eller immediately
crossed himself--a ceremony he invariably performed--and thus the
unfavourable influence of the hateful bird ceased. In the south of
England, people supposed that if a person saw four magpies at one
time, he would soon lose by death a dear friend. But an old English
poet, writing of magpies, says:

"One is a sign of sorrow; two are a sign of mirth;
Three are a sign of a wedding; and four a sign of birth."

The chattering of one of these birds in the morning bespeaks the
arrival of a stranger before evening. It is thought unlucky to kill a
magpie or a swallow. The congregating of magpies on a house-top
precedes an important event, in which the inmates are interested. If a
bird fly through a window, it is a sign that one of the inmates will
soon die. If a pigeon, which does not belong to any one of the family,
come into a house, it forebodes death to the occupant of the domicile.
The alighting of a swarm of bees on a dead tree or on the withered
bough of a living tree, signifies that the owner of the tree will soon
pass through death's portal. The howling of dogs, the lowing of
cattle, and the crowing of cocks at night, foretell the death of some
person in the neighbourhood. Dogs are supposed by not a few people to
see death as it enters a dwelling; and hence, in their opinion, the
cause of that quadruped's frequent dismal howling.

When one, by mistake, puts on his stockings in the morning wrong side
out, he secures good luck for that day at least. Birds' eggs hung up
in a house, prevent good luck entering that dwelling. He who wishes to
thrive should abstain from burning fish bones. A spark in the candle
gives notice that a letter is coming. If the cat sneeze or cough,
nothing is more certain than that one person, at least, in the house
will soon have a cold. When one's ears tingle, lies are being told
about him. When his cheeks burn, he is assured people are talking
about him. If the right eye itches, good luck is expected; and when
the left eye waters, misfortune is looked for. When the nose itches,
vexation--probably the death of friends--is expected. The meeting of a
fox, or the seeing of one crossing the path, presages the attempt of
an impostor to commit a fraud at the expense of the traveller. Owls or
ravens appearing on important occasions, portend unlucky events. If a
weasel be met in the morning, it is necessary to turn three times on
the heel and throw three stones, to prevent ill