ON THE ETHNOGRAPHICx\L SURVEY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. 469 



called ' Beesnan cheese.' Pancakes, called ' Beesnan pancakes,' are at 

 times made of it. 



328. A little salt was put into the churn when butter was being made 

 to keep off witch-spells. (Informant eighty-one years of age.) 



329. When cream was long in coming, some had the custom of putting 

 a sixpenny piece into the churn or under it. 



330. Some had the custom of drying a newly calved calf with ' shillin- 

 sids.' 



331. Balmaghie. — A little of the cow's droppings was put into the 

 calf's mouth when it came from the cow. 



332. Kirkmaiden. — Some put an egg into the calf's mouth when 

 dropped from the cow. 



333. Tune/land. — The calf gets part of the ' beesnan.' 



The Horse. 



334. Kirkmaiden. — A mare was always foaled outside if possible. If 

 foaled inside, the foal when grown would lie down when passing through 

 a, ford, or break a man's leg. 



335. It was accounted unlucky if a mare foaled inside the stable. 



336. Portlogan. — Twa white feet you may buy, 



But three never try. 



337. Corsock. — Mares are still foaled outside, except in early spring if 

 tfhe weather is too cold. 



338. Some keep whistling during the time a young horse is being shod 

 for the first time. It is thought the whistling keeps the animal quiet. 



338a. — Some farmers had the custom of carrying a sheaf of oats to the 

 smithy when they took a young horse to receive the first set of shoes. 

 When the shoes were being put on they kept feeding the animal with 

 handfuls of the grain, under the idea that this kept it quiet. 



339. A young horse commonly gets its name when it is between two 

 and three years old, when one begins to train it to work. (My informants 

 are blacksmiths in Corsock.) 



340. Kelton. — My informant in 1894 went into a cot-house in the 

 parish of Kelton. As he was entering he observed a horse-shoe placed 

 on the ground at each side of the door. He asked the cot-man's wife 

 what she meant by having them there, and where she got them. She said : 

 ' We brocht them frae oor last place in Borgue, and they are a pair o' the 

 shoes o' the pair o' horse my man drove, an' as lang as they are there, 

 we'll keep oor place.' ' But if one was t' steal them, what would happen 1 ' 

 said my informant. ' Then we'll no be lang here,' was the answer. 



341. Kirkmaiden. — An old horse-shoe is sometimes nailed to the inside 

 of the byre-door to bring luck. 



342. Rcrrick. — The skeleton of a horse's head was found below the 

 pulpit when the old parish church was pulled down. 



Sheep. 



343. Kirkmaiden. — About forty years ago it was the custom to put a 

 Idttle salt in the mouth of the lamb when it fell from the ewe. This was 

 supposed to cleanse the mouth. 



344. Sheep before a change of weather always leap and frisk, and box 

 (•butt) each other. 



