CHAP- XIV. RAVEN. ■— SWALLOW. UPUPA. 213 



and relates a story of King Marras, who, having 

 employed a raven to carry his letters, buried it 

 there at its death, in token of his esteem for its 

 fidelity. From what he mentions in another place*, 

 it appears that the race of crows and ravens has 

 wofully degenerated, though greatly to the ad- 

 vantage of the modern inhabitants. For those 

 birds, as soon as they saw a boat passing on the 

 river, in a supplicating manner approached, and 

 petitioned for whatever they required : if given, 

 they departed quietly ; but if refused, they settled 

 on the prow, and pulling to pieces the ropes, re- 

 venged themselves on the offenders. His well- 

 known story of the Libyan crows dropping pebbles 

 into jars, until the water rose within reach of their 

 bills, is also on a par with the animal sagacity of 

 those times. 



The swallow often occurs in hieroglyphics, where 

 it sometimes signifies "great," and "valuable;" 

 but it does not occur as an emblem of any Deity, 

 and the only instance of its occurrence in religious 

 subjects is on the boat of Atmoo.t Isis was not 

 worshipped under the form of a swallow, as some 

 have supposed ; and if a group, of which this 

 bird forms the principal feature, accompanies her 

 name, it is only in the sense above mentioned ; and 

 applied to her in common with other Deities. The 

 swallow is found embalmed in the tombs of Thebes. 



Another bird, which is generally mistaken for 

 the swallow, and has been conjectured by Cham- 

 poUion to represent a sparrow, is figured in the 



* MWan, ii. 48. f Vide Plate 47. supra, p. 25. 



p 3 



