NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. XL JAN. 17, im
printed in capital letters. The reason of this
omission is typographical. Type-founders
do not ordinarily cast A majuscule with any
accent at all, because there is scant room
for it above the apex of the letter. Formerly
no capital letters whatever were cast with
accents, but this rule prevails no longer
with regard to E majuscule Accented A is
used only where strict exactitude is of capital
importance if your readers will forgive me
for an unintentional pun and is then, I
suppose, a special cast of the type-founder.
The great objection to its general employment
is the liability of the accent, from want of
support, to break off during the process of
impression, and damage contiguous type,
possibly with serious consequences.
It may not be impertinent to observe here that English writers, ignorant of the French usage, cause printers annoyance, expense, and delay by marking accents over A in their proofs. F. ADAMS.
115, Albany Road, Camberwell.
ST. NICOLAS (9 th S. x. 368, 472). Allow me to protest against the phrases " pickled lads," ana " three naked youngsters saying their prayers." I trust your correspondent will, in future, be less offensive to your Catholic readers. There are plenty of authoritative books on 'Emblems of the Saints ' and * Lives of the Saints,' which MR. HEMS could have consulted without bringing up versions the authenticity of which he cannot accept as reliable, and which we know are based only on legendary lore. JOHN A. RANDOLPH.
PEE- CONQUEST EARLS OF DEVON AND CORN- WALL (9 th S. x. 410). The following refer- ences, which I have extracted from Mr. Searle's 'Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum,'may be of service to Miss LEGA-WEEKES, by indi- cating the original authorities which she may find it useful to consult.
1. Ordgar (d. 971) eald. Devon, dux Dom- nanise, father of ^Elfthryth, the second wife of King Eadgar ('Anglo-Saxon Chronicle,' D.F., a. 965 ; Florence of Worcester, a. 964; Birch, 'Cartularium Saxon.,' 1247, 1249; Kemble, ' Codex Diploin. ' ; Earle, ' Hand- book,' &c., 255).
2. Ordwulf (997) Domnani?primas, founder of Tavistock monastery (Florence of Wor- cester ; also authorities under Ordgar).
3. Hugo (1003) comes Normannicus, quern regina Emma Domnanke prsefecit ('Anglo- Saxon Chronicle ' ; Florence of Worcester ; Freeman's 'Norman Conquest,' i. 317).
4. JEthelmser, Agelmerus (c. 1000) eald. Devon, father of JSthelweard the Great, the Fat (Napier and Stevenson's l Anecdota ' ;
'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle,' 1017; Florence of
Worcester, a. 1013 ; William of Malmesbury,
Rolls Series, * G. R.,' c. 177 ; Freeman's 'Nor-
man Conquest,' i. 360).
I do not feel certain that Mr. Searle's cita- tions under ^Ethelmser are quite correct. ^Ethelmer, surnamed the Gross, was a son of Ealdorman vEthelweard. The valuable notes to Napier and Stevenson's 'Anecdota' may be consulted on this point (see pp. 87, 88, 112, note 1, 120, note 3, 122).
5. Odda (c. 1025) "comes Agelwinus id est Odda" (Florence of Worcester); founder of Deerhurst monastery ; commander of the English fleet ; a monk (^Ethelwine) in 1056 ; earl Devon; d. 31 Aug , 1056 (Birch, 'Car- tularium Saxonicum'; Kemble, 'Cod. Dipl.,' 805; 'Diet. Nat. Biog.,' xii 423; William of Malmesbury, R.S , ' G. R.,' c. 199; Freeman's 'Norman Conquest,' index).
W. F. PRIDEAUX.
To forestall the possible objection that the Ordulf referred to by Risdon as " that great duke" might have been a distinct person from Ordulf, son of Ordgar, allow me to quote :
" Werrington was the land of Ordulph, that great Duke of Devonshire, which he gave to the Abbey of Tavistock." Risdon, p. 354.
" Werrington. This manor was given by Or- dulph, the founder of Tavistock Abbey, to that monastery. 3 ' Lysons, p. 551.
It is, of course, common history that Ordgar and his son Ordulf were founders of Tavi- stock.
If this be the same Ordulf who is named in Domesday as the holder of lands tempore Regis Edwardi he must have enjoyed a rare longevity ; for Ordgar is said to have founded Tavistock Abbey in 961 (Devon Association Transactions, xxx. 291), and his daughter Elfleda (Ordulf's sister) was mother of King Ethelred, who began to reign in 979.
ETHEL LEGA-WEEKES.
RETARDED GERMINATION OF SEEDS (9 th S. x. 287, 358) At 8 th S. iii. 246 it is asked by A. H., "Are we to infer, therefore, that the process of embalming preserves the vitality of the seed?" This is a propos of a statement made by Prof. Bryant, of Guy's Hospital, who, after laying down the axiom "All the water in the world would not make dead seeds grow," says, later on, that "mummy seeds, when watered, will spring up with renewed vigour." So that I think the follow- ing is worthy of note, as showing that not only mummy seeds, but, given favourable conditions, seeds preserved for ages in other ways, will germinate, a circumstance which received a curious illustration a short time
