78 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, 



always connected with fine weather. At Vienna' the children 

 throw it into air, crying, — 



Little birdie, birdie. 

 Fly to Marybrunn, 

 And bring us a fine sun. 



Marybrunn being a place about twelve English miles from the 

 Austrian capital, with a miracle-working image of the Virgin 

 (still connected with the Virgin), who often sends good weather 

 to the merry Viennese (Chambers' Pop. Rhymes, 1841, p. 170). 



And, from the marsh of the Elbe, to this little insect the fol- 

 lowing words are addressed : 



May-cat, 

 Fly away, 

 Hasten away, 

 Bring me good weather with you to-morrow. 



In England, the children are wont to be afraid of injuring the 

 Lady-bird lest it should rain. 



With the Northmen, the Lady-bird — Our Lady's Key-maid — 

 is believed to foretell to the husbandman whether the year shall 

 be a plentiful one or the contrary; if its spots exceed seven, bread- 

 corn will be dear ; if they are fewer than seven, there will be an 

 abundant harvest and low prices. And, in the following rhyme 

 from Pleon, this insect is invoked to bring food : 



Marspaert, fly to heaven ! 

 Bring me a sack full of biscuit, one for me, one for thee, 

 For all the little angels one. 



In the north of Europe it is thought lucky when a young girl 

 in the country sees the Lady-bird in the Spring; she then lets it 

 creep about her hand, and says: " She measures me for wedding 

 gloves." And when it spreads its little wings and flies away, she 

 is particular to notice the direction it takes, for thence her sweet- 

 heart shall one day come. The latter part of this notion obtains 

 in England ; and it has been embodied by Gay in one of his 

 Pastorals as follows : 



This Lady-fly I take from off the grass. 

 Whose spotted back might scarlet-red surpass, 

 Fly, Lady-bird, north, south, or east or west. 

 Fly where the man is found that loves me best. 

 He leaves my hand, see, to the west he's flown, 

 To call my true-love from the faithless town. 



