CHAP. 10. SUPERSTITIONS. 259 



was the Raven, or the Crow, or, indeed, of what 

 species, is uncertain. It was, however, some 

 bird of this genus ; and to identify the species 

 is of more consequence to the natural historian 

 than to the meteorologist. It does not appear 

 that the Comix was the same bird as the 

 Corvus. The augurs appear to have represented 

 the latter as a bird, which was ominous croaking 

 on the right hand ; and the former, on the left 

 hand, the Cornix ; as was observed by Cicero* 



Quod nisi me quacumque novas incidere lites, 

 Ante sinistra cava monuisset ab illice comix. 



Virg, Eel. ix. 



See also Plin. Hist. Nat. lib. x. c. 12. 

 The word sinistra here seems to refer to a Grecian 

 superstition about ill omens being given on the left hand, of 

 which our poet was mindful when he said, 



" That Raven on yon left hand oak, 

 Curse on his illbetiding croak ! " 



Gay, Fab. &c. 



* Jupiterne cornicen a laeva, corvum a dextra canere 

 jussisset. ? Cicero de Divin. lib. i. c. 7- 



Cur a dextra corvus, a cinistra comix faciat ratum. 



Cicero de Divin. lib. i. c. 39. 



Some make the Greek xopa to be the Roman Corvus, and 

 the English Crow, and the Greek xopwvi) to be the Cornix of 

 the Romans, and the Raven of Great Britain. Linnaeus, 

 however, has called the Raven Corvus Corax, and the Crow r 



S 2 



