According to Irish as well as Scottish fairy superstitions, the elves, though in the main harmless, or at most tricky, have the bad reputation of stealing children from the cradle and substituting for them a changeling who bears a resemblance to the stolen infant, but is an ugly little creature, and never thrives. On such a theft of a female infant, who is carried to Fairyland, but in the course of years returns to her parents, James Hogg founded his fine ballad of "Kilmeny" (Queen's Wake). * * * * * INDEX. Abelard and Heloise, 29. Abraham and Sarah, 229. Absurdities of the toilet, 160. Abydos, bride of, 25. Abysynnian tradition, 213. Accidental rhymes, 43. Acid, citric, 136. Aconite, 301. Acrobatic figures, 202. Adding insult to injury, 179. Advertisements, slave, 27. Africa, ordeals in, 308. African rain doctors, 152. Africa, twins in, 197. Ague, charm for the, 337. Albatross, 265. Albertus Magnus, recipes from, 74. Alliterations carried to an absurd excess, 21. Alliterative whims, 21. Alligators swallowing stones, 282. Almanacs, prophetic, 17. Amulets, amethyst, 337. Arsenic as an, 339. Inserted under the skin, 315. Kingfisher, 264. Owl's claws, 340. St. Helena coins, 328. Unicorn's horn, 319. Amusements of some learned men, 14. Anachronisms, noted, 27. Anchors, sacred, 179. Ancient bit of waggery, 191. Dials, 86. Lottery, 64. Practice of medicine, 337. Smokers, 181. Animals forecasting danger, 282. Antiquity of acrobatic figures, 202. Curious piece of, on the Crucifixion of the Saviour, 50. Of riddles, 63. Of tarring and feathering, 183. Anne Boleyn's gloves, 179. Antipathies, 239. Antipathy to red hair, 72. Apes, cynocephalic, 278. Apothecary shop, walking, 192. Apparition, Dr. Donne's, 245. Double, 241. Twofold, 244. Appetite, innate, 290. Arab charms, 347. Arabian horses' pedigree, 284. Arabia, the turban in, 159. Arctic music, queer, 174. Articles of ringing, 126. Artificial limb, first, 198. Artist's tradition, 232. Asleep, kissed while, 237. Aspen, shaking, 302. Assuming the form of a bird, 248. Assassination, horrible mode of, 295. Astonished lawyer, 70. Astrologer, cunning, 156. Astronomical clock, famous, 81. Asylum for destitute cats, 163. Atlas, kneeling statue of, 109. Attar of roses, origin of, 215. Auk, great, 264. Automata, wonderful, 104. Avocation, selecting an, 343. Babes in the wood, 65. Babes of Bethlehem, 122. Bagging his rival, 190. Baker's dozen, 217. Ballad, oldest, 40. Bantam, warlike, 201. Barbers' basins, 210. Barbers, offending, 77. Barking of dogs, 274. Barnacles, 333. Barometer, spider, 291. Barometer, stone, 157. Bath, how the prophecy of its destruction came about, 66. Bat, muscular strength of the, 289.