as shown a curious old print of Tonbridge
in the time when the well-to-do farmers wore top-hats and swallow-tailed
coats, in which the vane is represented just as it appears at present.
Vane number two is a much weathered and discoloured one, almost within
touch, on a wooden turret surmounting the Town Hall--a typical Georgian
building, lately threatened with demolition, and for the further life of
which I noted a vigorous pleading in the pages of _The Graphic_ of
November 4th, 1892. Number three is a fox, rudely cut out of flat metal,
with a "ryghte bushie tayle," fixed on a house gable overlooking the
street.

[Illustration: The Sportsman Tonbridge]

[Illustration: At Rochester]

[Illustration: On Town Hall

W. Hogg. 1892.]

[Illustration: High St. Tonbridge]

The Orlestone sketch represents a type of vane practically never to be
met with, save on the oast-houses in the hop-growing districts of Kent.
The particular one noted stands at the bottom of a garden belonging to
an Elizabethan timbered house hard by the church. It will be remarked
that the animal, which is about 2 ft. long, is very crude in shape; it
represents a fox, and the obvious way Mr. Reynard's tail is joined on is
very enjoyable.

[Illustration: On Town Hall Rochester.

W. Hogg. 1892.]

[Illustration: On Medway Brewery. Maidstone.

W. Hogg. 1892.]

Rochester admittedly possesses one of the finest vanes to be found all
England over; it is in the main street on the Town Hall (temp. James
I.), and surmounts a wooden bell-tower perched on the roof. On the
south-west side of the building facing into the street is a tablet,
which tells us that "This building was erected in the year 1687. John
Bryan, Esquire, then Mayor"; and in quaint numerals the same date is
repeated just below the tablet base. The vane is in the form of a ship,
in gilt metal: a complete ship in miniature--cordage, blocks, twenty-six
cannon, small spars, even a daintily-modelled figurehead: all are there.
With the aid of a couple of stalwart constables I clambered up on to the
leaden roof, so that I might examine more closely and carefully this
splendid example of vane-craft. The ship itself, from the bottom of keel
to the top of mainmast, measures over 6 ft., and from jib to spanker
boom the total length is 9 ft. It is 18 in. in width, weighs 7-1/2 cwt.,
and revolves quite easily pivoted on a large bull's-eye of glass. It may
be interesting to note that my sketch was made f