9 6 BIRDS IN LEGEND 



that in India exists a popular superstition that if you will 

 split the head of an adjutant stork before death you may 

 extract from the skull "the celebrated stone called sahir 

 mora, or 'poison-killer,' of great virtue and repute as an 

 antidote to all kinds of poison." One would suppose that 

 all the adjutants in India would long ago have been ex- 

 terminated, but in fact this is one of the most numerous 

 of birds there — the scavenger of every village. 



The common swallow was once believed to have two 

 of these miraculous stones stowed away somewhere in its 

 interior. One was red, and cured an invalid instantly: the 

 other, a black one, brought good fortune. Also, it was 

 reported, swallows found on a seabeach, by some sort of 

 inspiration, a particular kind of stone which would re- 

 store sight to the blind; and it was to this legend that 

 Longfellow alluded in Evangeline — 



Seeking with eager eyes that wondrous stone which the swallow 

 Brings from the shore of the sea to restore the sight of her 

 fledglings. 



Various birds also gave, or strengthened, sight to their 

 young by means of certain plants mentioned by old 

 herbalists. Finally, it should not be overlooked that on 

 page 152 of the most recent edition of Cruden's celebrated 

 Concordance 51 to the Bible, among the generally 

 astonishing notes beneath the word "eagle" is printed the 

 following: "It is said that it preserves its nest from 

 poison, by having therein a precious stone, named Aetites 

 (without which it is thought the eagle cannot lay her 

 eggs, and which some use to prevent abortion and help 

 delivery in women, by tying it above or below the navel) 

 and keepeth it clean by the frequent use of the herb 

 maiden-hair." 



