_Picnics_ were known and practised in the reign of James I. An amusing description of one is given in a letter from Sir Philip Mainwaring, dated Nov. 22, 1618. The knight is writing to Lord Arundel from Newmarket: "The Prince his birth-day hathe beene solemnised heare by those few Marquises and Lords which found themselves heare, and to supplie the want of the Lords, Knights and Squires were admitted to a consultation, wherein it was resolved that such a number should meete at Gamiges, and bring every man his dish of meate. It was left to their own choyces what to bring: some strove to be substantiall, some curios, and some extravagant. Sir George Goring's invention bore away the bell; and that was foure huge brawny piggs, pipeing hott, bitted and harnised with ropes of sarsiges, all tyde to a monstrous bag-pudding." And on the 28th of the same month, Mr. Chamberlain wrote to Sir Dudley Carleton: "We hear nothing from Newmarket, but that they devise all the means they can to make themselves merry; as of late there was a feast appointed at a farmhouse not far off, whither every man should bring his dish. The king brought a great chine of beef, the Marquis of Hamilton four pigs incircled with sausages, the Earl of Southampton two turkies, another six partridges, and one a whole tray full of buttered eggs; {241} and so all passed off very pleasantly."--Nichols's _Progresses of James I._, vol. iii. pp. 495. 496. W. M. R. E. [MR. ARTHUR WILSON has written to us that this word is Swedish, and to be found in Widegren's _Swedish and English Dictionary_. We may add that it is also in Delens, but we do not believe it to be of Swedish origin. We believe it will eventually be traced to a French source.--ED.] * * * * * "CONINGER" OR "CONINGRY." (Vol. vii., p. 182.) The Latin word for a rabbit is _cuniculus_, as is shown in the following couplet of Martial: "Gaudet in effossis habitare cuniculus antris: Monstravit tacitas hostibus ille vias."--xiii. 60.