Folk-Lore
(O.S.); Paece Ree, about Easter; Beltin Ree, 20th May; and the last three days of March, called the Borrowing Days, were generally expected to be boisterous. Most of these weather forecasts may be explained on natural and scientific grounds, but it is not the object of this work to do so.
I shall just mention one other means of foretelling the weather, which doubtless belongs to the Dark Ages of these islands. It is called the milt token, and is said to have been practised in some parts of Shetland. When the first mert was killed about Hallowmas, the milt or spleen of the animal was taken out and laid on a board, and six cuts were made crosswise, equidistant from each other. These cuts were not quite through the milt, the under side being left whole. They were named—the first, November; the second, December; the third, January; and so on to April. The milt was now laid in a dark place for three days and three nights. It was then
carefully examined, and if a cut had closed
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