32 NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 S.X.JAN-. 14,1922.
Rabbits in Australia.—Can any of the correspondents of 'N. & Q.' tell me when this species was introduced to Australia? Any authoritative figures as to its subsequent increase and its present numbers would be of interest. Hugh S. Gladstone.
Capenoch, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire.
Cipher on St. James's Palace.—On some lead gutter-heads in the Friary Court of St. James's Palace is the date 1696, accompanied by the cipher A.R. Can any explanation be given of this curious collocation? G. W. Wallace.
The Brighton Athenæum—According to Toones Chr. Hist,, 11. 775, on Aug. 30, 1833, during a very violent storm, "the dome of the Brighton Athenæum, or Oriental Garden, fell in with a tremendous crash; it was larger than the dome of St. Peter's, at Rome, by 8,000 feet, and composed of between 400 and 500 tons of iron, which broke into a thousand pieces; on removing the scaffold, the immense weight was too much for the side supports." Where was this building? John B. Wainewright.
Pedigrees wanted.—Can any reader send me the pedigree of the families of (1) Dallas of Cantray, before 1745; (2) Rose of Kilravock, before 1600; or supply any information about Caleb and William Greville, who witnessed the marriage of Charles Egleton to Ann Edwards at St. George's, Hanover Square, on Aug. 3, 1790? I should be glad to have communications sent direct. Norman Shaw.
Custom House, Swatow, China.
Adah Isaac Menken's 'Infelicia.'—This small pocket volume of poems having a portrait frontispiece has acceptance of dedication by Charles Dickens in his neat calligraphy reproduced in facsimile, but bears no printer's imprint, only the blank intimation, London, Paris, New York.
Is there any means of ascertaining who designed the exquisite head- and tail-pieces adorning the volume, likewise the vignette on the title page? Aneurin Williams.
Menai View, North Road, Carnarvon.
The English "h": Celtic, Latin and German Influences.—Some of your linguists might throw light on this matter. In the Irish pronunciation of English full credit is given to the aspirate. There is, moreover, a tendency to emphasize gutturally the vowel sounds following consonants. As a result the consonant values are weakened. Times=t-himes, paper=p-haper, prayer = pr-hayer, Macarthy = Mac-Harthy, and so on. In Spanish there seems to be a similar tendency. The English tendency is quite other. Consonant sounds are stressed very clearly and distinctly (if somewhat thinly), which makes for the weakening of the vowel and half-vowel values, the dropping of the h.
Might not the so-called Cockney lack of control of the h be traced back to the root factor, namely, the struggle for power over the aspirate between the Latin and Teutonic influences in the English language? In correct French the so-called aspirated h is now as mute as the h in what, why and where of modern English. But in Switzerland and in those parts of France nearer to German influences the aspirate is still very guttural. This is also noticeable in the beautiful French spoken by cultured Poles and Russians.
Is it that the Celtic and Teutonic influences in English make for the maintenance of the aspiration, the Latin for its elimination? Doxies apart, what is the philologic law at work here? I have inquired elsewhere with no satisfactory result. Valentine J. O'Hara.
Authors' Club, London.
James Hales, the eldest son of Sir John Hales, Bart., by his second wife Helen, daughter of Dudley Bagnal of Newry, Ireland, is said to have been an officer in the Emperor's service, and to have been killed in Italy in 1735. Further particulars of his career are desired, as well as the place and full date of his death. G. F. K. B.
Thoresby Hardres, son of Sir Richard Hardres, Bart., of Upper Hardres, Kent, by Anne, daughter of Thomas Godfrey of Lydd, was at Westminster School in 1660. The dates of his birth and death and particulars of his marriage are required. G. F. K. B.
Welsh Map Sought.—I should be glad to know the name, date and publishers of the map or maps of Wales upon which appear engravings of the following "Houses without Chimnies," namely, Wynnstay, seat of the Wynnes; Erddig, of the Yorks;
