616 REPORT—1896, 
26. Inch.—The husband’s breeks used to be laid on the bed when the 
wife was in travail. 
27. Inch.—After the birth there is a feast called the ‘blythe meat.’ It 
consists of bread and cheese, buns, whisky, and other good things. 
28. Minnigaf-—My informant (aged 85) has seen a live coal cast into 
the water in which a new-born babe was washed. 
29. Inch.—When a sleeping infant was left alone a Bible was laid below 
the pillow to prevent the fairies from carrying it off. (Informant aged 85.) 
30. Mochrum.—A Bible was put below the pillow of an infant ; no 
Satanic power could then hurt it. 
31. Mochrum.—A pair of the husband’s breeks laid on the bed over 
the wife when lying in childbed kept the fairies at a distance. 
32. Wigtownshire (General).— When a cradle was borrowed it was not 
sent empty. An apron, a shawl, or a pillow was put into it. What was 
put in might be returned. 
33. Minnigaffi—A scone was at times laid into a cradle when borrowed. 
34. Mochrum.—Something must always be laid into a new cradle before 
being taken into the house in which it was to be used. A carpenter, 
known to my informant, had made a cradle. When he was entering the 
house in which it was to be used, he was met just outside the door by the 
old grandmother, who took off her apron and cast it into the cradle. 
This took place about fifteen years ago. 
35. Minnigafii— A new cradle was never taken empty into the house 
in which it was to be used. A common thing placed in it was a pillow. 
36. Minnigaff:-—The cradle when in use is always placed in the back 
part of the apartment with the head towards the door. 
37. Minnigaffi—The cradle, when there is no infant, is stowed away in 
some convenient place. It is not lucky to allow it to stand in the apart- 
ments occupied by the family. 
38. Minnigaff:— Rocking the cradle when the child was not in it caused 
headache to the child. 
39. Minnigaff.—It was accounted unlucky if the infant did not cry 
when the water of baptism was sprinkled on the face. 
40. Inch.—Young women sometimes pin a piece of bread and cheese 
under the baby’s dress when attired for baptism. After baptism the bread 
and cheese are divided and put below the pillow to call forth dreams as 
to the young women’s future husbands. It is called ‘ dreaming cheese.’ 
41. Minnigaff.—Unbaptized children were buried in a corner by them- 
selves apart from other graves. 
42. Mochrum.—When a child’s tooth falls out it is thrown over the 
left shoulder into the fire, and the words are repeated :— 
Fire, fire, burn bane, 
And bring me back my tooth again. 
43. Inch — When a child’s tooth falls out it is thrown over the left 
shoulder in the belief that a sixpenny piece will be found. My in- 
formant has done this. 
44. Inch.—Of the fingers :— 
This is the man that broke the barn, 
This is the man that stole the corn, 
This is the man that sat and saw, 
This is the man that ran awa’, 
And peerie weerie Winkie paid for them a’. 
