34 DORSETSHIRE FOLK-SPEECH AND SUPERSTITIONS. 



regard to the similar superstition attaching to the slaughter of pigs 

 (see Mallocks). 



Hoils (lies) : The beard or aAvns of barley (see Spiles). 

 Holrod (Olrod): The cowslip (primula verts) [Swanage] (Conf. 

 Helrut. 



Honible : A duck. 



It is a subject of common belief that ducks hatched in May are 

 more liable to sprawl than those hatched at any other time of the year. 

 Hume-screech : The missel-thrush (see Stone-thrush.) 

 Honey-zuck : The honey-suckle (lonicera periclymenum). 

 Hoop : The bullfinch (see Micope). 



Horse : The belief that the character and quality of a horse 

 can be gauged by the number of white legs or "stockings" he 

 possesses is too widely spread for me ever to imagine that the 

 following version is even confined to Dorset : 



" If you have a horse with/cw white legs, 

 Keep him not a day ; 



If you have a horse with three white legs, 

 Send him far away ; 

 If you have a horse with ttco white legs, 

 Sell him to a friend ; 

 If you have a horse with one white leg, 

 Keep him to the end." 



[Conf. : A "Warwickshire version : 

 " One white foot, buy him ; 

 Ttco white feet, try him ; 

 Three white feet, no go ; 

 Four white feet, give him [to] the crow."] 

 lloss-adder : l 

 Hoss-stinger 



I may mention here that, as a rule, the country folk are right as 

 regards the natural attributes which their provincial names imply, 

 but in this case it is a misnomer ; for the dragon-fly, however 

 uncanny an object it may be to handle, is not provided by nature 

 with the means to earn the name here given to it, 



[The dragon-fly (libelluld). 



r : ) 



