should reduce themselves, by this susceptibility of offence at (in most cases imaginary) neglect, to a level with the weakness and folly of human creatures,--I say human creatures; for in the country I have known feuds caused by omitting to bid to the funeral of a deceased neighbour, or to send black gloves. It was to be hoped that these "offensiones muliebres" (we may add "viriles" also) were peculiar to the human race; but that, it is apparent, is not so. The custom of giving a piece of the funeral cake is new to me; though it looks like want of feeling to be greedy of cake in the hour of affliction, yet there is a sort of retributive fitness in presenting to these busy people "_Melle_ soporatam et medicatis frugibus offam." It is a grateful acknowledgment of past favours conferred upon the deceased head of the family, and a retainer for future services to the survivors. With regard to the custom of informing the bees of a death in the family, and the penalty of omitting to do so, I can add to the proof of it. I find among some memoranda I made more than five-and-twenty years ago, the following note: "In Buckinghamshire it is common, on the death of any one of the family, for the nurse to go to all the bee-hives in the garden, and tap gently three times, each time repeating three times these words, 'Little brownie, little brownie, your master's dead;' when the bees, beginning to _hum_, show their consent to remain. The omission of this ceremony, it is believed, would occasion the loss of the bees by flight, or otherwise." To show that a similar custom and belief, though varying in some particulars, are found upon the continent of Europe, I give the following extract: "In Lithuania, when the master or mistress of the house dies, it is considered necessary to give notice of the fact to the bees, horses, and cows, by rattling a bunch of keys; and it is believed, that if this were omitted the bees and cattle would die."--See the _Journal of Agriculture. Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland_, Oct. 1848, p. 538. One word more of bees: "His head is full of bees" is a Scotch proverb, said of a drunkard. (Ray's _Proverbs_, p. 198.) "He has a bee in his head" is an English proverb. So, "He has a bee in his bonnet." What is the meaning? As I was writing the last lines I said to a friend who was lounging in his arm-chair by our fireside, "Why is a drunkard's head said to be full of bees?" "I don't know," he answered, "unless it is on account of their _humming_. You remember," he added, "With a pudding on Sundays, with stout _humming_ liquor, And remnants of Latin to welcome the vicar." The half-hour bell rang before we had done talking of and repeating parts of V. Bourne's "The Wish." Many a time has "NOTES AND QUERIES" given subjects for talk in our family before and after dinner. F. W. T.