Birmingham.
Acts, xv. 23. (Vol. vii., p. 204.).—From the notes to Tischendorf's Greek Testament, it appears that καὶ ὁι is omitted by Griesbach ed. II. anno 1806, as well as by Lachman, on the authority of the four most ancient Greek MSS. distinguished as A, B, C, and D, confirmed by the versio Armenica, and so quoted by Athanasius, Irenæus, Pacian, and Vigilius. The MS. A is referred by Tischendorf to the latter half of the fifth century, and is the Alexandrian MS. in the British Museum. B is the Vatican codex of about the middle of the fourth century. C the codex Ephraemi Syri rescriptus at Paris, and is of the first half of the fifth century; and D is Beza's MS. at Cambridge, of about the middle of the sixth century. Mr. Sansom may find a very interesting letter upon this subject from Dr. Tregelles to Dr. Charles Wordsworth, the present Bishop of St. Andrew's, which was published very recently in the Scottish Ecclesiastical Journal, and in which that learned critic defends the omission of the καὶ ὁι. I regret that I cannot furnish him with the number of that Journal, but it was not more than three or four back.
I hope that Mr. Sansom will inform your readers of the ultimate result of his inquiries on this interesting subject.
P. H.
Serpent's Tongue (Vol. vi., p. 340.).—The Lingua Serpentina of old MSS., and the fossil now commonly termed a Shark's-tooth. In former days, few pilgrims returned from the East without bringing at least one of those curious stones. Being principally found in Malta, it was said they were the tongues of the vipers, which once infested that island, and which St. Paul had turned into stone. Considered to be antidotes, and possessed of talismanic qualities, they were set in cups, dishes, knife-handles, and other requisites for the table.
W. Pinkerton.
Ham.
Croxton or Crostin of Lancashire (Vol. vii., p. 108.).—A full account of the parish of Croston (not Crostin), which was formerly very extensive, but is now divided into the six parishes of Croston, Chorley, Hesketh, Hoole, Rumford, and Tarleton, may be found in Baines's Lancashire, vol. iii. pp. 395. to 440. There does not appear to have been a family of Croston of any note, though the name is common in the county. In Burke's Heraldic Dictionary, I find three families named Croxton; the principal one being of Croxton in Cheshire, since temp. Hen. III. Their arms are—Sable, a lion rampant arg. debruised by a bend componée or and gu.
Broctuna.
Bury, Lancashire.