miscellany. 
337 
Cotemporary), who sometimes exercises his ingenuity in stuffing dead animals, 
has lately been inspired with a touch of the sublime. He has had a large board 
affixed on the front of the house, bearing in striking letters, 44 Preserver of 
animated -Nature”!— Jan. 26. 
Zoological Exhibition in a Theatre. —Mr. Boswell, the friend and biogra¬ 
pher of Johnson, when a young man, went to the pit of Covent-Garden Theatre, 
in company with Dr. Blair, and, in a frolic, imitated the lowing of a cow ; and 
the universal cry in the gallery was— 44 Encore the cow!” This was complied 
with; and in the pride of success Mr. Boswell attempted to imitate some other 
animal, but with less success. Dr. Blair, anxious for the fame of his friend, 
addressed him thus :— 44 My dear Sir, I would confine myself to the cow.”— 
Northern Star. 
Tortoise-shell Butterfly abroad at Christmas. —A beautiful Tortoise-shell 
Butterfly ( Vanessa Urticoe )—better known in this neighbourhood and the South 
of Scotland as the Devil’s or Witch’s Butterfly—was brought to our office on 
Tuesday, caught in the open air on the preceding day, and in the full vigour of 
strength, although within a week of Christmas.— Berwick Advertiser , Dec. 22, 
1838. 
BOTANY. 
Herne’s Oak. —To set the matter at rest, I will now repeat the substance of 
some information given to me relative to Herne’s Oak by Mr. Ingalt, the present 
repectable bailiff and manager of Windsor Home Park. He states that he was 
appointed to that situation by George III., about forty years ago. On receiving 
this appointment he was directed to attend upon the King at the Castle, and on 
arriving there he found his Majesty with 44 the old Lord Winchilsea.” After a 
little delay the King set off to walk in the park, attended by Lord Winchilsea, 
and Mr. Ingalt was desired to follow them. Nothing was said to him until the 
King stopped opposite an Oak-tree. He then turned to Mr. Ingalt and said, 44 1 
brought you here to point out this tree to you. I commit it to your especial 
charge, and take care that no damage is ever done to it. I had rather that every 
tree in the park should be cut down, than that this tree should be hurt. This is 
Hemes Oak!’ Mr. Ingalt added, that this was the tree still standing near 
Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, and is the same which I have mentioned and given a 
sketch of in my Gleanings in Natural History. Sapless and leafless it certainly 
is, and its rugged bark has all disappeared. 
“ Its boughs are moss’d with age, 
And high top bald with gray antiquity 
but there it stands, and long may it do so, an object of interest to every admirer 
of our immortal bard. In this state it has been, probably, long before the recollec- 
