NATURAL HISTORY 



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 lignum 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 nigra 

 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. Nor can the clumsy mo- 

 tions (comparatively clumsy) of the martin 

 well represent the sudden and artful evo- 

 lutions and quick turns which Juturna gave 

 to her brother's chariot, so as to elude the 

 eager pursuit of the enraged Mneas, The 



