Chapter L: X. R

_Banning or Bayning Family_ (Vol. v., p. 536.).--This surname is traced in Ireland on _record_ from the time of Richard II., while the native annalists represent it with that Milesian prefix which old Alvary so ingraciously attaints--"_O datur ambiguis_." These annalists mark Patrick "O'Bainan" Bishop of Connor in 1152, and Gelasius "O'Banan" Bishop of Clogher in 1316. The records that I have alluded to spell the name "Bannyn," or "Banent." In 1620 Creconnaght "Bannan" was seised of lands in Ulster; and in the army raised for the service of King James, while in this country in 1689, William Bannan was a quartermaster in Colonel Nicholas Purcel's regiment of {618} 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:

"Now louder and warmer the competition growing,
Politeness nearly banished in the grand _fracas_;
Two hundred, two hundred and thirty-three--a-going!
Gone! Never cat of _talents_ surely met avidly such _éclat_!
E'en nine or ten fine gentlemen were in the fashion caught as well,
As ladies in their bidding for this purring piece of tortoiseshell.
And the buyer bore him off in triumph, after all the fun was done,
And bells rang, as if Whittington had been Lord Mayor of London;
Mice and rats flung up their hats, to find that cats so scarce were,
And mouse-trap makers raised their prices cent. per cent.!"