THE ROLLER. 



31 



of scientific confusion and unimportant dis- 

 tinctions, have removed this bird from the 

 family of Pie, where it had had a place from 

 time immemorial; thus rendering useless its 

 most ancient name of Pica marina. 



It was known in the time of the Romans. 

 " Picus in auspiciis avis observata Latinis ; " 

 and it was also admitted into heathen mythology. 

 Virgil alludes to the beautiful colours in its 

 wing ; and above two thousand years ago, when 

 the gods used to change men into other animals, 

 just as easily as we nowadays change our acts 

 of parliament, the Pica marina was both king 

 and horsebreaker, " equum domitor." He was 

 married to the celebrated Circe, an enchantress 

 of the first order ; she who changed the sailors 

 of Ulysses into swine. The royal horsebreaker 

 had unfortunately shown a partiality for a young 

 woman in his own neighbourhood, a thing not 

 altogether unknown in our days. This so en- 

 raged his wife, that with her magic rod, far 

 more potent than finger nails, she transformed 

 him into a bird ; and, at the same time, bespan- 

 gled his wings with beautiful colours. 



" Fecit avem Circe, sparsitque coloribus alas." 



