88 LOCAL SUPERSTITIONS. 
but also from the whole of the three last ventral segments of the 
abdomen, and it has the same power over its light as the perfect 
insect, namely, that it can withdraw it at pleasure. 
I have made these remarks with the hope that some member 
of the Club, who takes an interest in these things, will make an 
attempt at rearing this larva—which I believe is no difficult task, 
as its food consists principally of small snails or slugs—now that 
the subject has been brought before his notice, and that in some 
future pages of the “ Transactions” he will furnish us with a full, 
and complete account of the various stages of the life of the 
common glow worm. 
XVI—Local Superstitions at Stamfordham. By the Rev. Joun 
F. Biaer, M.A. 
How rare it is to find any one who will allow that he is super- 
stitious, and yet it is believed that every one is so, more or less. 
Who likes to hear a dog come and howl at his door at night? 
Who does not prefer seeing two magpies rather than one? Who 
would wish to be married ona Friday? Who is quite indifferent 
about spilling salt? Wholikes to hear the death watch? My 
object in writing this is simply to preserve some strange super- 
stitions, which have come to my knowledge since I resided in this 
parish. Some of these stories seem incredible, but the actors in 
many of them have been personally known to myself. As the 
great modern leveller and civilizer, the railway, goes through a 
district, it soon puts an end to these things, and as there is no 
knowing how soon we may have one through our district at 
Stamfordham, I thought it was better to collect together what 
matter of the kind I had, thinking it might amuse and instruct 
some of our members, and also with the view of inducing others 
to continue the same subject. 
The majority of cases which I shall bring to your notice, both 
as regards man and beast, have reference to the art of healing. 
