Birds. 559 



luckless birds ! I have only heard part of the rhyme which speaks 

 of this prejudice. It is as follows : — 



" Haifa paddock, half a taid, 

 Half a drap o' deil's blude, 

 On a May morning." 



The nests of the stone-chat and lapwing are seldom destroyed by 

 nesting boys. The cries of these birds, when their nests are ap- 

 proached, prevent the destruction. The former is supposed to say : 



" Stane chack ! 

 Deil tak ! 



They wha herry my nest 

 Will never rest, 

 Will meet the pest ! 

 Deil break their back 

 Wha my eggs wad tak, tak ! " 



This terrifies the bird-nesters. The cry of the lapwing, on the other 

 hand, is an appeal to their compassion, and it is generally successful. 



" Peese-weep, peese-weep, 

 Herry my nest and gar me greet." 



The following is a rhyme well known amongst the Lammermoor 

 peasants. It is very characteristic. Two birds of the crow tribe, sit- 

 ting together, thus confabulate in harsh tones : — 



" A hoggie (sheep) dead, a hoggie dead ! " 



" O, where ? O, where ? O, where ? " 



" Doon i' the park, doon i' the park, doon i' the park ! " 



"Is'tfat? Is'tfat? Is'tfat?" 



" Come try, come try, come try ! " 



Sometimes the rhyme varies a little ; thus : — 



" Sekyto says there's a hog dead ! " 



"Where? Where?" 

 " Up the burn, up the burn ! " — &c. 



The verses about the magpie are familiar to everybody. Even our 

 sagest philosophers have adverted to them. In England, if a magpie 

 be seen flying alone, it is thought a sign of ill luck ; two forebode 

 something fortunate ; three, a funeral ; four, a wedding. Here quite 

 a different tale is told. One rhyme runs thus : — 



" Ane 's joy ; 

 Two 's grief; 

 Three 's a wedding ; 

 Four 's a death." 



