, and 1 know of another found in the Isle of 

 Wight about twenty years ago. No doubt their presence is due to trade 

 with Gaul in Fre-Boman times. [Mrs.] M. E. Cunnington. 



Black Redstart in Wilts. The Bev. T. J. Woodall, Vicar of 

 Britford, writing on December 3rd, 1912, says : — " I saw on November 

 6th, on the old Shaftesbury road, a Black Bedstart. I have never 

 before seen one in England, but have watched them closely in Bavaria. 

 I was within 5 yards of it, and it is a particularly striking bird and 

 catches your attention at once, so there can be no mistake." 



The Bev. A. 0. Smith in his Birds of Wiltshire records only two 

 instances of the occurrence of this bird (Phcenicura titys) in Wilts. 



The Old Wiltshire Horned Sheep. The head of a large 



ram, with Boman nose and very large and heavy curling horns, which has 

 hung for many years past on the wall of the Natural History Boom at 

 the Museum, unfortunately without any label, has now been taken 

 down and placed in a glass case for more careful preservation. It is 

 believed that this is the head mentioned in Wilts Arch. Mag., I. 63, as 

 exhibited in the temporary museum at the first meeting of the society 

 at Devizes, October 12th, 1853. " By Mr. G. Brown, Avebury— Pre- 

 served Head of the Old Wiltshire Horned Sheep, bred by the late Mr. 

 John Nalder, of Berwick Bassett." Probably even at that date the 

 breed was extinct, and it is doubtful whether any other head is at 

 present in existence. It is therefore well to call attention to the 

 presence of this example at Devizes. From the MS. " Gift Book " at 

 the Museum it appears that Mr. Brown gave this head and also another 

 pair of horns in 1874. As there are no other heads or horns at the 

 Museum to which this entry could refer it seems certain that the head 

 now placed in a case, and the skull and horns still at the Museum are 

 the specimens referred to in 1853 and 1874. The breed was quite distinct 

 from any of the existing breeds of sheep. E. H. Coddard. 



Drawings of Lacock and Malmesbury by Carter. 



The Bev. W. G. Clark Maxwell writing June 25th, 1912, says : " I saw 

 yesterday in Ludlow a book of great interest to Wilts, a large folio 

 volume of original washed drawings by John Carter, of Malmesbury 

 and Lacock, in 1801, executed for Sir B. C. Hoare, who has appended 

 a note to that effect and that it cost him ^6189 odd, so I suppose it 

 came from Stourhead. It belonged to a Mr. Sykes recently deceased, 

 and is to be sold next mo-nth, I believe at Puttick & Simpson's. Some 

 of the drawings of Lacock have been reproduced (including a plan) in 

 Bowles and Nicholls, but not all." 



