74 Gleanings from the 



Arabs as " the Mother of Squeaking," and is be- 

 lieved to fuck out children's eyes. The owl and 

 the hyena are ufed by the natives as charms ; the 

 burnt feathers of the former, and the boiled flem 

 of the latter animal being confidered invaluable 

 fpecifics for numerous diforders. In other parts of 

 Arabia the hooting of the owl portends death, 

 and the cry " Fat, fiat " is interpreted " He is gone, 

 gone I" 1 An owl appeared before the battle with 

 the Parthians, in which CrafTus fell, and was fup- 

 pofed by the ancients to prefage his death. Of all 

 thefe beliefs old Sir T. Brown faid well, " which, 

 though decrepit fuperftitions and fuch as had 

 their nativity in times beyond all hiftory, are frefh 

 in the obfervation of many heads, and by the 

 credulous and feminine party ftill in fome majefty 

 among us. And therefore the emblem of fuper- 

 ftition was well fet out by Ripa in the picture of 

 an owl, an hare, and an old woman." 2 



The difcuflions which have arifen from Dr. 

 Schliemann's difcoveries of the fo-called owl 

 pottery at HifTarlik have been so frequently renewed 

 of late that it is only neceffary to allude to them 

 here. People had an opportunity of judging for 

 themfelves in the exhibition of relics from old 

 Troy at South Kenfmgton. Not uninftructive is 

 a favourite Arabic apologue, though derived pro- 

 bably from the Persian. The SafTanian King of 

 Perfia, Bahram, was fo indifferent to the welfare of 

 his fubjects that half the towns and villages in his 



1 Burton's "Land of Midian," vol. i. 142. 



2 " Vulgar Errors/ 



