in the _Chelmsford Chronicle_ for September 14, 1764. In Wright’s _History of Essex_ the inn itself is depicted. Taylor, too, probably refers to this house in his _Catalogue of Tavernes_ when he mentions a COCK at Romford in 1636. The example at Writtle has an old pictorial sign-board representing a resplendent, though faded, cock, with a bell over his head. The COCK AND MAGPIE, which has existed since 1789 at least on Epping Green, is probably called after a celebrated London tavern of the same name. The sign is identical in its origin with that of the COCK AND PIE. By the latter name is known some wine and spirit vaults of repute which for over a century have been established on *North Hill, Colchester. Several more or less likely meanings for the sign have been suggested, but the authors of the _History of Sign-boards_ consider it to be a corrupted sign. They believe that it originally represented the PEACOCK PIE, formerly a very favourite dish. When the dish went out of fashion the sign became abbreviated into the COCK AND PIE; and as that appeared meaningless, it was in time corrupted into the COCK AND MAGPIE, in both of which forms we still have it. Forty years ago the sign of the MAGPIE existed at Great Warley, and there is now a PEACOCK at Canning Town. A rebus upon the name of the issuer, Richard Cock of Colchester, occurs on a farthing token dated 1658. The RAVEN as a sign is found at Berden. It was a badge of the old Scotch kings, and may have been set up as a Jacobite symbol. The BLACKBIRDS, which occurs at Bulmer, and the THREE BLACKBIRDS, which occurs at Leyton, are, doubtless, two signs which were identical in their origin, and are probably connected with the RAVEN, the THREE RAVENS, the THREE CROWS, and the THREE CHOUGHS, all of which are fairly common in other counties, and are supposed by Larwood and Hotten to typify Charles, James, and Rupert. It is, however, just as likely that they represent the modern version of some family coat of arms. Many such coats bear three birds, which might, with almost equal correctness, be referred to any of the species just mentioned. Various doves and pigeons have already been spoken of (p. 38), but there still remains to be mentioned the curious sign of the RAINBOW AND DOVE, which is to be found at North Weald. In the list of signs in 1789 (p. 7) it appears as the RAINBOW merely. The sign is apparently quite meaningless, unless it typifies the rainbow and dove which figure in the account of “the Flood” (Genesis, chaps. viii. and ix.). The NIGHTINGALE at Wanstead is another inn-sign which does not seem to be mentioned by Larwood and Hotten. It is at least forty years old, and, doubtless, takes its name from, or gives its name to, Nightingale Square, in which it stands. The sign of the OWL, which has existed at High Beech since 1789 at least, is spoken of in the _History of Sign-boards_ as occurring only once elsewhere, namely, at Calverley, near Leeds. A bird (presumably a FINCH) occurs on the