between Highweek and Bradley Woods. A long, streaky, dark cloud, resembling smoke, having its base in the town of Newton Abbot, suddenly shot upwards, towards and nearly reaching the zenith, its upper end inclining outwards to the right. To the left of this was another cloud exactly corresponding, except that the upper end inclined outwards to the left, the two objects being of a fan shape. Inside the smoky streak, both right and left, was lined with a white, bright, phosphorescent light, in breadth and height identical with each other. This continued about ten minutes, when the dark streak suddenly became as luminous as the lighter one, and I could distinguish the small fine particles of matter, whatever they were composed of, intermingling with each other, until they became one luminous body. In another ten minutes they reverted again to their original form; viz., a smoky streak outside, and a luminous streak inside; then a third streak formed to the left of the left one. Subsequently the three streaks became one perfect mass of luminous clouds, still preserving the fan-shape and inclining upwards, but with diminished height, and then ultimately disappeared altogether, My back was towards the setting sun, consequently the phenomena would be about east by south-east. On turning round, and looking in a westerly direction, I observed a number of long streaky clouds, which looked as if they had been shot out of a cannon, terminating at the end with a round ball, The estuary and valley of the Teign was covered with fog at the time, and the horizon, in an easterly and north-easterly direction and other parts, was lined with dark angry clouds. Can any of your scientific readers explain this phenomena ?

V. NUMISMATICAL.

"

(J. B, R.)

"There are now in my possession two third bronze Roman coins found in the neighbourhood of Staddon, Plymstock, which have been soldered together by the reverses and silvered for a watch-chain pendant. The obverses are in excellent preservation. One is Hadrian, with the inscription: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG. The other Postumus, with the legend: IMP C POSTVMVS PI AVG. (R. N. W.)”

"A Roman coin has been shown to me as found in the wall of the old church at Revelstoke. It is a first brass. Obv. Head to left: IMP (c detrited) NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS. Rev. much detrited: a male figure holding a branch, apparently seated on a trophy; only portion of legend visible STIC. (R. N. W.)"

"A capital example of a jetton or abbey piece in excellent condition was recently found in the old priest's house,

adjacent to the church at Mary Tavy, and is now in possession of the vicar, the Rev. W. Anderson. Incidentally it may be remarked that it would be of considerable interest if a record could be made of the existence of such ancient priest-houses as remain attached to parish churches, and their present uses. The finest in the diocese is the so-called 'Abbey' on the south of St. Andrews, Plymouth. priest's house at Shaugh is now used as a school-house, but still retains traces of its great age, probably exceeding that of the present church. The priest's house at Sheeps Tor is a ruin. (R. N. W.)"

The

"An interesting coin was found in a garden at Efford in September, 1892. It is slightly smaller than a halfpenny, of copper. On the obverse is a bearded head, with ruff to right, and the legend: HENR. DE LA TOVR BVLLIONI-in the exergue, 1614. On the reverse is a shield of arms, quarterly with an escutcheon of pretence, surmounted by a crown, apparently bearing strawberry leaves: legend: SVP. PRINCEPS. SEDANI. ET. It is a coin issued by the reigning prince of the principality of Sedan, whose effigies it bears. (R. N. W.)"

RAV.

VI. ARCHEOLOGICAL.

"I am indebted to Mr. H. J. Snell, of Plymouth, for information as to the discovery of remains of the ancient buildings, presumably of an ecclesiastical or monastic character, the bulk of which were removed when the Royal Naval Hospital at Stonehouse was built. They were found in the course of alterations to an old brewery at the rear of the "Royal Naval Hospital Inn," in High Street, Stonehouse, and adjacent to the hospital police station. They consisted of a piece of wall with a small window with granite jamb, head, and cill, blocked up with brickwork, and hidden behind a modern closet; and of the remains of an old doorway partly built up and converted into a window, with the arch destroyed. One jamb stone however, with a hinge-hook, was intact. This was hidden behind a huge slate cistern. The doorway was of Roborough Down stone. Other remains of walling, &c., with portions of Beer stone were found, which had evidently belonged to a fifteenth-century building. (R. N.W.)”

THIRTEENTH REPORT OF

THE COMMITTEE ON DEVONSHIRE VERBAL

PROVINCIALISMS.

THIRTEENTH REPORT of the Committee-consisting of Mr. J. S. Amery, Mr. F. T. Elworthy (Secretary), Mr. F. H. Firth, Mr. P. O. Hutchinson, Mr. P. Q. Karkeek, Dr. W. C. Lake, Dr. Brushfield, and Mrs. J. Rose Troup-for the purpose of noting and recording the existing use of any Verbal Provincialisms in Devonshire, in either written or spoken language, not included in the lists published in the Transactions of the Association.

Edited by F. T. ELWORTHY,

Member of Council of the Philological Society.

(Read at Torquay, July, 1893.)

THE Resolutions under which this Committee are empowered to act, together with instructions to be followed by those willing to collect materials, also a considerable list of Books for reference, have been printed in full in previous reports, down to the tenth, published in vol. xviii. 1886.

All new observers who are interested in the subject are invited carefully to peruse them, and to such as may not be in possession of the early reports containing the resolutions. a copy will be gladly forwarded, on application to the Editor.

CONTRIBUTIONS.

Each provincialism is placed within inverted commas, and the whole contribution ends with the initials of the observer. All remarks following the initials are simply editorial.

The full address of each contributor is given below, and it must be fully understood that he or she is responsible only for the statements to which his initials are appended :

T. N. B. Dr. Brushfield, Budleigh Salterton.

=

R. P. C. R. Pearse Chope, 107, Ledbury Road, Bayswater.

F. T. E.
W. C. L.
E. F. N.

A. S.

A. D. T.
F. B. T.

=

=

=

=

=

H. B. S. W. =

F. T. Elworthy, Foxdown, Wellington.
Dr. W. C. Lake, Teignmouth.

Rev. Ernest F. Newman, Chaplain's House,
Tower of London.

A. Stansell, East Street, Taunton.

Rev. A. D. Taylor, Churchstanton Rectory.
Mrs. J. Rose Troup, Rockbeare, Exeter.

H. B. S. Woodhouse, Plymouth.

"AGGLES haws, berries of the hawthorn. B. P., a farmer, age 60, having lived all his life at Hartland, informs me that the saying:

'Many aggles,

is frequently added to the better-known sayings :

Many cradles,'

Many slones,

Many groans.'

Haws are more usually called 'eggle-berries,' or 'aggleberries.'-June, 1892. R. P. C."

This is most likely a Devon form of Aglet-a name given to several kinds of berry, or to any bunch or pendant of blossom or fruit. See New Eng. Dict.

"ALE TUESDAY = Shrove Tuesday (B. P.). Pronounced Ahl Toosdy. The word ale is frequently pronounced with the open a sound, as in this case. I remember an old labourer,

aged about 80, singing the song, 'When Joan's ale was new,' in this manner:

An' nex' there kom' the mason,

There wadd'n a chap to face 'en
Amang the joob'l (jovial) croo';

He vling'd hees 'ammer agin the wäll,

An' wish'd all churches an' chapels 'ud väll,

An' then there wud be work vor äll,

When Joan's äl waz noo'.

"The above pronunciation of jovial is adopted also in 'John Barleycorn':

Putt wine into a glass,

Putt clerret into a can,

Jan Barleycorn in a hoal' brown bowl.
'Ull pruve the joobiles' (jovialest) man.

-June, 1892. R. P. C."

The last day of the carnival would be the "wettest," and might well be called Ale Tuesday. Every parish had its

church ales on several anniversaries, of which that at Shrovetide was usually one. The sale of liquor, called in olden times "Holy Ale," was a considerable source of income to the church. On this subject see Churchwardens' Accounts, Som. Record Society, p. xxii., et seq.; also Brand's Pop. Antiq. v. i. p. 278 (Bohn's ed.).

"

'ANYBODY (imp. pron.) one." See Naturfool.

"BALSH ROPE = the rope for lashing corn, etc., upon the 'long crooks' of a pack-saddle. The a is open, as in father. B. P. informs me that it was customary, long after the introduction of butts,' for the parson to fetch his tithes with a horse and pack-saddle, the horse's shoes being removed before going upon the farmer's land. The theory apparently was that the parson had a right to take the tithes, but no right to injure the land.-June, 1892. R. P. C."

This seems like a duplication, for balch means a strong cord or small rope. See Tenth Report Dev. Prov.

"BARNSTAPLE FAIR WEATHER. The Daily Graphic, 21st of April, 1893, had the following note on weather predictions: 'Yesterday the clerk of the weather made a desperate effort to restore what is understood to be the normal balance of proportion between fine days and thunderstorms in this country. He has still a good deal of lee-way to make up, but he has plenty of time to do it in. According to Dr. Falb, the eminent Austrian meteorologist, the months of July, August, and September are to be devoted to this unpleasant process. Throughout all this period-and particularly in Septemberwhat Devonians out of their experience call "Barnstaple Fair weather" is to prevail in England. It is an awful prospect, and as that is the time when most of us take our holidays, Dr. Falb really ought to tell us what will be happening elsewhere.'-R. P. C."

"BAWKER = a bogy or spirit, supposed generally to reside in wells. J. T. H., farmer, age 24, native of Hartland, tells me that mothers frequently frighten their children away from dangerous wells by saying, 'Doan' ee go there, my dear; there's a bawker in that will.'-June, 1892. R. P. C."

This is a most interesting word to find in the West-country. Of course, it is no other than a Devon form of the Northcountry boggart.

"Many a quiet stream and ancient building is the reputed haunt of some local sprite or boggart." Waugh. Quoted in Lancashire Glossary, E. D. S. p. 45.