, 1902-01-31
BELIEFS ABOUT ANIMALS.

oELSGVo Nu~O bWN
To kill a spider on ones person
means ill-luck.
II a bee stings, kill him and the
wound will not swell.
II a cat washes her face it e
that visitors are coming.
Superstitious New Workers carry a
small round veal bone for good luck.
The back tooth of a hog and the
blood of a black hen have curative
powers.
In ancient Egypt cats were deiaed
and in India a sacred character was
and is attributed to cattle.
A black cat crossing ones path FORE
tells disaster, but a cat coming to the
house is an omen Of good import.
In Massachusetts, the most common
talismans are the claw Of a crab and
the left hind claw from a crows foot.
In Texas, superstitious people carry
a small bone from a ish's head. but the
luck only comes after the charm has
been lost.
The neigh Of a horse is a portent
Of death. which will come from the
quarter to which his head Is pointing
when he neighs.
A curious and inexplicable proverb
says: "Tt Is good luck to see Mr.. Ele-
plant swing on Mr.. Rabbits eyetooth
at the Three Nights Ball."
In New England the sailors carry as
a talisman a bone taken from a living
turtle, a pebble from a fishhawk's nest,
Or a small bone from the head Of .
cod.
In Newfoundland and Labrador
cramps are said to be guarded against
by carrying a cod's head or . bone from
a paddock caught without touching the
boat.
The hair of a dog, tho skin Of =
snake, and the pelt Of a black cat are
believed to contain medicinal qualities.
while the handling of a toad Is said
to give warts. a
In the fall. when the apples lie on
the ground. the porcupines come out Of
the woods and roll under the trees till
they are covered with apples. when
they retire to The forest and eat their
plumber at leisure.
In Lincolnshire the belief IL current
that the wearing Of a toad's breast
bone commands the obedience Of all
animals. To keep witches away they
stick an animals heart full Of pins
and keep 1t in the house as q tails
man.
In Maryland II one Is walking at
night and a spider web brush the
face 1t is supposed TO mean that .
ghost is following. but in the daytime
1t tells that a stranger Is coming. It
Is widely believed in Maryland that
q horse has the power of seeing
ghosts.
Among German Canadians a white
spider crawling toward one, the howl
ing Of a dog. the neighing Of a horse.
the sight Of a snake. are p~ortents Of
death. The killing Of a toad or the
growing of a hen foretells rain. II
the wild geese fly high look out for
. gale"
The crow in Asia Minor is looked
upon as unlucky, and the children cry
when they hear him cawing. Eat
your head xhole!" The crow, In fact,
has the distinction Of being almost
the only member OF the animal king
| dom who has q sinister reputation in
all lands. Even the snake fares bet
ter.
In Asia Minor when children hear
an owl hooting from the cypress
groves they cry. Good news for Us;
good messages for you" II they catch
an owl they hold 1t up by the beak
and chant: Palm Sunday owl, how
does you mother dancer" The mean
ing Of this rite 10 lost. but the habit
fingers.
In Turkey the partridge IL detested
because oncs 1t betrayed the prophet
to his enemies, and it, legs are red be-
cause they were dipped in the blood
of Hassan. II . man kills a panther
hs u Imprisoned for twenty-four
hours and then is handsomely 70.
vsrded. The crane 10 respected ana
it IL . crime - kill It
IN Poland the COST 10 considered
the best harbinser Of iuek, while the
wolf. crow and pigeon are i0oked
upon n unlucky. The skin, Of . al
vcrn on the chest IL alleged TO cure
nouspmption. To cure cataract IN
ths ~. take q black cock. make him
iook At tn spp, look at 1t yourself,