THE SWALLOW. 139 



The Swallow appears to have a great antipathy to birds 

 of prey, and may be often seen flying after hawks high in 

 the air : it has also been observed swooping down at cats. 

 It is said, in Berwickshire, that when Swallows fly very low, 

 and sweep close over pools of water, rain may be expected. 

 This habit of the bird appears to have been regarded as one 

 of the prognostics of a storm as early as the days of Virgil, 

 for we find him saying in his Georgics — 



Numquam imprudentibus imber 

 Obfuit : aut ilium surgentem vallibus imis 

 Aeriae fugere grues ; aut bucula, ccelum 

 Suspiciens, patulis captavit naribus auras; 

 Aut arguta lacus circumvolitavit hirundo ; 

 Et veterem in limo raiiJE cecinere querelam. 



When they fly high in the air it is believed that the weather 

 will be fine. 



When Swallows fleet soar high and sport in air, 

 He told us that the welkin would be clear 



Gav. 



" There is," says Dr. Henderson, of Chirnside, " a singular 

 superstition prevalent amongst boys of the county to the 

 effect that if a Swallow fly through betwixt a person's arm 

 and his body, the person will lose the power of the arm 

 for ever. It is obvious that there can be little danger of 

 such a thing ever taking place, yet I remember that, when 

 I was a boy, I had a great dread of the Swallow when she 

 was skimming past me on her swift pinions, and always 



a young one left behind by the others, came into my library [at The Hirsel], and 

 perched on the rod of a window curtain, and passed the night. When the 

 window was opened in the morning it went out, and was observed flying about 

 all day feeding on insects ; the frost had been sharp, thermometer 20° in the 

 night. In the evening the Swallow returned, and took up its perch on the same 

 spot. On the 9th it pursued exactly the same course, returning to its perch. 

 On the 10th the weather changed and became milder, the bird went out as usual, 

 but was not seen again, and probably set off to try and overtake its companions." 

 —Ilisl. Ber. Nat. Cluh, vol. v. p. 442. 



