and congratulations to parents and grandparents, and even the child itself was spoken to in welcoming words by the midwife as it was being dressed. =Casting the Nativity of the Infant.= Astrology was held in high esteem by the Mexicans and it was used to decide the fortune of the infant. On the birth of a child the astrologer was summoned and upon being told the time of the event he cast the horoscope of the infant. If the augury was favorable he told of the great fortune coming to the child and of the honors and happiness to fall upon him. Should the augury prove unfavorable, it was made less severe by the horoscopist who found accompanying signs that helped allay the evil coming from the bad omens. =Baptizing and Naming the Child.= The rite of baptism was early performed upon the child, at which time it was given a name. The house was decorated with branches and flowers, a feast was prepared, and relatives and friends invited. Miniature weapons were used, if a boy, to show that he was born a warrior, and, if a girl, small weaving utensils as symbols of her future calling of housewife. The child, if a boy, was usually named from the sign of the day or a bird or animal, and, if a girl, was named from a flower. Sometimes a child took its name from some important event which occurred at the time of its birth. A solemn invocation to the gods was made, after which the head and lips of the infant were touched with water, the name was given to it, and then it was lifted up to heaven and a prayer of blessing said over it. =Care and Treatment of Children.= Upon the arrival of a child into a family, friends and neighbors congratulated them upon such, for it was deemed quite a blessing. Although children were welcomed, yet the discipline of younger children was rather severe and children were taught to reverence and obey their parents and superiors. Both boys and girls were carefully reared by the best parents. The following admonitions of a father to his son show how greatly these ancient Mexicans would have their children observe a right living:--