10.  Warts are cured by being rubbed over with a black snail, but the snail must afterwards be impaled upon a hawthorn.  If a bag containing as many small pebbles as a person has warts, be tossed over the left shoulder, it will transfer the warts to whoever is unfortunate enough to pick up the bag.

11.  If black snails are seized by the horn and tossed over the left shoulder, the process will insure good luck to the person who performs it.

12.  Profuse bleeding is said to be instantly stopped by certain persons who pretend to possess the secret of a certain form of words which immediately act as a charm.

13.  The power of bewitching, producing evil to parties by wishing it, &c., is supposed to be transmitted from one possessor to another when one of the parties is about to die.  The writer is in possession of full particulars respecting this supposed transfer.

14.  Cramp is effectually prevented by placing the shoes with the toes just peeping from beneath the coverlet; the same is also prevented by tying the garter round the left leg below the knee.

15.  Charmed rings are worn by many for the cure of dyspepsia; and so also are charmed belts for the cure of rheumatism.

16.  A red-haired person is supposed to bring in ill-luck if he be the first to enter a house on New Year’s Day. Black-haired persons are rewarded with liquor and small gratuities for “taking in the new year” to the principal houses in their respective neighbourhoods.

17.  If any householder’s fire does not burn through the night of New Year’s Eve, it betokens bad luck during the ensuing year; and if any party allow another a live coal, or even a lighted candle, on such an occasion, the bad luck is extended to the other part for commiserating with the former in his misfortunes.

Many other specimens of the folk lore of this district might be enumerated; but since many here have implicit faith in Lover’s expression,—­

    “There is luck in odd numbers;”

I will reserve them for a future opportunity, considering that seventeen paragraphs are sufficient to satisfy all except the most thorough-paced folklorians.

T.T.  WILKINSON.

Burnley, Lancashire.

* * * * *

MINOR NOTES.

Proclamation of Langholme Fair.—­In an old paper I find the following proclamation of a fair, to be held in a town in Scotland; it may, perhaps, amuse some of your numerous readers:—­

“O yes! and that’s a time.  O yes! and that’s twa times.  O yes! and that’s the third and last time:  All manner of pearson or pearsons whatsoever let ’em draw near, and I shall let you ken that there is a fair to be held at the muckle town of Langholme, for the space of aught days; wherein if any hustrin, custrin, land-louper, dukes-couper, or gang-y-gate