Collectanea. 227
Soot hanging on the bar of the grate foretells a stranger's visit; if it falls into the fire, the stranger has changed his mind.
On New Year's Eve, in Knottingley, coal is brought into the house first of all,
A dead man's tooth is carried to ward off toothache.^^
Two well-known residents in Castleford wear garters made of eelskins to prevent attacks of rheumatism.
Death is foretold by a shooting star, or by a mirror cracking without cause.
The following items were collected in the neighbourhood of Scar- borough : —
If the sign of the cross is made over the nets before fishing, a good catch is certain.
If a sea-gull flies against the window, some member of the family is in danger at sea.
Wives of fishermen will not wind wool after sundown, for, if they do, they will soon be making their husbands' winding sheets.
Many fishermen believe in signs seen in the tea-leaves at the bottom of a tea-cup. The meanings of some of the signs are : — an oar, a warning to be cautious when embarking; an anchor, safety ; a loaf, future life to be free from poverty ; and a lily, a good omen.
Knottingley, Florence M, Brown.^
i^Cf. Henderson, op. cit., p. 145 {Devonshire)', Gregor, Notes on the Folk- lore of the North-east of Scotland, p. 48.
