tombstones beyond the line of the chancel appear to be of late date. An
old woman informed me, with an air of solemn authenticity, that this
arched passage was reserved as a place of deposit for the bodies of
persons seized for debt, which lay there till they were redeemed.

H.G.T.


_Meaning of "Harissers_."--It is customary in the county of Dorset,
after carrying a field of corn, to leave behind a sheaf, to intimate to
the rest of the parish that the families of those who reaped the field
are to have the first lease. After these gleaners have finished, the
sheaf is removed, and other parties are admitted, called "barissers." I
have been told that the real title is "arishers," from "arista." I
should feel obliged if any of your correspondents could inform me
whether this name is known in any other county, and what is the
derivation of the word.

CLERICUS RUSTICUS.


_Ringelbergius--Drinking to Excess._--Ringelbergius, in the notes to his
treatise _De Ratione Studii_, speaking of great drinkers, has this
passage:

"Eos qui magnos crateras haustu uno siccare possunt, qui sic
crassum illud et porosum corpus vino implent, ut per cutem humor
erumpat (nam tum se satis inquiunt potasse, cùm, positis quinque
super mensam digitis, _quod ipse aliquando vidi_, totidem guttæ
excidunt) laudant; hos viros esse et homines dicunt."