SIR, — In confirmation of the statement made by a corre- spondent
in your issue of March 4th that the plant called " brooklime " (Veronica Beccabunga) is not poisonous, but sometimes used as salad, it may be added that it is, or was in the recollection of the writer, regularly brought to market for that purpose in some districts in Germany. The Latin Becca- bunga is an adaptation of the German Bachbunge. There can be no doubt as to the meaning of the first part of this com- posite word : Bach,—i.e.," brook." Opinions differ concerning the etymology of the second part, image. The Thuringian peasants usually call the plant Bachbohne, and some botanical authorities say, accordingly, that bunge is a corruption of bohne—i.e., " bean "—the leaves of the plant resembling those of the common bean. Others point out the fact that the plant was formerly used as a remedy against dropsy, an obsolete German word for which is Bungensucht,—Bunge signifying "an inflated body."—I am, Sir, &c., T. L.
THE LATE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE'S LETTERS.
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