ix has a very large body. It is a bird which brings
great luck. If anyone walks beneath this bird, and there comes the sound
of rain falling on him, it is a very lucky thing. Such a man will become
very rich. For this reason the youngest of the six owls is called "Mr.
Owl."

[The rain here mentioned is supposed to be a rain of gold from the owl's
eyes.]--(Translated literally. Told by Penri, 16th July, 1886.)

xlviii.--_The Peacock in the Sky._

A cloudless sky has a peacock in it, whose servants are the eagles. The
peacock lives in the sky, and only descends to earth to give birth to
its young. When it has borne one, it flies back with it to the
sky.--(Written down from memory. Told by Penri, July, 1886, and by
Ishanashte, November, 1886.)

xlix.--_Trees turned into Bears._

The rotten branches or roots of trees sometimes turn into bears. Such
bears as these are termed _payep kamui_, _i.e._ "divine walking
creatures," and are not to be killed by human hand. Formerly they were
more numerous than they are now, but they are still sometimes to be
seen.--(Written down from memory. Told by Penri, July, 1886.)

l.--_Coition._

The Ainos think it very unlucky for the woman to move ever so slightly
during the act of coition. If she does so, she brings disasters upon her
husband, who is sure to become a poor man. For this reason, the woman
remains absolutely quiet, and the man alone moves.--(Written down from
memory. Told by Penri, July, 1886.)

li.--_Birth and Naming._

Before birth, clothes are got ready for the expected baby, who is washed
as soon as born.[F] The divine symbols are set up, and thanks are
offered to the gods. Only women are present on the occasion. Generally
in each village there are one or two old women who act as midwives.

The child may be named at any time. Ishanashte said that it was usually
two or three months, Penri said that it was two or three years, after
birth. The name chosen is usually founded on some circumstance connected
with the child, but sometimes it is meaningless. The parent's name is
never given, for that would be unlucky. How, indeed, could a child
continue to be called by such a name when its father had become a dead
man, and consequently one not to be mentioned without tears?--(Written
down from memory. Told by Penri and Ishanashte, July, 1886.)

[F] For the only time in its whole life!

lii.--_The Pre-eminence of the Oak, Pine-tree, and Mugwort._

At the begi