976 Thk Zoologist — Xovkmher, 1867. 



Notes on the Folk-lore of Zoology. By Edward R. Alston, Esq. 

 (Continued from Zool. S. S. 924.) 



Squirrel. — In the Northern myths the squirrel bears the character 

 of a tale-bearer ; for ever and ever he runs up and down the sacred ash- 

 tree Ygdrasil which supports the world, spreading discord between 

 the eagle seated on the boughs and the great snake Midgardsormen 

 which lies in the abj^ss beneath. On account of its colour it was held 

 sacred to Thor, and Simrock tells us that according to an ancient 

 custom the squirrel is hunted by the German peasants at Easter, in 

 England at Christmas, which he attributed to " Christian hatred to the 

 darlings of the heathen gods" {Handb. der Dent. Myth., p. 554). 



Black Rat. — Concerning this species Verstigan, in his curious 

 'Restitvtion of Decayed Intelligence' (London, 1634), relates the 

 following "most true and marvelous strange accident," as he terms it: 

 — " There came into the towne of Hamel, in the country of Brunswicke, 

 an old kind of companion, who, for the fantasticall coate which he 

 wore being wrought with sundry colours, was called the pide {pied) 

 piper, for a piper he was, besides his other qualities. This fellow, 

 forsooth, offered the townsmen for a certaine somme of money to rid 

 the towne of all the rats that were in it (for at that time the burgers 

 were with that vermine greatly annoyed). The accord in fine being 

 made ; the pide piper with a shrill pipe went piping thorow the streets, 

 and forthwith the rats came all running out of the houses in great 

 numbers after him ; all which hee led into the river of Weaser and 

 therein drowned them." But in the sequel it appears that the burghers 

 refused to implement their bargain, whereupon the "pide piper" 

 spirited away a hundred and thirty of their children, leading them 

 into a hole in a hill-side, and neither he nor they were ever seen again. 

 Honest old Verstigan relates this tale of" negromancy " with all faith, 

 and tells us in conclusion that " this great wonder hapned on the 22nd 

 day of Inly in the yeere of our Lord 1376." 



Alpine Marmot. — Many extraordinary stories have been told regard- 

 ing this curious rodent, which some of the medieval naturalists held to 

 be a cross between the badger and the squirrel. The Swiss peasants 

 believe that the marmot's fat eases the pains of childbirth and cures 

 colic and chest complaints, while its fresh and warm skin is a specific 

 for rheumatism. Strange tales, too, are told of the marmot's autumnal 

 harvest, how one lies on its back and holds up its legs, thus converting 



