DORSETSHIRE FOLK-SPEECH AND SUPERSTITIONS. 29 



skin as an antidote to the stinging of a nettle, singing " Out 

 nettle, in clock." 



Dog : The howling of a dog by night, or before the house door, 

 is looked upon as an omen or sign of death. 



Dorset being an agricultural, and particularly a dairy -farming 

 county, perhaps the following somewhat repulsive recipe or charm 

 for a cool hand in butter-making may be of interest to some of my 

 readers : Take a young dog or puppy, cut it open, and put your 

 hand and arm inside whilst the animal is still warm. 



Droopinq-Bell-of- Sodom : The snake-lily (fritillaria meleagris). 



Dumble-dore : The humble-bee. 



In most counties the bee is considered as a peculiarly apt subject 

 of augury for good or ill. In Dorset it is believed that if a young 

 " dumble-dore" or humble-bee comes inside the house it denotes the 

 arrival of a stranger during the day. You must not, however, 

 drive it out, or it will bring you ill luck, for such an. act is looked 

 upon as driving out a friend. But it is at the time of swarming 

 that bees become particular objects of veneration and often of 

 alarm. For instance, if a swarm of bees take possession of a roof 

 of a house it portends death to the owner of it. Again, if the 

 swarm settles on a dead branch of a tree or shrub, or pitches upon 

 dead wood, it is looked upon as a sign of death. It is, moreover, 

 considered very unlucky to " pot " a swarm of bees after nightfall. 



The period at which the swarming should take place, in order to 

 be of value to the owner, is shown by the following lines : 

 " A swarm of bees in May 

 Is worth a load of hay. 

 A swarm of bees in June 

 Is worth a silver spoon. 

 A swarm of bees in July 

 Is not Avorth a fly. 



To dream of bees or wasps is looked upon as a sign that you have 

 enemies who are trying to do you some secret mischief. 



Duncli-neUle : The dead nettle (lamium purpureum). 



Dunnick : The hedge-sparrow. 



