animated into lice: and we may observe that hogs, sheep, goats, hawks,
hens, and others, have one peculiar and proper kind of
vermin."--_Works_, Bohn's edit., vol. i. p. 197.

The editor furnishes the following note:

"The immortal Harvey, in his _De Generations_, struck the first blow at
the root of the irrational system called _equivocal generation_, when
he laid down his brief but most pungent law, _Omnia ex ovo_. But the
belief transmitted from antiquity, that living beings generated
spontaneously from putrescent matter, long maintained its ground, and a
certain modification of it is even still advocated by some naturalists
of the greatest acuteness. The first few pages of the volume entitled
_Insect Transformations_ (in _The Library of Entertaining Knowledge_)
are occupied by a very interesting investigation of this subject."--See
also Sir T. Browne's _Works_, vol. i. p. 378., vol. ii. pp. 523, 524.;
and Izaak Walton's _Complete Angler_, passim.

The equivocal generation of bees is copiously dwelt on in Bochart's
_Hierozoicon_, London, 1663, fol., Part II. p. 502. Instances of their
attaching themselves to dead bodies, in spite of their ordinary antipathy,
are given at p. 506.

EIRIONNACH.

* * * * *

VANDYKE IN AMERICA.

(Vol. viii., pp. 182. 228.)

To your correspondent C. I would say, that his observation--that the Query
was as to an _engraving_, whilst my answer was as to a _picture_--is not
true; as I am sure, from memory, that MR. WESTMACOTT used the word
"portraits." But I plead in extenuation of my pretended grave offence, 1.
That the Query was not propounded by C., but by a gentleman to whom the
information given might be, as I supposed, of some interest; more
particularly as I referred to the _Travels_ of an Englishman, both of
which, author and work, were accessible. 2. That, in common with the
American readers of "N. & Q.," I regarded it as "a journal of
inter-communication," through whose columns information might be asked for,
the request to be treated with the same consideration and courtesy as
though addressed to each individual subscriber. I may add that LORD
BRAYBROOKE and MR. WODDERSPOON (Vol. iv., p. 17.) have urged "the necessity
for recording the existence of painted historical portraits, scattered, as
we know they are," &c. {229}

Now, as to the expression "worthies, famous in English history." I pr