These are bodily sensations by which future events may be foreknown. An itching in the nose foretells that a letter is coming, and this in olden times was a matter of no small consequence. There is an itching of the mouth that indicates a kiss, and another indicating a dram. A singing or tingling in the ears denotes death, a friend at the moment of its occurrence has expired and news of his death will be heard before long; an itching of the cheek or eyes, weeping; itching of the left hand, money; of the right, that one is soon to meet a stranger with whom he will shake hands; of the elbow, that he will soon change beds or sleep with a stranger; of the brow, that some person will make you angry before long. Hot ears denote that some person is speaking about your character. If the heat be in the right ear, he is supporting or praising you; if in the left, he is speaking ill of you (_Chluas dheas gam thoirt a nuas; ’s a chluas chli gam shìor-chàineadh_). In the latter case persons of a vindictive nature repeated the following words: “He who speaks of me, If it be not to my advantage, May he be tossed On sharp grey knives, May he sleep in an ant-hill, And may it be no healthy sleep to him, But a furious woman between him and the door, And I between him and his property and sleep.”[70] The evil wish went on, that “an iron harrow might scrape his guts,” and something about “a dead old woman” that my informant could not remember. _Trial (Deuchainn)._—The _deuchainn_ al. _diachuinn_, sometimes called _frìdh_, omen, was a ‘cast’ or trial made by lots or other appeal to chance to find out the issue of undertakings—whether an absent friend was on his way home or would arrive safe; whether a sick man will recover; whether good or bad fortune awaits one during the year; what the future husband or wife is to be; the road stolen goods have taken, etc. This cast may be either for oneself or for another, “for him and for his luck” (_air a shon ’s air a shealbhaich_). On New-Year day people are more disposed to wonder and speculate as to their fortunes during the year upon which they have entered than to reflect upon the occurrences of the past. Hence these ‘casts’ were most frequently made on that day. Another favourite time was Hallowmas night. Most of them might be made at any time of the year, and the difficulty was not in making them but in interpreting them. In making a ‘cast’ for one’s future partner, the approved plan is for him to go at night to the top of a cairn or other eminence where no four-footed beast can go, and whatever animal is thence seen or met on the way home is an omen of the future husband or wife. It requires great shrewdness to read the omen aright.