danger of famine. But
'old folk' are prone to prophesy disaster and failure of all kinds.

Mrs. Luckett chimed in here, and said that modern ways were not all
improvements, the girls now were so fond of gadding about. This was a
hint for Cicely, who loved a change, and yet was deeply attached to
the old home. She rose at this, doubtless pouting, but it was too
dusky to see, and went indoors, and presently from the open window
came the notes of her piano. As she played I dreamed again, till
presently Mrs. Luckett began to argue with Hilary that the shrubs
about the garden ought to be cut and trimmed. Hilary said he liked to
see the shrubs and the trees growing freely; he objected to cut and
trim them. 'For,' said he, 'God made nothing tidy.' Just then Cicely
called us to supper.

NOTES.

The following interesting correspondence has been received.

MAGPIE OMENS. _Page 153._--In reference to the superstition that one
magpie is good luck, but two sorrow, 'R. F.' writes from Wiesbaden:--'In
the north of England the contrary belief holds good, witness the
following saw which I heard many years ago in the county of Durham:--

"One for sorrow, two for mirth;
Three a marriage, four a birth;
Five for heaven, six for hell,
Seven--the devil's own sel!"

As to seventeen, which number I once saw together, Mrs. Luckett's
exclamation "Goodness! something awful might happen" might have been
appropriate; only nothing dreadful did occur.'

CART-HORSE ORNAMENTS. _Page 159._--As to the history of the
crescent-shaped ornaments on carthorses, 'J. D.' writes from Dover:
'Anyone who has lived in Spanish countries must be struck on going to
East Kent by the gay trappings of the farmers' horses on gala days, in
which the national colours of Spain, scarlet and orange yellow, and
the "glittering brazen" ornament of the crescent and the cross, so
generally prevail. Their history must date from the introduction of
the Flemish breed of horses to this country, showing that as the Moors
carried the crescent to Spain, so the Spaniards took it to Flanders,
and the Flemings here, whence it has been adopted pretty generally by
the farmers of England.'

NAMES OF FIELDS. _Page 176._--'The Conigers is evidently the same as
Coningar, a word sometimes occurring in Scottish local nomenclature,
and which meant a rabbit-warren--Coniger, Coney-garth. I know two
Coningars in Aberdeenshire, but the meaning of the word is as much
fo