—In the Journal des Savants for April of this year, the celebrated mathematician Biot, in a review of the Correspondence of Sir Isaac Newton and Cotes (Cambridge, 1850), makes mention, with the highest praise, of an analysis of Sir Isaac's Principia contained in the Acta Eruditorum for 1688. Mons. Biot says that at that time there were only two men who could have written such an analysis, Halley and Newton himself; but adds, that the style is not Halley's, being too concise and simple for him. His admiration could not have been contained within such bounds. M. Biot firmly believes that the writer of this analysis was no other than Newton himself (ex ungue Leonem), and earnestly calls on the learned of England and Germany to assist in discovering the origin of the analysis; should there perhaps be any means left for doing so in the literary depôts of the two countries. Permit a contributor to "N. & Q." to repeat M. Biot's inquiry through the medium of a publication far more extensively circulated in England than the Journal des Savants.
J. M.
Minor Queries Answered.
Welsh Women's Hats.
—What was the origin of the peculiar hat so universally worn by women of the lower orders in Wales; and at what period did it come into use?
TREBOR.
[A gentleman who has resided for the last half century in the Principality, and to whom we submitted our correspondent's Query, has kindly forwarded the following reply:—"I have consulted bards, Welsh scholars, &c., and am sorry that I cannot forward any satisfactory account of the custom alluded to by TREBOR. Some say, we remember the time when the women wore ordinary felt hats manufactured from their own wool: one or two travelling hatters occasionally settled at Bangor, who made and sold beaver hats. We do not think that the women here intended to adopt any particular costume; but retained the hat as agreeing with the peculiar close cap, and projecting border, which it leaves in view, and in possession of its own uprightness! The fashion is going out; all our young people adopt the English bonnet with the English language. The flat hat, with a broad brim, is still retained in the mountain regions.">[
Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.
—Perhaps some of your readers will kindly inform the Pancake Eating Public as to the period "when," and the reason "why" such a custom grew into existence?
I have frequently heard the question mooted upon this anniversary, without ever hearing, or being able to give, a satisfactory elucidation of it; but it is to be hoped that "N. & Q." will supply the desideratum ere long, and confer a favour on