328 The Folk-Lore of Natural History. [Sess 
Cairn,” or Grey Cairn. It is about twenty-four yards across 
and ten feet high, and is said to mark the site of a great battle \ 
between the Scots and the Danes. There used to be another 
cairn near it, called the “ Cairn of the Battle,” but it has been — 
carted away by farmers to build dykes. Under it were found 
stone coffins, and weapons of copper (? bronze) and other — 
metals, thus confirming the tradition that a great battle had 
been fought in the neighbourhood. 
In conclusion, I would say that any one, naturalist or other- 
wise, in search of health or of a pleasant place for a holiday, © 
would find the district I have roughly described a very good 
one for their purpose. 
IX.—THE FOLK-LORE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
By Mr CHARLES CAMPBELL. 
(Read March 26, 1902.) 
THE stories and superstitions connected with natural history 
have always had a fascination for me, and the following, 
gleaned at various times from many sources, will, I venture to 
hope, not altogether fail to be of interest, although many must 
necessarily be familiar to you already. For is it not a relief 
to turn from the sometimes dry-as-dust details of modern © 
scientific inquiry, and to allow the imagination to wander back — 
into times when there were not so many books about nature, © 
and nature itself was more of a book, the pages of which were — 
full of mystery and wonder ? j 
One stormy night some winters ago, as I was going home 
through the woods, I saw an unusual light some distance from : 
the path. Not a little astonished, I groped my way over to — 
where it was, and found an old oak tree had been blown down, 
and that its roots were all aglow with a phosphorescent light — 
that some distance off looked decidedly uncanny. On reaching J 
home, I spoke of the unusual sight, and my father said that § 
what I had seen used to be known as spunkie wood: it re- | 
minded him of the tales of his boyhood, nigh seventy years ago. — 
And it is back to about that period I would like to go to-night. § 
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