Notes on Welsh Legend. By Miss Russell. 263 



Writing' as above quoted, Mr Selby says " In May 1822, after a very severe 

 storm of wind and rain from the south-east, several of these birds made 

 their appearance in Northumberland ; and I procured specimens of both 

 sexes, the males being in different states of progress towards the summer's 

 plumage. As the weather continued cold for some days subsequent to their 

 appearance, they were obliged to resort to dunghills and other warm situa- 

 tions for a supply of their natural food. After remaining for about a 

 fortnight to recruit their strength (for at first they exhibited great weak- 

 ness), they all disappeared ; nor could I ascertain that a single pair remain- 

 ed in that neighbourhood during the season of incubation." It is curious 

 to note under what very similar circumstances the great visitation of 1885 

 took place. 



Minchmoor and the Cheese Well, in connection with Welsh 

 Legend. By Miss Russell, of Ashiesteel. 



The Cheese Well, on Minchmoor near Traquair, one of the springs 

 where offerings used to be left —the offering in this case being always of 

 cheese — becomes of special interest when it is observed that the offering of 

 cheese to the fairies, particularly to those of the water, seems to be a 

 peculiar Welsh practice, and to be rather a prominent one in Welsh 

 stories. 



This appears in " British Goblins," published 1880, by Wirt Sikes, 

 United States Consul for Wales ; a book whose title hardly does it justice, 

 for it is a very good one of its kind, and the author has taken great trouble 

 to acquaint himself with his subject, which is more than can be said for 

 all books. 



He says, page 44, " The extent to which cheese figures in Cambrian 

 folk-lore is surprising ; cheese is encountered in every sort of fairy 

 company ; you actually meet cheese in the Mabinogion, along with the 

 most romantic forms of beauty known in story. And herein again is 

 illustrated Shakespeare's accurate knowledge of the Cambrian goblins : — 



" Heaven defend me from that Welsh fairy ! " says Falstaff, 

 " Lest he transform me into a piece of cheese ! " 



Bread is found figuring actively in the folk-lore of every country, 

 especially as a sacrifice to water gods ; but cheese is thus honoured only 

 in Cambria. 



The story to which these remarks are appended is too long to give 

 entire, but it is worth sketching, as being very much to the purpose of the 

 Cheese Well, and very full of the odd contrasts of the early romance. It 

 is a story of what would be called the Melusina type, where a mortal, a 

 man in prosperous circumstances, marries a water-fairy, who appears to be 

 much like other people, but who has married her mortal upon some 

 apparently trifling condition, which he in course of years forgets, and 



