Trin. Col., Cambridge.
The Breeches, or Geneva Bible (Vol. iii, p. 17.).—I have before me a copy of Christopher Barkar's edition of the "Breeches" Bible, 1576, small folio, in which, on the fly-leaf, is the following interesting note in the handwriting of the late Francis Douce:—
"It is generally conceived that the peculiarity, 'and they sewed fig tree leaves together, and made themselves breeches,' belongs exclusively to this Bible, but it is a mistake. The Saxon version of Ælfric has, 'and sewed fig-leaves, and worked them WEED-BREECH, or cloaths for the breech.' Wicliffe also translates 'and maden hem breechis;' and it is singular that Littleton, in his excellent Dictionary, explains perizomata, the word used in the Vulgate, by breeches. In the manuscript French translation of Petrus Comestor's Commentary on the Bible, made by Guiars des Moulins in the 13th century, we have 'Couvertures tout autres-sint comme unnes petites braies.'"
Edward F. Rimbault.
Etymology of Mushroom.—In the sixteenth century this word appears generally to have been spelt Mushrump. Nares, in his valuable Glossary, gives an instance from Marlow's play of Edward the Second, 1598; but there is an earlier example in Robert Southwell's Spirituall Poems, 1595:
"He that high growth on cedars did bestow,
Gave also lowly mushrumps leave to growe."
It is also spelt Mushrump in Cockeram's Dictionary, 1632. These instances may possibly lead to a correct etymology of the word.
Edward F. Rimbault.
Curious Fact in Natural History.—There is in the Brazils a popular superstition to this effect. There is a tree called Japécarga, which is said to grow out of the body of the insect called Cigara. This is a very large tree, and the Cigara is an insect which makes an incessant chirping on the tree, and, as the saying goes, chirps till it bursts. When the insect dies, the tree is said to grow out of it, the roots growing down the legs. My explanation is this: The insect feeds on the seeds of the Japécarga, and occasionally, under advantageous circumstances, some of the seeds germinate, and cause the death of the insect, the tree shooting up through the softest part, the back, and the rootlets making their way down the only outlets, the legs. I wish to know whether any similar fact in Natural History has been noticed, and if not, how is it accounted for, since I can vouch for the skin of the insect having been found with the tree growing out of its back, and the roots growing down through the legs.