«Odf»OEo 
blind; and, more wondrous still, those which 
open gates or doors, locked, bolted, or barred ! 
Of this last property iElian gravely relates the 
following instance: A man," he says, 
having three times successively closed the 
nest of a Hoopoe, and having remarked the 
herb with which the bird as often opened itj 
applied the same herb, and" — he may safely 
add — " with the same success, to charm the 
locks of the strongest coffers !" 
Such, indeed, are the marvellous qualities 
of the Hoopoe, if we are to believe all the as- 
sertions of ancient authors, that even death 
only heightens it's virtues, and imparts to 
them new energies : among the rest, it's heart, 
it's liver, it's brain, &:c. eaten^ with the ' 
plication of certain magical incantations si 
pcnded to different parts of the body, produce 
terrible or pleasing dreams ! Sec. From these 
follies our forefathers were by no means free : 
for, in England, it was long held an linlucky 
bird, and the forerunner of some public cala- 
mity. Nor can all modern nations even yet 
be exempted ; the Swedes, for example, at 
present, regarding it's appearance as a certain 
presage 
