May 5, 1811, between the British and Spanish forces, led by Wellington, and the French, commanded by Masséna. An indecisive battle, though Wellington gained some advantage. Battle of Lützen, in Prussian Saxony, May 2, 1813, between the French and allied Russian and Prussian forces, in which the French armies under Napoleon were victorious. Battle of Orthez, in France, February 27, 1814, between the French and allied British and Spanish forces, in which the latter, led by Wellington, were victorious. Battle of Tarbes, in France, March 20, 1814, between the English and French armies, in which the English forces under Wellington 'defeated the French. Battle of Toulouse, in France, April 10, 1814, between the French and English armies, in which the English forces commanded by Wellington were triumphant. Battle of Waterloo, in Belgium, June 18, 1815, between the French, led by Napoleon, and the British and allied armies under Wellington, wherein Napoleon suffered his most disastrous defeat, and ended his remarkable career. One of the "Fifteen decisive battles of the world." Battle of Warsaw, in Poland, February 20, 1831, between the Poles and Russians, in which the latter were defeated. Battle of Seidlice, in Poland, April 10, 1831, between the Russian and Polish forces, in which the Poles were successful. Battle of Inkerman, in S. Russia, in the Crimea, November 5, 1854, between the allied British and French armies, in which the Russian armies were defeated. Battle of Tobitschau, in Moravia, July 15, 1866, between the Prussian and Austrian forces, in which the latter were repulsed. Battle of Stony Creek (Burlington Heights), in Ontario, Upper Canada, June 6, 1813, between the British and American forces, in which the British were victorious. Battle of Bull Run, in Virginia, July 21, 1861, between the Federal and Confederate armies, in which the Federal armies were defeated. Battle of Chickamauga, in Georgia, September 19, 20, 1863, between the Federal and Confederate forces, in which the Con Curious Plant Names (Vol. vii, pp. 209, etc.). The Laughing Plant.-The laughing plant is the name of a plant growing in Arabia, and, according to the Medical Times, is so called by reason of the effect produced upon those who eat its seeds. The plant is of moderate size, with bright yellow flowers, and soft velvety seed pods, each of which contains two or three seeds resembling black beans. The natives of the district where the plant grows, dry these seeds and reduce them to powder. A dose of this powder has similar effects to those arising from the inhalation of laughing-gas. It causes the most sober person to dance, shout and laugh with the boisterous excitement of a madman, and to rush about cutting the most ridiculous capers for about an hour. At the expiration of this time exhaustion sets in, and the excited person falls asleep, to awake after several hours with no recollection of his antics. Epithets of Cities (Vol. vii, pp. 69, etc.)."There, ma'am,' said the driver, rising from his seat and facing round, while he pointed with his whip toward Quebec, 'that's what we call the Silver City.' "They looked back with him at the city, whose thousands of tinned roofs, rising one above the other, from the water's edge to the citadel, were all a splendor of argent light in the afternoon sun' (Howells's "Their Wedding Journey," Ch. ix, p. 274). MENÓNA. Newspaper Oddities (Vol. vii, p. 274). "Baboo-English,' as it is contemptuously called, affords occasional food for mirth among us; but English papers appear to be not altogether barren of like entertainment for the baboo mind. An Indian journal points out that the rejoicing of an English clerical organ over what it calls 'welcome news from India, that three Bengal regiments have been converted,' together with its observation that Providence has indeed blessed our work,' comprises a double mistake. First, the regiments referred to are not Bengal, but Madras regiments; and, secondly, 'conversion' is, in this case, simply a technical term implying that the regiments referred to have been abolished. Another home journal' has, it appears, described the late Senapati as a person 'whose civilization is still so rudimentary that he feeds on insects.' This mysterious charge having been investigated by our Indian contemporary, it turns out that its sole foundation was the fact that the Senapati was accustomed to chew betels —that is, betel nuts. It was an accidental misspelling in the telegraphic message that gave rise to what the English journal very correctly described as 'An extraordinary story from Manipur'" (Philadelphia Ledger). Sons and Wives of French Monarchs. It is a strange fact, but true, that since Louis XIV no monarch of France has been succeeded by his son. Louis XV was the great-grandson of Louis XIV; Louis XVI, grandson of Louis XV; Louis XVII never reigned; Louis XVIII had no children; Charles X lost his heir by the hand of an assassin; Louis Philippe lost his eldest son by an accident. The son of the Great Napoleon died in exile, and the son of the late Emperor Napoleon III died in Africa. Neither ever reigned. And it is another singular fact that Marie Leczinska, queen of Louis XV, who died in 1768, was the last Queen of France who died in the purple of sovereignty. All know the fate of Marie Antoinette; Joséphine was divorced; Marie Louise lived and died in ignominious obscurity after the downfall of her husband. The wives of Louis XVIII and Charles X (Marie Joséphine and Marie Thérèse, of Savoy-two sisters who married two brothers) died during the emigration. Marie Amélie, queen to Louis Philippe, died in exile, as her successor Eugénie now lives, driven out of France-strange vicissitudes of royalty! ELIZABETH PRIOLEAU. Desirable Vocabulary Acquisitions: Backfisch, Bummeln, Schwärmen.The writer of an interesting little article on "Cousins German," in Cornhill for September, maintains that however inferior the German language is to the English in many points of view, it contains three words which are much needed. The first is "backfisch," to describe a girl from fifteen to eighteen years of age who keeps a diary, climbs trees secretly, blushes easily, and has no conversation. The second word, which is even more needed than "backfisch," is "bummeln." One who bummelns is an aggravated edition of our lounger. The most indispensable word of all, however, is " schwärmen," of which the writer says: "The best definition of this word seems to be the falling in love in a purely impersonal manner with the artistic or intellectual gifts of any more or less distinguished man or woman. It is possible, for example, to 'schwärmen' for actors, singers, authors, doctors, military commanders, preachers, and painters. A German girl can schwärmen for any or all of these, whether they be male or female, and openly avow the same without even her mother taking alarm. A man can schwärmen, too, but the objects of his schwärmerei very seldom happen to be of his own sex. Now, English people are no whit behind their German cousins in the practice of 'schwärming,' but they have no term wherewith to express their enthusiasm which shall never be liable to misinterpretation. Therefore, it is much to be wished that the words backfisch, bummeln, and schwärmen may be introduced into the next English dictionary." Ever-burning Lamps (Vol. vi, pp. 192, etc.).—Before the tomb of King Ethelbert, under the high altar of St. Austin's Church, Canterbury, there was, in Polydore Virgil's time, a lamp kept burning perpetually. R. L. That Number 7 Again (Vol. vii, p. 249, etc.) and "Shanty."-The Nation for October 1, culled the following, with many another tidbit, from a slang dictionary under review: "Shanty.-No one has ever explained the origin of this term, but it may be noted that there are exactly seven board surfaces in a shanty, the four upright sides, the two sides of the roof and the floor, and that the word shebang, in Hebrew, means seven." Q. E. D. A MEDIUM OF INTERCOMMUNICATION FOR LITERARY MEN, GENERAL READERS, ETC. Copyrighted 1891, by The Westminster Publishing Co. Entered at the Post-Office, Philadelphia, as Second-class Matter. Vol. VII. No. 25. THE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1891. American Notes and Queries PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE WESTMINSTER PUBLISHING COMPANY, 619 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. Single copies sold, and subscriptions taken at the publishers' office. Queries on all matters of general literary and historical interest-folk-lore, the origin of proverbs, familiar sayings, popular customs, quotations, etc., the authorship of books, pamphlets, poems, essays, or stories, the meaning of recondite allusions, etc., etc.—are invited from all quarters, and will be answered by editors or contributors. Room is allowed for the discussion of moot questions, and the periodical is thus a valuable medium for intercommunication between literary men and specialists. Communications for the literary department should be addressed: EDITOR AMERICAN NOTES AND QUERIES. All checks and money orders to be made payable to the order of The Westminster Publishing Company, 619 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. $3.00 per year. $1.75, 6 months. $1.00, 3 months. 10 cents per number. CONTENTS. NOTES:-Back and Forth, 289-Parnell's Lordly Ancestry, 290-How Our Presidents Died, 291-Animal Cries In Medieval Latin, 292. QUERIES:-Blowing Under the Edge of the Scalp, 292German Authorship Wanted-Idolatry in Switzerland-St. Elmo-Layman Chosen Pope-Cold Harbor-Is This a Shakespeare Emendation?-Ruart-Clutterdepouch-Apostles of Ireland-Crowned Before Birth, 293-whist, a Poem -Huat Hanat, etc.-Gum of Life-Admirable Crichton, 294. REPLIES:-Talboy-Monosyllabic Verse-Suicide of a Saint -Authorship Wanted, 294-Ténèbres-Towns With Double Personal Names-Sex of Hares-Muriel, 295. COMMUNICATIONS:-Illusions of Great Men-City of Agamenticus, 295-Mixum Gatherum-Superstition in High Places-Why Dummy Clocks Mark 8.18-Two Historic American Hand Presses-Devil in Place Names, 296-Advertising in China-The " Bequia Sweet," 297-The Age of Trees-How the Ancients Swore-Highest Observatories in the World, 298-How Names Grow-Spanish American Words, 299-Ancient Civic Customs in Dublin, 300. NOTES. BACK AND FORTH. At some time within two years of the present writing, I saw in a London paper (the Saturday Review, I think it was) a sneering allusion to the expression "back and forth" as an Americanism. But the following passage occurs in Sir J. Davies' "Orchestra," Stanza xl : "The sun Doth dance his Galliard in his leman's sight, PARNELL'S LORDLY ANCESTRY. The Philadelphia Press thus sums up the descent of Parnell from the Earl of Warwick as compiled by Mr. Thomas St. John Gaffney. In its connection with contemporary history, Parnell's relationship to Earl Spencer and the Marquis of Hartington is interesting: HOW OUR PRESIDENTS DIED. George Washington.-His death was the result of a severe cold contracted while riding around his farm in a rain and sleet storm on December 10, 1799. The cold increased and was followed by a chill, which brought on acute laryngitis. His death occurred on December 14, 1799. He was sixty-eight years of age. John Adams.-He died from old age, having reached his ninety-first milestone. Though active mentally, he was nearly blind, and unable to hold a pen steadily enough to write. He passed away without pain, on July 4, 1826. Thomas Jefferson.-He died at the age of eighty-three, a few hours before Adams, on July 4, 1826. His disease was chronic diarrhoea, superinduced by old age, and (his physician said) the too free use of the waters of the White Sulphur Springs. Hon. Sophia Hamilton. Mrs. Ward. Lady Parnell. Sir J. Parnell, Bart. William Parnell of Avondale. John H. Parnell, CHARLES STEWART PARNELL. Martin Van Buren.-He died on July 24, 1862, from a violent attack of asthma, followed by catarrhal affection of the throat and lungs. He was eighty years of age. William Henry Harrison.-The cause of his death was pleurisy, the result of a cold, which he caught on the day of his inauguration. This was accompanied with severe diarrhoea, which would not yield to medical treatment. His death occurred on April 4, 1841, a month after his inauguration. He was sixty-eight years of age. John Tyler.-He died on January 17, 1862, at the age of seventy-two. I have been unable to ascertain the cause of his death. James K. Polk.-In the spring of 1849, he was stricken with a slight attack of cholera while on a boat going up the Mississippi river. Though temporarily relieved, he had a relapse on his return home, and died on June 15, 1849, aged fifty-four years. Zachary Taylor.-He was the second President to die in office. He is said to have partaken immoderately of ice water and iced milk, and then later of a large quantity of cherries. The result was an attack of |