f is almost half-witted,
an infant newly born seemed to be in a very weakly and unnatural state. One
of the gossips from the neighbouring cottages coming in, with a mysterious
look said, "Sure, the babby wanted _something_,--a drop of the sacrament
wine would do it good." On surprise being expressed at such a notion, she
added "Oh! they often gives it." I do not find any allusion in Brand's
_Antiquities_ to such popular credence. He mentions the superstition in
Berkshire, that a ring made from a piece of silver collected at the
communion (especially that on Easter Sunday) is a cure for convulsions and
fits.

ALBERT WAY.

"_Snail, Snail, come out of your Hole_" (Vol. iii., p. 132.).--Your
correspondent S. W. SINGER has brought to my recollection a verse, which I
heard some children singing near Exeter, in July last, and noted down, but
afterwards forgot to send to you:--

"Snail, snail, shut out your horns;
Father and mother are dead:
Brother and sister are in the back yard,
Begging for barley bread."

GEO. E. FRERE.

Perhaps it would not be uninteresting to add to the records of the
"Snail-charm" (Vol. iii, p. 132.), that in the south of Ireland, also, the
same charm, with a more fanciful and less threatening burden, was used
amongst us children to win from its reserve the startled and offended
snail. We entreated thus:--

"Shell a muddy, shell a muddy,
Put out your horns,
For the king's daughter is
Comings to town
With a red petticoat and a green gown!"

I fear it is impossible to give a clue as to the meaning of the form of
invocation, or who was the royal visitor, so nationally clothed, for whose
sake the snail was expected to be so gracious.

F. J. H.

_Nievie-nick-nack._--A fire-side game, well known in Scotland; described by
Jamieson, Chambers, and (last, though not least) John M^cTaggart. The
following version differs from that given by them:--

"Nievie, nievie, nick, neck,
Whilk han will thou tak?
Tak the richt, or tak the wrang,
I'll beguile thee if I can."

It is alluded to by Sir W. Scott, _St. Ronan's_, iii. 102.; _Blackwood's
Magazine_, August, 1821, p. 37.

Rabelais mentions _a la nicnoque_ as one of the games played by Guargantua.
This is rendered by Urquhart _Nivinivinack: Transl._, p. 94. Jamieson
(_Supp. to Scot. Dict._, sub voce) adds:

"The first part of the word seems to be from _Neive_, {180} the fist
being employed in the game.