426 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



Festival in Siam, before which no one would think of com- 

 mencing his work, the ceremonial plough is pulled by two 

 cream-coloured bullocks. These animals are made much of, 

 for after ploughing they reveal which crops are to be most 

 plentiful by the preferences they show for baskets of various 

 grains placed before them. Again, at the Wine Festival of 

 Vevey, held every 50 years in the Canton of Vaud, and which 

 will be held again in 1903 (a special occasion), there are symbolical 

 pageants, one to Pales, the goddess of flocks and herds, and 

 another to Ceres, goddess of harvest. At the last festival in 1889, 

 the chariot of the youthful goddess Pales was drawn by two milk- 

 white bulls, crowned with flowers and blue ribbons. The car of 

 Ceres was drawn by two black oxen. Both cars are preceded by 

 high priests, musicians, and others, some in long white robes and 

 togas, others in short white tunics with the short cloak and hood, 

 which the Romans called lacernce. All this indicates that this 

 festival is the survival of a Roman religious pageant. Mr. J. S. 

 Stuart-Glennie, an authority on folk lore, in an article entitled 

 " Where Beasts are Baptized," has pointed out that to this day 

 customs are observed in South- Western Brittany which date back 

 to the remotest ages of paganism. Every autumn, in September, 

 the peasants bring their cattle to Carnac and go through two 

 ceremonies themselves without the supervision or interposition of 

 Christian priests. First, holding their beasts by ropes thrown 

 round their horns, they, in the evening and darkness, go to the 

 western door of the Church of St. Cornely, above which is a 

 statue of the old Pagan god, the protector of animals, trans- 

 formed into a Christian saint and pope. Here, in silence, holding 

 their beasts, they kneel and pray, -i.e., repeat or mutter the 

 immemorially sacred magical words. After this, they lead their 

 cattle to a tree-embowered sacred fountain and there pour its 

 water over their beasts. On Sunday, after vespers, the clergy go 

 down in procession to the Sacred Fountain of Animal Baptisms, 

 and, facing northwards, read a prayer or prayers. On the Tuesday 

 following takes place the autumnal sacrifice of the beasts. In the 

 forenoon the beasts to be sacrificed by the peasants are first blessed 

 before the church door by the Bishop of the Diocese, who also 

 sprinkles them with holy water. After this, the priests arrange 

 a procession to the place of sacrifice, leading the way themselves, 



