612 REPORT—1896. 
when properly digested, we hope to reprint at the end of the year. Two 
notes I will give as specimens :— 
1. The Vicar of Pontfaen draws attention to a custom called ‘ Y Wyl- 
nos,’ or the Wake Night. 
Formerly, the day before burial, the corpse was removed from the 
coffin, a rope passed under the arms, by which it was drawn up the chim- 
ney of the house, then lowered again and replaced in the coffin. This 
ghastly ceremony was common in the last century : the last recorded per- 
formance took place at the Old Mill on the glebe land of Pontfaen. 
Several persons have corroborated the vicar’s story as to this unnatural 
performance. 
2. The hell-hounds, whist-hounds, or dandy-dogs, as they are called in 
different places, are still occasionally heard on the slopes of Precelli, but 
here they are termed ‘ Cwn bendith y Mamau.’ 
APPENDIX III. 
Preliminary Report on Folklore in Galloway, Scotland. 
By Rev. Watter Grecor, LL.D. 
On October 16, 1895, I went, on the invitation of Sir Herbert Max- 
well, to the Airlour, parish of Mochrum, Wigtownshire. He afforded me, 
during the time I was his guest, every facility to carry out the work 
entrusted to me. From one of his workmen, John Thomson, aged seventy 
years, I obtained the Folk-tale of ‘ Marget Totts’ and the tale of Aiken- 
drum the Brownie, along with a good many items of folklore, including 
the mode of cutting ‘The Hare.’ On Monday the 21st, on the invitation 
of Mr. Wright of Alticry, I went to Alticry House, and took measure- 
ments of three men, two farmers and Mr. Wright’s gamekeeper, from the 
last of whom I got some rhymes and other items of folklore. In the 
parish of Mochrum seven sets of measurements were got, and one was 
obtained in the neighbouring parish of Glasserton. The best thanks of 
the Committee are due to Sir Herbert and Lady Maxwell, as well as to 
the Misses Maxwell for their helpful kindness. Mr. Wright showed 
great attention. On Tuesday, October 22, I went to Soulseat, the Manse 
of Inch, the residence of the Rev. Mr. Paton. He used every exertion 
to help me to carry out the wishes of the Committee. He took me to 
those of his parishioners whose ancestors had been for the longest period 
in Galloway. From this parish, Stranraer and Stoneykirk, were obtained 
eleven sets of measurements, nine males and two females. The difficulty 
met with in those parishes is the mixture of modern Irish. With the 
help of Mr. and Mrs. Paton those whose ancestors were Irish either on 
. the father’s or mother’s side were avoided as much as possible in the parish 
of Inch, though it was not always convenient to do so. From Inch were 
obtained several rhymes and other items of folklore. I have to say that 
Mr. and Mrs. Paton were most kind, and without Mr. Paton’s help not 
much could have been accomplished. On October 29 I went to the Manse 
of Minnigaff, and was most cordially received by Mr. and Mrs. Reid. 
Mr. Reid spared no pains to meet my wishes, both by driving me for 
miles through the wild Galloway moors and by taking me to those he 
considered able to help me both in Minnigaff and in Newton-Stewart. 
