62 Conception, Birth and Infancy in 



63 N.H. 28.42. At a difficult childbirth the Italian husband may be called 

 upon to go to the church belfry and pull the bell rope with his teeth: cf., e.g., 

 G. Finamore, op. cit. (See note 5), 66. 



64 N.H. 28.59; cf. Ovid Met. 9.297-300. It may interest those who are curious 

 about such things to know that crossing the legs is forbidden at a spiritistic 

 seance: D. Rorie, Folklore, XLV (1933), 390-391. 



65 Serv. Com. on Verg. Aen. 4.518. 



66 Z. Zanetti, La medicina, 112; 121; I. Nieri, op. cit. (see note 58), 354; 

 A. De Nino, Usi e costumi abruzzesi, II, 20-21. Z. Zanetti (op. cit., 109; 112— 

 113) mentions many taboos that a pregnant woman should observe. According 

 to Welsh superstition, the child would live to be hanged with a hempen rope: 

 C. J. S. Thompson, The Hand of Destiny, 21-22. 



67 Z. Zanetti, La medicina, 121. 



68 Z. Zanetti, op. cit., 125. 



69 N.H. 30.129. 7 ° N.H. 32.6 (cf. note 52). ™N.H. 30.130. ™ N.H. 

 28.251. " NmBm 28.252-253. 



74 Z. Zanetti, La medicina, 257. 



75 G. Pitre, op. cit. (see note 46), 449. 



76 Cf. Tert. Ad Nat. 2.11; Athen. 10.58 (442A). 



77 A. Karusio, "Pregiudizi popolari putignanesi (Bari)", Archivio per I'antro- 

 pologia e la etnologia, XVII (1887), 320. 



78 G. Bacci, "Usi e costumi dei contadini della Valdelsa", Archivio XIV (1895), 

 219; A. De Nino, .op. cit. (see note 66), V, 107; S. La Sorsa, "Superstizioni, 

 pregiudizi e credenze popolari pugliesi", Lares IV (1915), 59: before the image 

 of S. Anna; also an oil lamp before that of the Madonna dei Sette Dolori: Z. 

 Zanetti, La medicina, 122. 



79 G. Bacci, loc. cit. (see note 78). 



80 Tert. De Anim. 39. Minor deities to help were the Carmentes Postverta 

 and Prorsa who were concerned with the birth of the baby in the proper position, 

 the former with the head forward, an easy issue, the latter feet first, a difficult 

 one: Gell. 16.16. 



81 Serv. Com. on Verg. Aen. 10.76; Non. 528. 



82 Paul. Exc. 77 (Edit, of Lindsay 67.25). 



83 A. De Nino, op. cit. (see note 66), V, 107; G. Finamore, op. cit. (see note 5), 

 63; S. La Sorsa, op. cit. (see note 78). They say that, if she is piqued, she may 

 prolong the pains, quite as the ancients believed that their deities would do: 

 Z. Zanetti, La medicina, 11. 



84 G. Bacci, loc. cit. (see note 78) . 



85 Z. Zanetti, La medicina, 121. 



86 G. Pitre, Usi natalizi, nuziali e funebri del popolo siciliano, II, 136-137. 



87 See esp. August. De Civ. Dei, 6.9; cf. Non. 528.11. 



88 I believe that this is rightly so explained by F. Granger, The Worship of the- 

 Romans, 102-104. 



89 The most interesting passages are, perhaps, August. De Civ. Dei, 4.11; 4.21. 



90 G. Pitre, op. cit. (see note 58), 282. 



91 Cf., e.g., G. Bacci, op. cit. (see note 78), XIV, 95. For many minute pre- 

 cautions to be taken see M. Placucci, "Usi e pregiudizi dei contadini della. 



