_Yankee--Yankee-doodle_ (Vol. iii., p. 260.).--In a curious book on the Round Towers of Ireland (I forget the title), the origin of the term Yankee-doodle was traced to the Persian phrase, "Yanki dooniah," or "Inhabitants of the New World." Layard, in his book on _Nineveh and its Remains_, also mentions "Yanghi-dunia" as the Persian name of America. BENBOW. Birmingham. _Yankee._--The following lines from a poem, written in England by the Rev. James Cook Richmond, of Providence, Rhode Island, and dated Sept. 7, 1848, gives the derivation of this word:-- "At Yankees, John, beware a laugh, Against yourself you joke: For _Yenghees_ 'English' is, but half By Indian natives spoke." M. Philarète Charles then has too hastily concluded that this etymology is not given in "aucun ouvrage américain ou anglais," and has supplied us with a surprising coincidence, since he appears to have fairly translated the first two lines, viz.: "Les Anglais, quand ils se moquent des _Yankies_, se moquent d'eux-mêmes." W. DN. _Letters on the British Museum_ (Vol. iii., pp. 208. 261.).--Your correspondent's Query as to the author of these letters, published by Dodsley in 1767, 12mo., has not yet been answered. The author's name was Alexander Thomson. It is inserted in manuscript in two copies of this work which I possess. I have also seen the assignment of the copyright to Dodsley, in which the same name occurs as that of the author. JAS. CROSSLEY. _Names of the Ferret_ (Vol. iii., p. 390.).--The name by which the male ferret is known in the midland counties is the _hob_: the female is called the _jill_. In that district there is a saying current, which is applied to the human genus: "There's never a Jack but finds a Jill." In Welsh, the name of the ferret is _ffured_, which means a wily, crafty creature. A RATCATCHER. _Anonymous Ravennas_ (Vol. i., p. 124.).--W. C.'s Query has not received much elucidation as yet; as a small contribution, I may remark that the Benedictine Dom. Porcheron brought the MS. to light, and published it at Paris, 1686, 8vo., under the title, _Anonymi Ravennatis, qui circa sæculum septimum vixit, de Geographiâ libri quinque_, with a dedication to the Duc de Bourbon, son of the great Condé. My authority is, the _Correspondence inédite de Mabillon et de Montfaucon avec l'Italie_, par M. Valéry, Paris, 1846, vol. ii. pp. 2, 3, 5.