SUPERSTITIONS WITH REGARD TO BEES. 193 



they swarm, alight on dry or dead wood — a dead 

 bough or a post, they will never prosper. He also 

 quotes an old author, who says, ' The Cornish to this 

 day invoke the spirit " Browny " when their bees 

 swarm, and think their crying "Browny! Browny!" 

 will prevent their returning to their former hive, and 

 make them pitch, and form a new colony,' 



Closely allied with these superstitions as to swarm- 

 ing, is the old and very prevalent custom of making a 

 clatter called 'tanging,' — if possible with a key upon a 

 tin pan, — while the swarm is in the air, for the pur- 

 pose, it is said, of causing it to alight near at hand, 

 and not to fly away. 



This 'tanging' is a very ancient custom. Even 

 Virgil, — and he takes the idea from earlier writers, 

 — mentions it as very advisable. Sweet -smelling 

 savours are to be scattered on the ground, and then, 



' Make tinkling noise and beat the Phrygian drum ; 

 They of themselves, attracted by the scent. 

 Will settle, and in fashion of their own 

 Take full possession of their infant realm.' 



Virgil (by Kennedy). 



And it has probably been more or less a custom ever 

 since, and even now is practised in many parts of our 

 country, although for its professed object it is per- 

 fectly useless. 



In this case, however, the old custom may have 

 survived owing to the noise being taken as loud 

 notice, given by the owner of the swarm to all his 

 neighbours that his bees had swarmed, and thus as a 

 claim of his right to follow them and to secure them 

 wherever they might settle. It is said that ' by one of 



O 



