384 DIVERSIONS OF A NATURALIST 



but later the augur or intermediary who worked the 

 " show " acquired exclusive importance and arrogated to 

 himself mysterious powers. The same transference of 

 importance has come about in the case of the modern 

 hazel-twig and the " douser," who now claims to " divine " 

 without its aid. 



The tossing of a halfpenny to decide as to alternative 

 courses of action, still almost universally prevalent in this 

 country, is in origin (and largely in actual practice) an 

 appeal to supernatural powers to give an indication by 

 interference with the natural fall of the coin, as to which 

 of the alternative courses is the more favourable to the 

 interests of the individual who tosses the coin or agrees 

 to follow its decision if tossed by someone else. " Heads 

 I go ; tails I stay where I am." Of a like nature is the 

 drawing of lots, and so are a number of similar practices 

 originally devised for the purpose of obtaining guidance 

 from supernatural sources. Some of them have survived 

 without any associated superstition, and are commonly 

 used at the present day merely in order to obtain an 

 impersonal decision as to which of two or more claimants 

 is to enjoy a certain privilege or exemption, as, for 

 instance, when a coin is tossed to decide as to which side 

 of the river at the start shall be occupied by competitors 

 in a boat race, or which shall have choice of innings in a 

 cricket match, or as when lots are drawn to determine 

 who shall enjoy exemption from military service. But 

 even in these cases there are large numbers of men and 

 women who believe that some mysterious power which 

 could possibly be won over to their side, or else what 

 they call " a special providence," determines the issue. 

 There are, I need hardly say, no facts which justify the 

 belief in any such interruption of the orderly course of 

 nature. 



