STRANGE SURVIVALS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—Seeing mention made in the review of Mr. Bar•ing- Gould's book " Strange Survivals," in the Spectator of September 23rd, of an old custom surviving in Devon, of "raising the last sheaf in the air to the cry of A neck Wee- day I" reminds me that I once saw a similar ceremony. It was towards the end of August, 1878, at a farmhouse in the parish of Landewednack, near Lizard Church Town, the Lizard, when our party was invited to the harvest-home. After supper, at which there was great good-cheer of strange Cornish dishes, the labourers all went out into the night, one of them carrying a handful of grain tied up like a sheaf, taken from the last field harvested. This man stood a short way off alone, and raising " the Neck " aloft, called out : " I have un ! I have un I have un ! " Another replied : " What have 'e P what have 'e P what have 'e P " And the first again : " Ur Neck ! ur Neck ! ur Neck ! " Whereupon all joined in a loud " Hooray-ay-ay-ay ! "
What was afterwards done with "the Neck" I know not ; but the party, without a word, returned to the warm, lighted kitchen, dry furze blazing on the open hearth, with its big old chimney-corners and settle, and spent the rest of the evening singing songs and hymns. I remember they called it "Singing * See Western Mail (Cardiff, for report of a epeech by Dr. H. J. palm, Sep- tember 25th, 1893 Dr. Paine is reported as paying that "vivisection was now alined prohibited," and this, too, at the weekly mooting of the Cardiff Board of Guardians, September 23rd. the Neck," but could only give as a reason for the ceremony that it " wur a]lus done."—I am, Sir &c.,
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