68 Birds of Buzzard's Roost 



upon the water. Borne by the waves, it came nearer. Now 

 it approaches the shore. It is her husband, and in her agony 

 she exclaims, "O, dearest husband, is it thus you return to 

 me?" She leaped from the shore and with wings produced 

 on the instant, flew to him and enfolded his bloodless body 

 with her new formed wings and tried to kiss him with her 

 horny beak. By the pitying gods both of them were changed 

 into birds. They mated and Halcyone for fourteen days 

 brooded over her nest which floated upon the sea. Aeolus 

 guarded the winds and kept them from disturbing the deep. 

 And this is the fabled story of the origin of the belted king- 

 fisher, a member of the family Alcedinidse, and of Halcyon 

 days, a name given by the ancients to 'the seven days preced- 

 ing and the days which follow the winter solstice. And since 

 then the fisherman's song has been: 



"Like us, for fish, she sails to sea, 



And, plunging, shows us where to find 'em. 



Yo, ho, my hearts! let's seek the deep, 



Ply every oar, and cheerily wish her, 



While the slow bending net we sweep, 



God bless the Fish-bank and the fisher." 



