250 
NATURE NOTES. 
writers, with some illustrations (not well produced) from that delightfully quaint 
collection, the Ortus Sanitatis. Mr. Seager has hit upon an excellent idea, and 
has brought together more than sufficient material to have made an amusing and 
instructive book, but he has not succeeded in doing so. The subjects are 
arranged alphabetically, which, although convenient for reference is fatal to any- 
thing like a connected idea of any one of them. We go from animal to plant and 
from plant to mineral, and the result of such miscellaneous reading is confu.sing. 
Some of the extracts are without interest, and in others we think more reticence 
might have been observed. IMr. Seager’s notes are useful, but not interesting, 
nor are they always accurate — e.g., “mallow” is not synonymous with “holly- 
hock” (p. 194). But a great deal of interesting matter not otherwise easily 
accessible has been brought together, and those interested in the folk-lore of 
natural history will find it a useful addition to their library. 
A somewhat similar volume, but differing in its mode of treatment, is 
Gleanings from the Natural History of the Ancients, by the Rev. M. G. Watkins 
(Stock). Many of the ideas current in Shakespeare’s time date (as indeed Mr. 
Seager points out) from a remote antiquity, and Mr. Watkins correlates these 
under more suitable headings. Dogs, cats, owls, elephants, horses, wolves, with 
roses, gardens, fish-lore, and the like, form the subjects of his various chapters, 
and are treated with a happy combination of learning and popular style. The 
plentiful use of footnotes is a commendable feature, as by their means the reader 
wishing to prosecute further researches is enabled to go to the source whence Mr. 
Watkins has derived his information. This is an interesting and elegant volume, 
and should find a place on the Selbornian bookshelf. 
When we suggested (p. 175) that Mrs. Fuller Maitland would do well to 
bring together in one volume the charming verses with which she had embellished 
the two books noticed in these pages, we were unaware that our suggestion had 
been anticipated. In The Song-book of Bethia Hardacre (Chapman & Hall, 6s.) 
we find not only our old friends, two of which we quoted on the page already 
referred to, but a large number of new verses, all of which are charming, and 
matty extremely beautiful. These verses are extracted from a series of (alas !) 
imaginary works in the author’s possession, written by members of her family, 
beginning with “The Honeycomb of Homage” by Sir Florio Hardacre, in 1597, 
and extending to Bethia’s work in the present century. This is one of the books 
from which we had hoped to quote at length, but we must restrict ourselves to 
one poem, referring our readers with confidence to the volume itself for the rest. 
Beautiful type adds to the charm of the work ; but is not the present fashion of 
rough edges being carried too far ? In I.ondon houses these jutting margins not 
only attract the dust, but permanently retain it. 
“ To Willows. 
“ To all the Willows in the land 
Now greetings do I send. 
Bidding them know that I do stand 
Ever their faithful friend ; 
And honoured hold the time of year 
When catkins on their boughs appear. 
“ ‘ Withy is weak ’ the proverb tells 
‘ But many woods he binds ’ ; 
And in the truth that therein dwells 
My heart-some comfort finds, 
Hoping that weakness also can 
Not only things ignoble span.” 
Lady Lindsay is certainly entitled to our apology for not having sooner 
noticed The Flower-Seller, and Other Poems (Longmans). Her verses are, a.s 
our readers know, full of graceful fancy and sweet expression, while their lone is 
always sympathetic and tender. Better than words of our own will the following 
lines appeal to Selbornians : — 
