Welsh Journals

Aug. 2, 1893. BYE-GONES. 129 of the Corporation some years age in diverting certain streams in the parish of Dwygyfylchi into the town reservoir. This raised the whole ques¬ tion of ownership, and the Crown claimed not only the surface, but the minerals and stones under the surface. It was finally decided to obtain counsel's opinion as to the title derived from a charter of Edward III. to the monks of Glanconwy, and in the meantime, though the Crown had threatened legal proceedings, to decline in any way to acknow¬ ledge the claim of the Crown upon the land. After a long illness, Captain George Pritchard Rayner died yesterday week, at his residence, Trescawen, Anglesey. The deceased gentleman, who was about 50 years of age, had contested the county of Anglesey in the Conservative interest against Mr Richard Davies, the lord-lieutenant of the county,and at the last general election was de¬ feated by Mr T. P. Lewis, M.P., by an over¬ whelming majority. Apart from politics, Captain Pritchard Rayner was held in great esteem, and his death will cause deep regret amongst a large circle ©f friends. He belonged to an old county family, and has served the office of high Sheriff for Anglesey. He leaves a widow and family, and his eldest son is private secretary to the Hon F. Wynn, Glynllifon. The funeral took place on Friday, at Llangwyllog Church. It was of a semi-public character, and there was a large and representative attendance of personal friends of the deceased. The chief mourners were the two sons. IN THE FIELDS AND LANES. A large white owl has been seen several evenings of late in the neighbourhood of Weston, Oswestry. J. It is stated that a cream-coloured swallow has been seen flying about in the neighbourhood of Pitchford farm, Cantlop, Salop. Ellesmere Field Club.—The monthly meeting of this club took place on Saturday, July 15th. 'lhe Yetchleys Moss was visited.and a pleasant afternoon was spent. The botanists were rewarded by finding a good number of plants, including the Lesser bladderwort (Utricularia minor) and the' Basil thyme (Calamintha Acinos). These plants are not common in this neighbourhood. The day was not good for entomology, and only a few specimens were taken, which included the small copper butterfly (Chrysophanus Phlocas). Caradoc and Severn Valley Field Club.— On Thursday week a party of members^ of this Club drove to Sundorne Castle, which was kindly opened to them by special permission of the Rev G. W. Corbet. The exterior was photographed, and the interior inspected, many objects of interest being seen in the library, and several ancestral portraits and other valuable pictures in various rooms. Leaving Sundorne, where the microscopists had gathered specimens from the pool, some of the party walked to Ebury camp, while others drove on Vol. III. New Series [being the 12t}i from the beginning. 1 to Haghmond Abbey, where, after tea, Mr Burson Driefly described the devolution of the property of the Monastery, and gave a short account of the ruins. Among members present were Mr W. Phillips, Mr R. Taylor, Mr H. C. Clarke, Mr W.D. Dovaston, Mr H. E. Forrest, Mr W. Burson, Mr Lawson, Mr J. W. Heath, Mr W. P. Hamilton, Mr T. F. Poole, and a number of ladies, and the whole party spent a pleasant half-day. Midland Union op Natural History Societies. —The annual meeting was opened on Wednesday, July 12, at the Mason College, Birmingham, when amongst those present were Mr A. T. Jebb, retiring president, Miss Jebb, Colonel Barnes, and Mr H. J. Peake.—A hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Jebb for his services as president during the year.—In replying, Mr Jebb referred to the necessity for a large amount of leisure and other advantages if a man were to study success¬ fully his favourite subject, ornithology. Besides, it was necessary occasionally to take life in order to complete one's investigations, and as time went on a cultivated man shrank more and more from killing anything. This growing sensitiveness in the case of many men went a long way towards damp¬ ing the ardour of scientific inquiry.—The report of the Executive Committee to the Council showed that no application had been made for the Darwin medal. The Ellesmere Natural History Society and Field Club joined the Union directly after the last annual meeting. In the evening a conver¬ sazione was held at Mason College, and was atten¬ ded by nearly 400 guests.—On Wednesday, July 12, Professor Lap worth, F.R.S., conducted a geological excursion to the Cambrian Rocks of Nuneaton and Atherstone. AUGUST 2, 1893. NOTES. SUPERSTITIOUS CURES—CONSULTING THE WISE WOMAN.—I went to see an old man the other day who was ill, in the neighbourhood of Oswestry. His wife told me she had been to see "a wise woman," who had given her a piece of yarn which she was to tie round his wrist. If it broke, he was to die; if not, he would recover. The sequel is that the yarn did not break, but the man died. H. OSWESTRY CORPORATION MACES.-The following is the official description of the Oswestry Mace exhibited at the Mansion House, London, on 12 July, at the Conference of the Royal Archaeological Institute of Great Britain. It is interesting as giving the opinion of an expert as to the date of the Maces, and should be read in connection with the notes on the Oswestry Corporation Plate a ppearing in " Mr Stanley Leighton's "Records of the Corporation of Oswestry." The Charter of 1616 enacted that two maces were to be provided, aud it appears from the note that this was done next year. 17