# Folk-Lore Record/Volume 1/Index to the Folk-lore in the First Series of Hardwicke's "Science-Gossip"

T appears to me that the Folk-Lore Society may do a useful work by publishing extracts connected with Folk-Lore from books which would not be likely to come in the way of the ordinary student of the subject, or, in the case of existing obtainable works, by furnishing information as to where such material may be found. In this belief I have gone through the first series of Hardwicke's Science-Gossip, and have made an Index of all the passages which bear upon folk-lore. As might be expected, nearly all of these are connected with natural history; many of them contain nothing new, but may be useful in tracing out the distribution of a superstition. I have omitted any reference to a few well-known passages quoted from works which are more or less familiar to the student of folk-lore—such as, for example, Gerard's account of the barnacle goose—as quotations at second-hand are seldom altogether satisfactory; and I believe the present Index contains all the original and personally authenticated folk-lore which is contained in the twelve volumes forming the first series. Nearly all the communications are signed; for some, to which only the initial "B." is affixed, I am myself responsible. I may add that I have given, by means of a cross reference, an index locorum, which will be useful to some Members.
* Acorns, when plentiful, a sign of bad bacon (Yorkshire), v. 23, 45.
* Ague, remedies for, in Lincolnshire, ii. 83; iii. 117; in Kent, ix. 45.
* America, hydrophobia in, vii. 213; viii. 20.
* April Fool's Day, Guernsey custom on, xii. 161.
* Bean-swads a cure for warts in Yorkshire, iii. 177; in Denbighshire, viii. 283.
* Bees must not be bought (Cheshire), iii. 86.
** telling them of a death, iv. 283.
** singing to, when hiving, in N. Wales, vi. 167.
** frogs obnoxious to, xii. 93.
* Beetles, prejudice against in Staffordshire, v. 129.
* Birds poisoning their young, ii. 141, 167, 189, 190, 238.
** pair on Saint Valentine's Day (Yorkshire), iii. 177.
* Blackbird singing before Candlemas, xii. 118.
* Bramble, marking of leaves a sign of sickness (Wales), iii. 212.
* Brome-grass (Bromus secalinus) thought to be degenerated oats in Cheshire, iii. 87.
* Bucks, see Epilepsy, Slow-worm.
* Candlemas, blackbird or thrush singing before (Ireland, co. Tyrone), xii. 118.
* Cat sitting with back to fire a sign of rain, iii. 46, 190.
** before a storm, v. 116, 164, 167.
* Caterpillars appearing in great numbers considered ominous in Ireland, ii. 133.
*** a cure for whooping-cough, viii. 215.
*** unlucky, xii. 69.
* Celery, when believed poisonous in Antrim, vi. 139.
* Cheshire, see Bees, Brome-grass, Darnel, Dock-leaves, Donkey, Epilepsy, Finger, Freckles, Frog, Hedgehog, Nails, Thrush, Warts, Whooping-cough.
* Cornwall, see Cows, Goatsucker, Hedgehog, Snake.
* Cows, supposed to be sucked by goatsucker (Cornwall), iii. 183; and by hedgehog (Yorkshire, iii. 177; Cornwall, 183).
* Cricket, unlucky to kill (Wales), iii. 281.
* Cuckoo, "as scabbed as a," Yorkshire saying, ii. 184.
** Yorkshire folk-lore of, iii. 1 77.
* Darnel, thought to be degenerated wheat in Cheshire, iii. 87.
* Danes, tutsan berries stained with blood of (Hampshire), vi. 281.
* Death, telling bees of, iv. 283.
* Death-omens, hawthorn, ii. 83.
*** robin, ii. 166.
* Death at turn of tide (Yorkshire), iii. 177.
* Denbighshire, see Bean-swads, Seventh Son, Sloe.
* Devil's Coach-horse (Ocypus olens), accursed in Ireland, xii. 69.
* Devonshire, see Eyes, Kenning-stone, Viper.
* Dock-leaves applied to nettle-stings in Essex, ii. 83; in Cheshire, iii. 86, and Yorkshire, iii. 177, viii. 238, 262. *Donkey, hair from, as cure for whooping-cough (Cheshire), iii. 86; (Dorset), v. 165.
*** cross on back of (Yorkshire), iii. 177.
*** riding on, a Dorset prevention of whooping-cough, v. 262.
*** passing under, a cure for whooping-cough, viii. 215.
* Dorsetshire, see Donkey, Mole, Toothache, Whooping-cough.
* Dun Cow, legend of, vi. 23, 38, 64, 69, 94.
* Eels not in season when beans are in flower (Yorkshire), iii. 177.
** horsehair believed to turn into, i. 107; vii. 142.
* Elm, weather Folk-lore regarding, iii. 166.
* Epilepsy, remedies for in Cheshire, i. 85; ii. 83.
* Erysipelas, Herb Robert a S. Wales cure for, v. 191
* Essex, see Dock-leaves, Hawthorn.
* Evil Eye, believed in in Ireland (co. Tyrone), x. 238.
* Eyes, sore, a Devonshire cure for, xii. 93.
* Finger (the first) thought venomous in Cheshire, iii. 86.
* Fits, wood-louse a Yorkshire remedy for, iii. 177.
* Flax, steeped, influenced by moon (Ireland, co. Tyrone), ix. 211.
** should be sown before Good Friday (Ireland, co. Tyrone), x. 238.
* Fox, Irish Folk-lore of, vi. 166.
* Foxglove, Folk-lore of, vi. 135, 166.
* Freckles, Cheshire belief about, iii. 86.
* Frog, used in Cheshire as a cure for the thrush, i. 85.
** obnoxious to bees, xii. 93.
* Goatsucker, supposed in Cornwall to suck cows, iii. 183.
* Glow-worm, sign of damp weather, v. 45.
* Good Friday, flax to be sown before (Ireland, co. Tyrone), x. 238.
* Goose, excrement of, a Staffordshire cure for jaundice, v. 141.
* Goose-grass, (Galium Aparine) employed in Guernsey on April 1st, xii. 161.
* Guernsey, see Goose-grass.
* Haddock, marks on, iii. 177.
* Hair (human and donkey's) connected with Cheshire cure fur whooping-cough, iii. 86; also used in Dorset, v. 165.
* Hairworm (Gordius aquaticus), i. 107; vii. 142, 165.
* Hampshire, see Danes.
* Hawthorn, considered unlucky in Essex, ii. 83; in Kent, xi. 71.
*** fruit of, a sign of severe winter, v. 71.
* Hedgehog used in Cheshire as a cure for epilepsy, i. 85.
*** supposed to suck cows in Yorkshire, iii. 177; and Cornwall, iii. 183.
* Herb-Robert, employed in erysipelas (Wales), v. 191.
* Herring, squeaking before death, iv. 45.
* Horsehair believed to "turn into an eel," i. 107 (Monmouthshire), vii. 142.
* Hydrophobia, prevention of, in America, vii. 213; viii. 20.
* Ireland, see Candlemas, Caterpillars, Celery, Devil's Coach-horse, Evil Eye, Flax, Fox, Foxglove.
* Isle of Man, see Ragwort.
* Jaundice, a Staffordshire cure for, v. 141.
* Jay, connected in Bucks with a cure for epilepsy, ii. 83.
* Kenning-stone, a Devonshire cure for sore eyes, xii. 93.
* Kent, see Ague, Hawthorn, Ladybirds, Nails, Slow-worm.
* Lady-birds, large numbers of, considered forerunners of evil in Kent and Sussex, ii. 170.
*** Yorkshire Folk-lore of, iii. 177.
* Leicestershire, see Silverweed.
* Lincolnshire, see Ague, Robin, Spider.
* Mole, a cure for ague, iii. 117.
** claws of, a Dorsetshire cure for toothache, v. 263.
* Money, spitting upon (Yorkshire), iii. 177.
* Monmouthshire, see Horsehair.
* Moon, influence of on steeped flax (Ireland, co. Tyrone), ix. 211.
* Mountain-ash, connected in Cheshire with cure for whooping-cough, iii. 86.
* Mouse, roasted, a Yorkshire cure for whooping-cough, iii. 177.
* Nails, unlucky to cut (Cheshire), iii. 86; cutting on Wednesday a cure for ague (Kent), ix. 45.
* Nettle, planted near hives, xii. 93.
** stings, dock leaves applied to, see Dock-leaves.
* Newt, reputed poisonous, in Staffordshire, v. 129.
* Norfolk, see Rat.
* Oats, degenerated, see Brome-grass.
* Onions favouring infection, iv. 215; a Kent cure for ague, ix. 45.
* Orchis growing on Mount Calvary, i. 114.
* Oxfordshire, see Viper.
* Pigeon-feathers not used for beds in Yorkshire, iii. 177.
* Parsley, xi. 189.
* Plantain (Plantago media) hair on leaf of used as a love-charm (E. Suffolk), v. 114.
*** toad healing itself by use of, xi. 21, 70.
* Rat, tail of, considered venomous in Norfolk, ii. 140 ; iii. 260.
* Robin, the "bird of death," ii. 166.
** unlucky to take, etc. (N. Lincolnshire), xi. 263.
* Rooks do not breed till two years old (Yorkshire), iii. 177.
* Seventh Son, whooping-cough cured by, in Denbighshire, viii. 282.
* Shepherd's Purse (Capsella Bursa-pastoris) prejudice against (Warwickshire), xi. 94.
* Silverweed (Potentilla anserina) used in Leicestershire for removing marks of smallpox, ii. 163.
* Sloe, a cure for whooping-cough (Denbighshire), viii. 283.
* Slow-worm, will not die till sunset (Bucks), ii. 83.
*** rhyme on, in Kent, vii. 93.
* Snake will not die till sundown (Cornwall), iii. 183.
** Welsh, legend of, iii. 237.
* Spider, a cure for ague (Kent), ix. 45; web of, a Lincolnshire cure for ague, ii. 83.
* Squirrel, (the Ogress), American Indian legend of, ii. 3.
* Staffordshire, see Beetles, Goose, Newt.
* Suffolk, see Plantain.
* Sussex, see Ladybirds, Whooping-cough.
* Thrush, frog used as a cure for, in Cheshire, i. 85.
** every one must have it (Cheshire), iii. 86.
* Thrush (the bird) acquiring new legs, iii. 141.
** singing before Candlemas, xii. 118.
* Toad healing itself by use of plantain, xi. 21, 70.
* Toothache, Dorsetshire cure for, v. 263.
* Turtledove, pairing "for life" (North of England), v. 142.
* Tutsan (Hypericum Androsamium), berries of, stained with blood of the Danes, vi. 281.
* Valentine's (St.) day, birds pair on, iii. 177.
* Viper, fat of, a cure for its bite (Oxfordshire), xi. 143; for other wounds (South Devon), xi. 166.
* Wales, see Bees, Bramble, Cricket, Herb-Robert, Snake.
* Warts, Cheshire cure for, i. 85.
** bean-swads a Yorkshire cure for, iii. 177.
* Warwickshire, see Shepherd's Purse.
* Weather-lore of Ash-tree, iv. 232.
**** Cat, iii. 46, 90; v. 116, 164, 167.
**** Elm, iii. 166.
**** Glow-worm, v. 45.
**** Hawthorn fruit, v. 71.
* Wheat, darnel thought to be degenerated, iii. 87.
* Whooping-cough, remedies for in Cheshire, iii. 86, and Yorkshire, 177; in Sussex, v. 164; viii. 215, 282.
**** prevention of, in Dorset, v. 363.
* Wood-louse, a remedy for fits in Yorkshire, iii. 177.
* Wood-pigeon, cry of, viii. 165, 236; ix. 21, 71, 93.