1921.] REPORTS. 15 



Early man believed that, as unexpected noises fright- 

 ened him, so they would frighten away spirits and ghosts. 

 This is the origin of bells hung in church steeples and rung 

 before Divine Service. Therefore it is possible that these 

 shots were were a survival of some earlier form of noise 

 destined to frighten away spirits from the festive board; 

 and the custom survived owing to the fact that the makers 

 of the noise had established a claim to be either invited to 

 the feast or to< have portions of it brought out to them. I 

 should like to find out when this custom of firing outside the 

 house where festivals were taking place was discontinued, 

 and also when the old "traite de Douzenier" fell into disuse. 



The other item of folklore I wish to record is the annual 

 sailing of toy boats by Sark men and boys at the pond at 

 Beau-regard, of which Major Curtis showed us a photograph 

 at our November meeting. I was mistaken in thinking it had 

 any connection with the stones covering the well head. A 

 Sark man vaguely explained the custom to a friend of mine 

 by saying that the boats were sailed there "because the re- 

 flections were then beginning to be visible." An interesting 

 comment was made by Mr. Stephen Graham the celebrated 

 traveller, who was in Sark on one Good Friday, that the 

 only other place where he had seen a similar custom was in 

 Palestine. 



Edith F. Carey, 



Sec. Folklore Section. 



Report of the Botanical Section. 



The only item reported to the Society during the year 

 was the acquisition, by the Museum, of a collection of 

 Seaweeds from Miss Lyle, of London, and made by her. 



Miss Lyle in her list states that she has increased the 

 number of the Seaweeds, hitherto listed, from "257 species 

 to 3 SO." . Of these 93 additions 46 are new to the whole of 

 the Channel Islands, and 46 are new to Guernsey only. Be- 

 sides the Species there are 22 varieties and 4 forms new to 

 the C.I., and 6 varieties new to Guernsey. Miss Lyle also 

 lists 3 species and 2 forms new to Britain; and has enriched 

 the Seaweeds of the Island by 1 species and I form new to 

 science. 



