axe for cutting wood, and his knife. These three last things the
father cannot give away by gift, nor leave by his last will to any but
his youngest son, and if they are pledged they shall be redeemed."

To account for this law is not very difficult. The elder brothers of a
family were supposed to have left their father's house before his
death, and obtained a house and necessaries of their own; but the
youngest, by reason of his tender age, was considered as more
helpless, and not so well provided. Halbert H.

* * * * *


STORM RAISING


The dread of storm raisers is universally prevalent amongst the
Italian peasantry, and especially in mountainous districts. A Danish
botanist, journeying alone upon an ass through the mountains of
Abruzzi, was involved in several perilous adventures by this
superstitious terror of the peasantry. They had for some time seen him
collecting plants amongst the unfrequented cliffs and ravines, and
watched his proceedings with suspicious curiosity. A few days later
their district was ravaged by a succession of storms, their suspicions
grew into certainty, and, assembling in considerable numbers, they
attacked the unconscious botanist with a volley of stones, and cursed
him as a storm-raising enchanter. He made vehement protestations of
his innocence, but the enraged peasants took forcible possession of
his collection, which they minutely examined. Finding only some
harmless leaves and blossoms, and no roots, their fury abated, and,