NATURAL HISTORY OF SELSORNE. 167 



species of hirundo Yirgil might intend in the lines in 

 question, since the ancients did not attend to specific 

 differences like modern naturalists : yet somewhat may be 

 gathered, enough to incline me to suppose that in the two 

 passages quoted the poet had his eye on the swallow. 



In the first place the epithet garrula suits the swallow 

 well, who is a great songster, and not the martin, which is 

 rather a mute bird; and when it sings is so inward as 

 scarce to be heard. Besides, if tignum in that place 

 signifies a rafter rather than a beam, as it seems to me to 

 do, then I think it must be the swallow that is alluded to, 

 and not the martin, since the former does frequently build 

 within the roof against the rafters ; while the latter always, 

 as far as I have been able to observe, builds without the 

 roof against eaves and cornices. 



As to the simile, too much stress must not be laid on it ; 

 yet the epithet nlgra speaks plainly in favour of the 

 swallow, whose back and wings are very black ; while 

 the rump of the martin is milk-white, its back and wings 

 blue, and all its under part white as snow. JSTor can the 

 clumsy motions (comparatively clumsy) of the martin well 

 represent the sudden and artful evolutions and quick turns 

 which Juturna gave to her brother's chariot, so as to elude 

 the eager pursuit of the enraged ^Eneas. The verb sonat 

 also seems to imply a bird that is somewhat loquacious.* 



* " Nigra velut magnas domini cum divitis ssdes 

 Pervolat, et pennis alta atria lustrat hirundo, 

 Pabula parva legens, nidisque loquacibus escas : 

 Et nunc porticibus vacuis, nunc humida circum 

 Stagna sonat " . . . , . 



" As the black swallow near the palace plies : 

 O'er empty courts, and under arches flies ; 

 Now hawks aloft, now skims along the flood, 

 To furnish her loquacious nests with food. " 



DJBYD. YIRG. Mn, xii, line 691. 



