prehensive and instructive volume. It is a triumphant
refutation of the opinions of those who, to the vast injury of literature,
and serious inconvenience of men of letters, slight common sense and real
utility in favour of visionary schemes and pedantic elaboration.

There is no want of precedents for a work of this class, either abroad or
at home. As to the public library at Paris--I observe, in my own small
collection, an _Essai historique sur la bibliotheque du roi_, par M. le
Prince; a _Histoire du cabinet des medailles_, par M. Marion du Mersan; a
_Notice des estampes_, par M. Duchesne, &c.

For a precedent at home, I shall refer to the _Synopsis of the contents of
the British Museum_. The _first_ edition of that interesting work, with the
{512} valued autograph of _G. Shaw_, is now before me. It is dated in 1808.
I have also the _sixtieth_ edition, printed in this year. I cannot expect
to see a sixtieth edition of the _Handbook_, but it deserves to be placed
by the side of the _Synopsis_, and I venture to predict for it a wide
circulation.

BOLTON CORNEY.

* * * * *

FOLK LORE.

_Derbyshire Folk Lore._--Many years ago I learned the following verses in
Derbyshire, with reference to magpies:

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

The opinion that a swarm of bees settling on a dead tree forebodes a death
in the family also prevails in Derbyshire.

In that county also there is an opinion that a dog howling before a house
is an indication that some one is dying within the house; and I remember an
instance where, as I heard at the time, a dog continued howling in a street
in front of a house in which a lady was dying.

It is also a prevalent notion that if the sun shines through the
apple-trees on Christmas Day, there will be an abundant crop the following
year.

I never heard the croaking of a raven or carrion crow mentioned as an
indication of anything, which is very remarkable, as well on account of its
ill-omened sound, as because it was so much noticed by the Romans.

S. G. C.

_Weather Superstitions._--If it rains much during the twelve days after
Christmas Day, it will be a wet year. So say the country people.

"If there is anything in this, 1853 will be a wet year, for it has rained
_every_ day of the twelve." So wrote I under date January 9.

No one, I think, will deny that for once the