SHORT LETTERS A ROBIN IN A MOUSE TRAP.
As regards the story of " A Robin's Mistake " in the Spectator of March 12th, I venture to send you " Another Robin's Mistake." • We had a tame robin in Surrey that used to come into the house and eat from my hand. Early one morning I heard a mouse trap click down in the next room, and went to see the poor victim mouse, when to my horror I found our lovely robin had gone for the cheese and was trapped dead.—MARION WALDUCK, 10 West Terrace, Eastbourne.
PERSISTENT JACKDAWS.
May I advise your correspondent who is troubled by jackdaws to have wire netting fixed across the top of each chimney on the roof of his house ? It saves trouble in the end to both parties in the dispute, and the jackdaws console themselves by perching on the top and pushing sticks down through the netting.—E. 0.
STOCKS AND WHIPPING POSTS.
Your' correspondent who asks for information as to the above may be interested to know that at Weston, Hawkstone, Shropshire, the village stocks still exist, in a fairly good state of preservation. Stocks are also to be seen at Norton, be- tween Shifnal and Bridgnorth, and inside the ancient Guildhall at Much Wenlock. The latter stocks are furnished with wheels, a very rare feature.
The Guildhall, a fine black-and-white building, is supported by stout oak pillars, which in ancient times served as whipping posts. The iron clasps in which the wrists were placed still remain.—(Rev.) G. S. Hewirts, Weston, Hawkstone, Shrews- bury.
AN OLD FRIEND.
• I suppose I am one of your oldest friends--since 1863, I think, I have constantly taken in, or seen at least, the Spectator, though the earliest bit of it I have by me is dated February 6th, 1865—a " leaderette," beginning : " Some Sabbatical fanatics have attempted to stop the Sunday evening lectures at St. Martin's Hall--" Since that, you have seldom failed to touch on the subjects interesting to me. I think my friend, James Rhoades, first suggested to Inc to take in the paper. You printed some of his earliest poems. Wishing you all sueeess.—EDWARD M. OAKELEY, The Gables, Eynsham.
REGIMENTAL HISTORIES.
The Royal Montreal Regiment, 14th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, allied with the Prince of Wales' Own (14th West Yorks Regiment) has ordered for private distri- bution a history of the regiment's part in the Great War, edited and compiled by Mr. R. C. Fetherstonhaugh, who also wrote the history of the 13th Battalion, Royal Highlanders of Canada. As many of the 6,200 men who passed through the ranks of the 14th Battalion, C.E.F., were born in the British Isles, and as a great many were demobilized there, the History Committee of the Royal Montreal Regiment has asked me to seek your assistance in spreading knowledge of the forth- coming volume in the Old Country. We have lost touch with a great number of our demobilized men, yet we feel that either they or their families and relations "would be interested in obtaining this history of the activities of their old unit in the Great War.—L. W. TAYLOR, Secretary, R.M.R. History Committee, c/o Bank of Montreal. "Head Office. Montreal.
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