160 OF PROGNOSTICKS. CHAP. 4. $ G. 



The earlier or later .appearance of birds of 

 passage is said to correspond with the earlier or 

 later commencement of the seasonable weathers ; 

 and to afford thereby a prognostick. But for 

 many years I have observed that this is not 

 precisely the case with the Swallow tribe. If it 

 were generally true it would tend to establish 

 a connexion between the weather of places 

 where the birds come from and that of those 

 countries whither they go. But when the later 

 appearance of migratory fowls accompanies late 

 seasons, it is probably because the cold unsea- 

 sonable weather compels them to hide themselves 

 and prevents their coming abroad and being 

 seen.* The occasional early appearance of a 

 single Swallow has been proverbially noticed as 

 not being indicative of summer f 



M. White in his Natural History of Selborne 



* Refer to the Calendar at the end of this work. 



t It is remarkable,, that most countries have a similar 

 proverb relating to the Swallow's accidental appearance before 

 its usual time. The Greeks have M/a yehtixv sa.z J -usotsi ; 

 the Latins, Una Hirundo non facit ver ; the French, Une 

 hirondelle ne fait pas les printems; the Germans, 'Cine 

 j&d)foal6e macht fectnen ^ruling; the Dutch, Een Swaluw 

 maakt geen zomer ; the Swedes, En Svala gbr ingen sommar ; 

 the Spanish, Una Golondrina no hace verano ; the Italians, 

 Una Rondine non fa primavcra ; and the English, One Swallow 

 doth not make a summer. 



