BEE. If bees swarm on a rotten tree, a death in the family will occur within the twelvemonth. Swarmed on a rotten stick the bees I spied, Which erst I saw when Goody Dobson dyed. Gay, _Pastoral_, v. (1714). Bees will never thrive if you quarrel with them or about them. If a member of the family dies and the bees are not put into mourning, they will forsake their hive. It is unlucky for a stray swarm of bees to alight on your premises. BEETLES. Beetles are both deaf and blind. CAT. When cats wash their ears more than usual, rain is at hand. When the cat washes her face over her ears, wee shall have great shore of raine.--Melton, _Astrologastor_, 45. The sneezing of a cat indicates good luck to a bride. Crastina nupturæ lux est prosperrima sponsæ: Felix fele bonum sternuit omen amor. Robert Keuchen, _Crepundia_, 413. If a cat sneezes thrice, a cold will run through the family. Satan’s favorite form is that of a black cat, and hence is it the familiar of witches. A cat has nine lives. _Tybalt._ What wouldst thou have with me? _Mer._ Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives.--Shakespeare, _Romeo and Juliet_, act iii. sc. 1 (1595). CHAMELEONS live on air only. I saw him eat the air for food. Lloyd, _The Chameleon_. COW. If a milkmaid neglects to wash her hands after milking, her cows will go dry. Curst cows have curt horns. _Curst_ means “angry, fierce.” God sends a curst cow short horns.--Shakespeare, _Much Ado About Nothing_, act ii. sc. 1 (1600). CRICKET. Crickets bring good luck to a house. To kill crickets is unlucky. If crickets forsake a house, a death in the family will soon follow. It is a signe of death to some in a house, if the crickets on a sudden forsake the chimney.--Melton, _Astrologastor_, 45. CROCODILES moan and sigh, like persons in distress, to allure travellers and make them their prey. As the mournful crocodile With sorrow snares relentless passengers. Shakespeare, _2 Henry VI._ act iii. sc. 1 (1591). Crocodiles weep over the prey which they devour. The crocodile will weep over a man’s head when he [_it_] hath devoured the body, and then he will eat up the head too.--Bullokar, _English Expositor_ (1616). Paul Lucas tells us that the hummingbird and lapwing enter fearlessly the crocodile’s mouth, and the creature never injures them, because they pick its teeth.--_Voyage fait en_ 1714. CROW. If a crow croaks an odd number of times, look out for foul weather; if an even number, it will be fine. [_The superstitious_] listen in the morning whether the crow crieth even or odd, and by that token presage the weather.--Dr. Hall, _Characters of Vertues and Vices_, 87. If a crow flies over a house and croaks thrice, it is a bad omen.--Ramesey, _Elminthologia_, 271 (1668).