having been previously forwarded by another; but it does not appear to
have been previously published.

M.

_Watch-paper Inscription_ (Vol. viii., p. 316.).--Twenty-five years ago
this inscription was set to music, and was popular in private circles. The
melody was moderately good, and the "monitory pulse-like beating" of course
was acted, perhaps over-acted, in the accompaniment. I am not sure it was
printed, but the fingers of young ladies produced a great many copies. Your
correspondent's version is quite accurate, and I think he must have heard
it sung, as well as read it. _Segnius irritant_, &c. is not true of what is
read as opposed to what is heard with music.

M.

_Dotinchem_ (Vol. viii., p. 151.).--Dotinchem appears to be the place which
is called _Deutichem_ in the map of the Netherlands and Belgian, published
by the Useful Knowledge Society in 1843, and _Deutekom_ in the map of the
kingdom of the Netherlands, published by the same society in 1830. Moreri
spells the name _Dotechem_, _Dotekom_, and _Dotekum_. It is situated on the
Yssel, south-east of Doesburg.

B. J.

_Reversible Names and Words_ (Vol. viii., p. 244.).--I cannot call to mind
any such _propria mascula_: but I think I can cast a doubt on your
correspondent's crotchet. Surely our _civic_ authorities (not even
excepting the _Mayor_) are veritable males, though sometimes deserving the
_sobriquet_ of "old women." Surveyors, builders, carpenters, {376} and
bricklayers are the only persons who use the _level_. On board ship, it is
the males who professionally attend at the _poop_. Our foreign-looking
friend _rotator_, at once suggestive of certain celebrated personages in
the lower house, is by termination masculine; and such members, in times of
political probation, never fail to show themselves _evitative_ rather than
plucky.

But some words are reversible in sense as well as in orthography. If a man
_draw_ "on" me, I should be to blame if at least I did not _ward_ "off" the
blow. Whom should we _repel_ sooner than the _leper_? Who will _live_
hereafter, if he be a doer of _evil_? We should always seek to _deliver_
him who is being _reviled_. Even Shakspeare was aware of the fact, that it
is a _God_ who breeds magots in a dead _dog_ (vide _Hamlet_). "Cum multis
aliis." The art of composing palindromes is one, at least, as instructive
as, and closely allied to, that of _de_-ciphering. If any one calls the
compositions in question "trash," I c