Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/101

 Collectanea. 89

Cock and Teirlinck that the game of Cat's Cradle is called in Nantes "La Scie."

Mr. W. Farren, the Cambridge naturalist, to whom I am indebted for more than one illuminating remark on the subject of string figures, tells me that he formerly used to see the game of Cat's Cradle brought to a finish with a sawing figure. In effect the sawing figure given here can be produced by pulling the appropriate strings from any of the positions of the game described above. As a curiosity I give it as made from " Fish in the Net," which is perhaps less obvious than the others.

Sawing Trick from '■^ Fish in the Net." The second player draws the ulnar middle string across the distal side of the radial strings of the figure, with the other hand he draws the radial middle string in the opposite direction.

Fig. 16.

The first player catches with his right little finger the part of the string connecting his right thumb and index, which lies between the middle strings when in their proper position ; and with his left little finger of the corresponding piece of the string connecting his left thumb and index. He drops his thumb and index loops, and the two players extend and saw.

F. V. J., a correspondent of Dr. Haddon, gives a sawing trick for one person, made from the opening figure of Cat's Cradle. I reproduce his diagram, but have not been able to get exactly the same, except by a slight departure from the method. The principle, however, is clear. One base string of the Cat's Cradle is held by the middle in the mouth, the hands are withdrawn, retaining only the mid-finger loops, or withdrawn