30 THE SWALLOW 



winds, the companions of spring " are blow- 

 ing, and "the unhappy bird, mourning for 

 Itys " is building her nest. 



The poets of England and of America 

 follow the Latin version of the legend in 

 their frequent mention of these two favorite 

 birds, and when they sing of "sad Philo- 

 mel " or of " Santa Filomela " they mean 

 the nightingale. 



Why is the swallow's note sad? If you 

 will listen to the twitter of the swallow as 

 she sits alone upon a beam, you will hear 

 her say over and over to herself : " Itys, 

 Itys, Itys." Is it not poor Procne calling 

 and grieving for her little boy? And the 

 nightingale, sad Philomela, as she warbles 

 at evening in the tree tops of southern 

 Europe, does she not put into her song 

 real sobs of mourning? 



These sad bird notes have many times 

 been interpreted as expressions of grief by 

 our greatest writers. If we look into the 

 Book of the Prophet Isaiah, we find that 



