screeching noise whilst there, and also
as it flew away. The bird, singled out for the dismal honour of being a
death prognosticator, was the tawny, or screech owl. Many are the
instances, which have been told me by persons who heard the bird's noise,
of its having been the precursor of death. This superstition is common
to all parts of Wales.

_A Crowing Hen_.

This bird, too, is supposed to indicate the death of an inmate of the
house which is its home; or, if not the death, some sore disaster to one
or other of the members of that family. The poor hen, though, as soon as
it is heard crowing, certainly foretells its own death, for no one will
keep such an uncanny bird on the premises, and consequently the crowing
hen loses its life.

It is a common saying that--

A whistling woman, and a _crowing hen_,
Are neither good for God nor men.

Should a hen lay a small egg it was to be thrown over the head, and over
the roof of the house, or a death would follow.

_A Cock Crowing in the Night_.

This, too, was thought to foretell a death, but whose death, depended on
the direction of the bird's head whilst crowing. As soon as the crowing
was heard someone went to ascertain the position of the cock's head, and
when it was seen that his head was turned from their own house towards
someone else's abode, the dwellers in that house slept in peace,
believing that a neighbour, and not one of themselves, was about to die.
It was supposed, that to make the prognostication sure, the cock would
have to crow three times in succession before or about midnight, and in
the same direction.

_The Corpse Candle--Canwyll Corph_.

The corpse candle, or _canwyll corph_, was a light like that of a candle,
which was said to issue from the house where a death was about to occur,
and take the course of the funeral procession to the burial place. This
was the usual way of proceeding, but this mysterious light was also
thought to wend its way to the abode of a person about to die. Instances
could be given of both kinds of appearances.

I have met with persons in various parts of Wales who told me that they
had seen a corpse candle. They described it as a pale bluish light
moving slowly along a short distance above the ground. Strange tales are
told of the course the light has taken. Once it was seen to go over
hedges and to make straight for the churchyard wall. This was not then
understood, but when t