The common Highland belief is that they show themselves to second-sighted persons, very frequently before the arrival of a stranger or a visitor, expected or unexpected.

Probably many readers have had the experience of meeting an acquaintance in the street.

He passes us, and within a hundred yards we again meet and talk with our friend.

When he is of very marked appearance, or has any strong peculiarity, the experience is rather perplexing.

Perhaps a few bits of hallucination are sprinkled over a real object.