throws no light whatever on the history of this place, but the best accounts of it now extant are those of Inigo Jones, and Dr. Stukeley. The road we are tracing thence continued through Enford, Hen-fordd, or the old road to the Devizes, or the divided streets, or divided roads, where it divided itself into three different branches; one of these led westward, another towards South Wales, and the third to North Wales.

Here it may be right to observe, before we proceed further, that the ancient Cumbri or Cymri, for the sake of water and other necessaries of life, and to avoid mountains, fixed their roads, as well as their habitations, in vales and bottoms, as appears from the names of ancient places both in Gaul and Britain; and, whenever they had to traverse a deep river, and there were no materials to be had on the spot for erecting bridges, they extended the water by widening the channel, and laid therein pebbles and gravel, which made the bed still shallower, and afforded them a good firm passage, as appears by many such fords, which, as well as their ancient names, have remained to this day. When they came to a morass, they constructed a Sarn, or causeway of timber, brushwood, earth, and gravel.

To continue this road further towards Anglesey, we take it up again near Calne, at a place called Cumerford, or the Cumbri road, situate on the Avon, or river which runs by Bath to Bristol. It continues its course with this river by a third Malford, to Malmsbury, near which it entered Gloucestershire, and went on to Dursley, or the low or little water. After crossing the Severn, it ran along another smaller river, through the forest of Dean to Welsh Birkford, (Welsh Bicknor,) on the Wye, and so along the Wye by Walford, or Wales' road, Ross, Rhôs, or the morass, and Hew-Caple to Mordeford, Mawrfordd, or the great road, where it crossed the Wye, and continued its course on to Hereford, Hir-fordd, the long road, or, as it is still called in Welsh, Henfordd, the old road; running thence through the middle of Herefordshire, it followed the course of the Wye by Monington, or the mining-town Byford, Winforton, or Minforton, the town on the road side, and Rhaiadr Gwy, the Wyefords, in Radnorshire, to its source at the hill of Plynlimon, in Montgomeryshire, probably a place of worship of the Môn Druids. This being a great mining country, the road seems to be divided here into several branches, as over Sarn Halen, or the salt-causeway, at Llanbadarn Odyn, in Cardiganshire; another, by Dinas Mywthy, in Merionethshire, through Rhyd'r Halen, or the salt-ford over Sarn, or Fordd'r Halen, or the salt road or causeway at Michneant, by Festiniog to Aberglaslyn, in Caernarvonshire. It afterwards followed the river Glaslyn by Kemeys to its source on Snowdon mountain, from whence it passed along the river Segont to Caersegont, since called Caer

narvon, and so over the Menai, er narrow water, by a ferry into Anglesey, until it terminated at Aberfro, or the town or harbour upon or in the neighbourhood of water, which in ancient times was the capital of Anglesey, and the royal residence of the kings or princes of Gwynedd.

By following with the eye on the map the course we have traced out, the names of places along the road serve us, as so many directing-posts for our guidance, in this long and sometimes circuitous route, from the Isle of Wight to the palace of Aberfro. Indeed, in some parts of its course, it was so crooked and circuitous, that, in Merionethshire, it obtained the name of the crooked salt road, or Fordd Gam r' Halen.

If any further proof were wanting to establish our facts and inductions, we might add, as the French term it, au surplus, that they are corroborated by the curious circumstance, that this road appears to have been called Fordd Halen, or the salt road, in the Welsh part of its course, because the inhabitants of Wales brought salt back along it from Hampshire, whilst, in England, it was called the mine-road, because it served for the conveyance of minerals from Wales to the Isle of Wight.

W.

Sonnet from the Welsh by the late EDWARD WILLIAMS.

Love is a wild confusion of the soul,

To brave its pow'r enfeebled reason fails;
The despot reigns with absolute controul,

With strong attachment ev'ry thought assails:
Where genial sensibility prevails,

Unguarded passions catch its ardent fire,
And, fever'd high by hope's alluring tales,
Inflame the wilder'd mind with strange desires;
It leaves in joyless calms th' unfavour'd breast,
Where sordid self locks up the callous heart,
But in the tender feeling lives confest

In visions bright that thrilling joys impart;

Song strives to paint it, efforts vainly shewn,

The worldless heart must feel, or love can ne'er be known.

NATURAL HISTORY.-THE WHITE MOLE.

AMONG the many resources man possesses for mental relaxation or instruction, there is not one which appears to us more abundant than natural history. It is true, that astronomy has been affirmed to be the noblest of sciences, and that which has been pursued by the greatest philosophers; but, to our mind, astronomy is not so well calculated, at last, to amuse the greater part of mankind. Those not gifted with the eagle-thought of a Bacon, or a Newton, or a La Place, we maintain, cannot obtain so perfect an acquaintance with astronomy, as with our favorite study; for to man's ordinary perfection, though he may see the "sun, and the moon, and the stars," and contemplate the majesty and power of their incomprehensible Architect, yet these, "his handy works," are beyond the grasp of other than the most gigantic minds. The rest of us cannot examine their immensity, much less can we comprehend their wondrous construction; and as far as our knowledge of them is attained, we are chiefly indebted to the labours of others. But it must be otherwise with that portion of creation which constitutes animated nature, and which, though the common-place observer sees therein nothing worthy of remark, will be proud to contain wonders of the vastness and variety, which are indeed astonishing. Of the more extraordinary of these, the obtaining a specimen is the first and only difficulty; when that is effected, the personal examination is proceeded with, according to the inclination of the student.

We are astonished that so little is known of some specimens of Welsh natural history. There are animals in Wales not to be met with, as far as we know, in any other part of Britain. We have been fortunate enough to discover a few; and those who have talent and inclination might, doubtless, add largely to the catalogue; the more especially, as the faculties for travelling in our beautiful Principality are now nearly equal to those of other parts of the kingdom.

Premising thus much, as an incitement to others who may have more time or ability than ourselves to pursue a most interesting study, we here lay before them a short account of the white mole of North Wales. That it might have been done far better by others, we are fully aware; but to rely on others, we have often found, is fallacious: besides, by entering on the examination, however slight, we may possibly awaken some latent spark for investigation in the bosom of a naturalist, who would not be unworthy of being associated with his countryman, and eminent precursor, Thomas Pennant; a circumstance which we, in common with every friend to national enlightment, must hail with delight. But to proceed to our text.

In a hilly seclusion, forming part of the western division of Montgomeryshire, stands the little parish of Llanllugan. Its retired situation, combined with its uninviting scenery, neither partaking of the romantic interest of more rugged districts, or of the richness of the valleys in Wales, renders it a place almost unknown to the tourist. Yet, in this apparently uninteresting district, is to be found an animal exceeding rare in any country; but, as far as we have heard, not to be met with elsewhere in our

own.

The white mole of Llanllugan is not so scarce as to be a mere lusus naturæ, but is frequently destroyed in numbers; and, in some parts of the parish, the mole-catchers seldom entrap the common black animal, well known in the rest of the island."

The specimen in our possession was much injured in its carriage to London, but it is sufficiently perfect to invite inspection. In bodily proportions, it is similar to the common mole; the fur is of a creamy-white, possessing a beautiful gloss, and soft as down to the touch. Under the stomach, running from the chin to the tail, is a broad stripe of deep yellow or burnt sienna tinge. The nose and lips are of a beautiful pink colour; and the bare feet present a very curious shriveled appearance, something similar to the hands of persons much accustomed to washing linen; the claws are particularly white. A mole is sometimes found, resembling the description we have given, in various parts of England, but their discovery is very scarce, and they are looked upon as freaks of nature, (as a white rook, or white blackbird, are regarded, and preserved as curiosities,) while, as we have before stated, the parish of Llanllugan produces them in abundance.

We cannot, on this occasion, neglect the opportunity of contradicting the misstatements of some naturalists regarding the habits of the mole. They have asserted, that it seldom stirs out of its hole, unless disturbed by violent rains. With deference, we beg to assert, that the animal frequently, at the close of evening, and during the night, leaves his subterranean dwelling, and a fearful enemy he is to various kinds of reptiles. For the sake of illustration, we subjoin the account of a gentleman in Wales, who was eyewitness to a very singular conflict between a mole and a frog.

"I was returning home one sultry evening, when my attention was called to a very unusual cry of distress, which proceeded from the ditch-bank of the road. My curiosity was excited, and I alighted from my horse. When I got to the ditch-bank, I was astonished by seeing a mole grasping a yellow frog by the leg, and drawing him towards the hedge. The captive uttered loud

cries, nor would the mole, until compelled by myself, quit his hold."

There cannot be a doubt as to the intention of the mole to devour the frog; and an inspection of the teeth will convince any person that they are formed for carnivorous mastication, and that they eat other food besides earth-worms, roots, or insects. Like the hog, their dentile formation points them out as belonging to that class of animals, which cannot be properly referred either to the rapacious or the peaceful kind, and which yet partake, in some degree, of the nature of both; and the above incident seems to substantiate the fact.

Whether the white mole of Llanllugan is the same animal as the Polish white mole, and that of the northern nations, we are incompetent to determine; but there are considerations which naturally suggest themselves to us, and which we venture to communicate. It is certain, that white moles are very uncommon in the adjacent parts of Montgomeryshire; and why they confine themselves to Llanllugan hills and their immediate vicinity, we cannot form a conjecture. The inquiry is a curious one; but a more important question remains for discussion, namely, the value in a commercial point of view, which we think may be attached to the animal. The Leming of Scandinavia, the Isatis of the Frozen Ocean, and the Ermine and the Sable of Siberia, are all sources of wealth to their respective countries; and we do not see why the white mole of Wales may not be made productive to ourselves. The common hare and rabbit skins of the northern Principality are esteemed by the furriers superior to any others of British growth; and the beautiful texture and gloss of the white mole skin appears to us to have been hitherto unnoticed, only because they have been unknown.

As we have before stated, the animal confines itself voluntarily to one vicinity; for that the mole sometimes becomes dissatisfied with its habitation, and changes it, under circumstances of extraordinary difficulty, has been noticed; and there is so curious a record of the fact in the third volume of the Linnæan Transactions, that we make no apology for introducing it here.

"In visiting the Loch of Clunie," says Mr. Bruce, "I observed in it a small island, at the distance of 180 yards from the land. Upon this island, Lord Airley, the proprietor, has a castle and small shrubbery. I observed frequently the appearance of fresh mole-hills, but, for some time, took it for the water-mouse, and one day asked the gardener if it was so. He replied, that it was the mole, and that he had caught one or two lately; but that five or six years ago he had caught two in traps, and for two years after this he had observed none. But, about four years