Practice of Scalping amongst the Scythians—­Scandinavian Mythology.—­In Vol. ii., p. 12., I desired to be informed whether this practice has prevailed amongst any people besides the American Indians.  As you have established no rule against an inquirer’s replying to his own Query, (though, unfortunately for other inquirers, self-imposed by some of your correspondents) I shall avail myself of your permission, and refer those who are interested in the subject to Herodotus, Melpomene 64, where they will find that the practice of scalping prevailed amongst the Scythians.  This coincidence of manners serves greatly to corroborate the hypothesis that America was peopled originally from the northern parts of the old continent.  He has recorded also their horrid custom of drinking the blood of their enemies, and making drinking vessels of their skulls, reminding us of the war-song of the savage of Louisiana:—­

“I shall devour their (my enemies’) hearts, dry their flesh, drink their blood; I shall tear off their scalps, and make cups of their skulls.” (Bossu’s Travels.) “Those,” says this traveller through Louisiana, “who think the Tartars have chiefly furnished America with inhabitants, seem to have hit the true opinion; you cannot believe how great the resemblance of the Indian manners is to those of the ancient Scythians; it is found in their religious ceremonies, their customs, and in their food.  Hornius is full of characteristics that may satisfy your curiosity in this respect, and I desire you to read him.”—­Vol. i. p. 400.

But the subject of the “Origines Americanae” is not what I now beg to propose for consideration; it is the tradition-falsifying assertion of Mr. Grenville Pigott, in his Manual of Scandinavian Mythology (as quoted by D’Israeli in the Amenities of English Literature, vol. i. p. 51, 52.), that the custom with which the Scandinavians were long reproached, of drinking out of the skulls of their enemies, has no other foundation than a blunder of Olaus Wormius, who, translating a passage in the death-song of Regner Lodbrog,—­

    “Soon shall we drink out of the curved trees of the head,”

turned the trees of the head into a skull, and the skull into a hollow cup; whilst the Scald merely alluded to the branching horns, growing as trees from the heads of aninals, that is, the curved horns which formed their drinking cups.

T.J.

Cromwell’s Estates.—­Magor (Vol. ii., p. 126.).—­I have at length procured the following information respecting Magor.  It is a parish in the lower division of the hundred of Caldicot, Monmouthshire.  Its church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is in the patronage of the Duke of Beaufort.

SELEUCUS.