Peacock: Natural History in Local Place-names. 191 



Miss S. C. Stow writes that she noticed a great number of 

 Frogs and Toads on Saturday afternoon at Spalding ; one 

 Copper Butterfly (Chrysophanus phlceas) ; and a lot of Whirly-gig 

 Beetles (G yrinns natator) in the dykes ; and another species 

 Haliplus lineatocollis, she found among moss after she returned 

 home. 



The Gentlemen's Society of Spalding, the oldest antiquarian 

 society in England, gave a hearty welcome to the Union, and 

 threw open its meeting-room and extensive collections, to which 

 the members adjourned after the usual high tea. At 8 p.m. on 

 the Friday evening the Organising Secretary, who is a honorary 

 member of the Spalding Gentlemen's Society, gave an extempore 

 lecture from diagrams and maps on 'The Fenland Soils. '* A 

 hearty vote of thanks was proposed by Mr. William Caulton, 

 one of the most mentally youthful if aged members of the 

 Gentlemen's Society, and seconded by the President in the name 

 of the Union. After a few words from Dr. Marten Perry, 

 President of the Spalding Society, on the pleasure the visit of 

 the Union had given him personally as well as to the other 

 members of the Society, the meeting broke up for the night. 



* The paper is printed in this number of ' The Naturalist,' pp. 177-188. 



NOTE on LINCOLNSHIRE PLACE-NAMES. 



Natural History in Local Place-names. — I ought to preface these 

 remarks by saying- that philology is a dangerous thing to play with unless 

 one is ' experienced.' Place-names have a curious history of their own, and 

 not infrequently reflect a little local characteristic natural history, now long 

 since a thing- of the past. For instance, my own parish, Cadney, which in 

 Domesday Book is written Catenai, may be derived from the old Norse 

 Kottr, a Cat, Marten-Cat, Polecat, or Weasel. Cadney would thus be the 

 cat-island, as Gedney (D.B. Gadenai from O.N. gaddr) is pike-island. 

 Howsham, which is still called 'ousham by the natives, and in D.B. Vsum, 

 admits of a still simpler derivation. Ouse-ham equalling ' water-villag-e. ' 

 Both these names are easily explained when their former surroundings are 

 observed. The forests which extended over the carrs were vast enough, 

 as the Oak and Yew trees buried in the peat prove, for any number of Cats, 

 be they wild, Marten, or Pole. The latter flourishes in the parish to-day. 

 Newstead-on-Ancholme, a farm and parish, for ecclesiastical purposes 

 joined to Cadney, is the 'new standing- or building.' Farmstead and our 

 local gatestead are similar words. I name this place because in the charter 

 of Henry II., a.d. 1171, founding the relig-ious house, the spot is called 

 Rucholm. This looks most uncommonly like the Anglo-Saxon Hroc, a 

 Rook ; and there has been a rookery on the holme or island from an 

 unknown date. The name is particularly interesting", as ' the Rook ' is 

 universally called 'the Crow' in this part of England. The river on which 

 Newstead stands was once known as the 'Auk,' a word of Celtic origin, 

 signifying 'water.' Compare the 'Ax' of the Isle of Axholme. It seems 

 to have picked up the 'holme' from an island called 'Ancholme,' formerly 

 in South Kelsey carrs. — E. Adrian Woodruffe-Peacock, Cadney, Brigg", 

 2nd May 1902. 



1902 June 1 



