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TRANSACTIONS. 11 
swelling. In Thiselton Dyer’s “Folk Lore,” and Napier’s ‘“ Folk 
Lore of the West of Scotland,” the custom is referred to. The 
plate of salt was intended for the sin-eaters, who came and devoured 
the contents with incantations, and thus relieved the spirits 
clogged with earthly frailties, and kept them from hovering 
too closely near their friends and relatives. Pennant mentions 
the custom, suggesting that the salt was an emblem of the 
incorruptible spirit and the earth of the body. When the sin- 
eater arrived, Napier mentions two plates—one of salt and 
one of bread—which required to be devoured. A shepherd 
in Tynron told me that he recollected seeing perforated stones, 
or stones nearly perforated, from the channel of the stream, 
attached to a rowan tree near a house at the head of the Kinnel, 
and that he understood both stones and rowan tree were looked 
upon as likely to scare away evil influences. At or near Fleuch- 
larg, in the adjoining parish of Glencairn, might have been seen a 
hole in the wall of the byre, letting out a rope, so that if the evil 
spirits got in they could get out more readily by the hole. I 
understand that when I was carried to church for baptism, the 
young woman who carried me bore a piece of bread and cheese in 
her pocket, presenting it to the first person she met, who was 
expected to bless me. Baptism being private in Tynron, I have 
nothing of this kind to record. The beggars’ benison, however, 
was of such esteem in the eyes of an old woman in Tynron that it 
secured a night’s lodging for many a tramp. Silver is lucky. A 
father gave a lucky shilling to his daughter at her marriage. 
Crooked sixpences are worn at the watch chain, so that you may 
have silver when you first see the new moon. Turn your apron 
three times and look at the new moon, wishing for a present, and a 
present will arrive to you ere it wane away. One person, trying 
- the experiment, received in a present a pair of curtains, a dozen 
eggs, and ahen.. If you see the plough coming towards you for 
the first time of the new year, it augurs well, but if you observe 
it going away it is unlucky. It bodes ill to turn when you are 
setting out on a journey. It is better for you should the day be a 
wet one, Great care should be taken not to burn hair or nails. 
It isunlucky to pare your nails on Sunday, but if you pare them 
on Saturday, expect to see your sweetheart to-morrow. Tuesday 
and Friday evenings are the orthodox evenings for courting, but it 
is not well to marry either on Thursday or Saturday, while most 
Scotch marriages are performed on Friday. Mr M‘Caw, our 
