Milk v. Lightning.—In Emin Pasha's letter published in Nature (vol. xxxvii. p. 583), the Sudan Arabs are said to have a superstition that fire kindled by a flash of lightning cannot be extinguished until a small quantity of milk has been poured upon it. A similar belief seems to have existed formerly in this country. The earliest register-book of this parish contains the following note: —
"In the yeare of our Lord 1601 and uppon ye 14 day of May beinge thursday ther was great thundringe and lightninge and ye fyer descendinge from heaven kindled in a white-thorne bush growinge neere to a mudd-wall in Brook-street westward from Thomas Wake his house, it burned and consumed ye bush and tooke into ye wall about on yeard then by milke brought in tyme it was quenched and it did noe more hurt."
The Vicarage, Soham, Cambridgeshire.
Singing Game.—I have received the following which was recently taken down from word of mouth at Booking in Essex: —
"Here come seven sisters,
And seven milken daughters,
And with the ladies of the land,
And please will you grant us.
I grant you once, I grant you twice,
I grant you three times over;
A for all, and B for ball.
And please [Maudie Everard] deliver the ball."
The children stand all together, with another girl opposite. She comes forward and sings the first four lines. Then one child answers from the numbers, then the chorus sings "A for all," &c.
A Welsh Mining Superstition.—Thursday, May 10, being Ascension-day, work was entirely suspended at Lord Penrhyn's extensive slate-quarries near Bangor. The cessation of work is not due to any religious regard for the day, but is attributable to a superstition which has long lingered in the district, that if work is continued an accident is inevitable. Some years ago the management succeeded in over-
