Few of those gentlemen who come into office of Sheriff with a dashing spirit quit their station without doing some, and, indeed, to do them justice, essential service to the community. Sir Richard Phillips, when sheriff, established the poor boxes put up on the outside of Newgate, with a restriction that they should be opened in the presence of the Sheriffs, and distributed by them to the poor prisoners, so that there could be no embezzlement, and the donations thus rendered certain of being equally and fairly divided among the proper objects, according to their distressing claims. The following extract is from a work published by Mr. Murray in 1815, entitled, "Collections relative to Systematic Relief of the Poor," and which perhaps may be the earliest notice of mendicants by proxy. Plutarch notices a Rhodian custom, which is particularly mentioned by Phoenix of Colophon, a writer of Iambics, who describes certain men going about to collect donations for the crow, and singing or saying, "My good worthy masters, a pittance bestow, Some oatmeal, or barley, or wheat, for the crow; A loaf, or a penny, or e'en what you will, As fortune your pockets may happen to fill. From the poor man a grain of his salt may suffice, For your crow swallows all and is not over nice. And the man who can now give his grain and no more, May another day give from a plentiful store. Come, my lad, to the door, Plutus nods to our wish, And our sweet little mistress comes out with a dish. She gives us her figs, and she gives us a smile, Heav'n bless her! and guard her from sorrow and guile, And send her a husband of noble degree, And a boy to be danced on his grand-daddy's knee; And a girl like herself, all the joy of her mother, Who may one day present her with just such another. God bless your dear hearts all a thousand times o'er, Thus we carry our crow-song to door after door; Alternately chaunting we ramble along, And we treat all who give, or give not, with a song." And the song ever concludes: "My good worthy masters, your pittance bestow, Your bounty, my good worthy mistresses, throw. Remember the crow! he is not over nice; Do but give as you can, and the gift will suffice." [Illustration: _"Rats or Mice to kill"_] RAT-CATCHER. PLATE IX. There are two kinds of rats known in this country, the black, which was formerly very common, but is now rarely seen, being superseded by the large brown kind, commonly called the Norway rat. The depredations committed by this little animal, which is about nine inches long, can be well attested by the millers and feeders of poultry, as in addition to its mischief it frequently carries off large quantities to its hiding place.