Irish Folk-lore Items, collected at Kingstown, co. Dublin, save when otherwise mentioned.
Magpie.—The ill luck of meeting a single magpie can be averted by nodding nine times over the left shoulder.
Wagtail.—Each has three drops of the devil's blood, hence it is difficult or impossible to shoot one. (King's County.)
[The bird, teste Swainson, p. 45, is known as the Devil's bird in Ireland. This statement may be an attempted explanation of the name.]
Pins and Needles.—To stop the pricking in the foot, wet the popliteal space with saliva.
Fingers.—If a person habitually and without intent clasp the hands, interlacing the fingers, so that the right thumb is over the left, it shows that he or she has a strong will. If the left is over the right, a weak will. I think there is the same idea about crossing the legs, but I am not sure.
[Prof. Windle, as a trained anatomist and physiologist, may be able to say if there is any basis of fact for this belief. I have tried it on myself and two friends; we all cross our hands in the same way, but, so far as I know, we are of varying strength of will.—A. N.]
