18 COCCINELLIDiE — LADY- BIRDS. 



KJiferl', k'aferl', kiiferl', 

 Flieg nach Mariabrifnn, 

 Und bring uns ii schone sun. 



Or,- 



Little birdie, birdie, 

 Fly to Marybrunn, 

 And bring us a fine sun. 



Marybrun being a place about twelve English miles from 

 the Austrian capital, with a miracle-working image of the 

 Virgin (still connected with the Virgin), who often sends 

 good weather to the merry A^iennese.^ 



And, from the marsh of the Elbe, to this little insect the 

 following words are addressed : 



Maikatt, 



Flug weg, 



Stuff weg, 

 Bring me morgen goet wedder med. 

 Or,— 



May-cat, 



Fly away, 



Hasten away, 

 Bring me good weather with you to-morrow. 2 



In England, the children are wont to be afraid of injur- 

 ing the Lady-bird lest it should rain. 



With the Northmen the Lady-bird — Our Lady's Key- 

 maid — is believed to foretell to the husbandman whether the 

 year shall be a plentiful one or the contrary ': if its spots 

 exceed seven, bread-corn will be dear; if they are fewer 

 than seven, there will be an abundant harvest, and low 

 prices'.^ And, in the following rhyme from Ploen, this in- 

 sect is invoked to bring food : 



Marspaert (Markpaert) fleeg in Himmel ! 

 Bring my'n Sack voll Kringeln, my een, dy een, 

 AUe liitten Engeln een. 

 Or,— 



Marspliert, fly to heaven! 

 Bring me a sack full of biscuits, one for me, one for thee, 

 ^ For all the little angels one.* 



In the north of Europe it is thought lucky when a young 

 girl in the country sees the Lady-bird in the spring ; she 



^ Chambers' Pop. Rhijmes, 1841, p. 170-1. 

 2 Thorpe's North. My thai., iii. 182. 

 ^ Ibid., ii. 104. 

 ^ Ibid., iii. 182. 



