Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 28, 1917.djvu/363

 CORRESPONDENCE.

I am anxious to obtain information on the following points:

i. In clearing a site in Egypt some years ago, some members of Professor Flinders Petrie's party found the ancient Egyptian sign for child-birth engraved on some Aramaic seals. The sign was interpreted as representing three fox-skins tied together. I shall be obliged for references to this interpretation.

ii. In England, at the present day, a white kid glove is tied to the door-knocker to show that a child has been born in the family. Why is a 7vhite kid glove used in this way ?

iii. Gypsies, when they see a red fox playing in a wood, hide themselves and watch. Afterwards they go and roll on this same spot to increase their powers of fertility. Why is a red fox selected for this purpose ?

iv. In Egypt, Set was the deity of darkness; but Set-nub, his golden dog or fox, was connected with sun worship. Any infor- mation on this belief regarding the dog or fox will be welcome.

E. K. M. Court. Belmont Lodge, Hastings.

Miss M. A. Murray kindly sends the following references on questions connected with Egypt.

i. The following are references to the fox-skins which form the mes-%\gvs. :

1. G. Daressy, in Annales du Service des Antiquites de I'Egypte, iv. pp. 122-3.

2. L. Borchardt, in Zeitschrift fiir Acgyptische Sprache, 1907, pp. 75-6.

3. A. Erman, in Zeitsch. fur A.S., 1908, p. 92.

4. Petrie. Memphis Meydum. pi. xxvi, 21, p. 42.