horse. I have reason myself to know that two families of "Banon" still exist here.
John D'Alton.
Dublin.
Tortoiseshell Tom Cat (Vol. v., p. 465.).—I always thought the tortoiseshell tom cat was an animal of very rare occurrence; but I was not aware, until I read the Note of your correspondent W. R., that it was unknown in natural history. The late (and highly respected) Mr. John Bannister, familiarly called "Jack Bannister," wrote, more than forty years ago, a humorous and witty jeu d'esprit on this subject: this was composed for his "Budget," a species of entertainment from which the late Mr. Matthews took the idea of his "At Home;" an entertainment exhibiting a most extraordinary range of talent, and must be fresh in the memory of most of your readers. It supposes the auctioneer, "Mr. Catseye," in the Great Room in "Cateaton Street," and opens thus:
"Oh! what a story the papers have been telling us
About a little animal of wond'rous price;
Who but an auctioneer would ever think of selling us,
For two hundred yellow-boys, a trap for mice?"
&c. &c.
Having, humorously described the company assembled, and enlarged on the "beauty and rarity" of the animal, it thus concludes: