Cats' Brains
Some learned information has been sent to me on the appearance of " Cats' brains " in place names ; but no one has even suggested the reason for the name. " Have cats peculiarly patterned brains? " The question sounds as if it were in the same category (with apologies for the word) as Lewis Carroll's question: "Do cats eat bats? " The phrase is common in Bucks as a field name ; but is found also in Beds, Oxon, Wilts, and perhaps the oldest example is Catesbrayn in Warwick, dating from 1271. It generally appears that the soil is a mixture of rough clay and stones. Almost all fields have had names, and it is hoped that countrymen will try to preserve them, for they are being rapidly forgotten, like other valuable relics, nominal or actual, such as Lammas land. Not long since a countryman built himself a house in a very familiar neighbour- hood, but—to his grief—did not discover till after he had given his house a foolish name that the field had been known as Coneywick for hundreds of years. What a glorious title for a house! The war may help to destroy many country traditions and indeed privileges. For example, quite a large number of rights of way have been blocked, some by the military, some by the plough.
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