A SWEDISH LEGEND. 123 



by about the end of May, and migrates towards the 

 end of August. In summer it is common in Finmark. 

 Professor Rasch says that the flesh of this bird is 

 extremely savoury. 



The Bohemian waxwing (Bowbycilla garrula) is com- 

 mon in Lapland or Finmark during the summer months. 

 It does not appear to migrate, for I have frequently 

 seen it near Christiania in the middle of winter ; during 

 that inclement season, however, it no doubt leaves the 

 north of Norway for the south. A friend of mine at 

 Christiania kept a bird of this species for a long time 

 in confinement, for the sake of its beautiful plumage ; 

 its note was monotonous and uninteresting, and its 

 habits were dirty. During the Norwegian winter this 

 bird feeds entirely on wild berries. 



The (< Hirundmida3 " are common in all parts of Nor- 

 way. The peasants are superstitious concerning them, 

 and would not allow a swallow's nest to be destroyed 

 on any account. Mr. Lloyd relates the following 

 Swedish legend concerning the swallow : "When our 

 Saviour was crucified, a little bird came and perched 

 upon the cross, peered sorrowfully down upon the suf- 

 ferer, and twitted, ' Hug svala, svala, svala, Honom,' 

 that is, ' Console, console, console Him/ and hence it 

 obtained the name of svala" 



Many people in Sweden and Norway believe that the 

 swallow hibernates instead of migrating. Pontoppidan 

 asserts that hundreds of swallows were found amongst 

 rushes in Norwegian lakes, in a semi-frozen state, and 

 that when brought into a warm room they revived. 



The sand-martin (Hirundo riparia) is very common 

 on the banks of the Thana, a river which forms the 

 boundary between Swedish and Norwegian Lapland. 



