any of them were picked up by my
grandfather, who lived at the Grove under Boxhill, near Dorking. They were
found in the hedges about West Humble, and in the grounds of the Grove. I
had this account from my mother; and had once some of the shells, which I
had found when staying in Surrey.

JULIA R. BOCKETT.

Southcote Lodge.

The snails asked after by MR. H. T. RILEY are to be met with near Dorking.
When in that neighbourhood one day in May last, I found two in the hedgerow
on the London road (west side) between Dorking and Box Hill. They are much
larger than the common snail, the shells of a light brown, and the flesh
only slightly tinged with green. I identified them by a description and
drawing given in an excellent book for children, the _Parent's Cabinet_,
which also states that they are to be found about Box Hill.

G. ROGERS LONG.

The large white snail (_Helix pomatia_) is found in abundance about Box
Hill in Surrey. It is also plentiful near Stonesfield in Oxfordshire, where
have, at different periods, been discovered considerable remains of Roman
villas; and it has been suggested that this snail was introduced by the
former inhabitants of those villas.

W. C. TREVELYAN.

Wallington.

_Sotades_ (Vol. vii., p. 417.).--Sotades is the supposed inventor of
Palindromic verses (see Mr. Sands' _Specimens of Macaronic Poetry_, p. 5.,
1831. His enigma on "Madam" was written by Miss Ritson of Lowestoft).

S. Z. Z. S.

_The Letter "h" in "humble"_ (Vol. viii., p. 54).--The question has been
raised by one of your correspondents (and I have not observed any reply
thereto), as to whether it is a peculiarity of Londoners to pronounce the
_h_ in _humble_. If, as a Londoner by birth and residence, I might be
allowed to answer the Query, I should say that {230} the _h_ is never heard
in _humble_, except when the word is pronounced from the pulpit. I believe
it to be one of those, either Oxford or Cambridge, or both, peculiarities,
of which no reasonable explanation can be given.

I should be glad to hear whether any satisfactory general rule has been
laid down as to when the _h_ should be sounded, and when not. The only rule
which occurs to me is to pronounce it in all words coming to us from the
Celtic "stock," and to pass it unsounded in those which are of Latin
origin. If this rule be admitted, the pronunciation sanctioned by the
pulpit and Mr. Dickens is condemned.

BENJAMIN DAWSON.

London.

_Lord No