94 
THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 
Prepares his empire for his daughter's ease, 
And for his hatching nephews* smooths the seas. 
This bird was also said to build her nest on the 
water, and, in a few days, hatched her young ; and, 
if uninterrupted in this occupation, she was supposed 
to possess a charm so powerful as to allay the turbu- 
lence of the winds and waves, during her incubation, 
at which time mariners might sail with the greatest 
security. 
Aristotle likewise ascribed medicinal properties to 
its nest, and giv^s a most romantic description of its 
construction : he says, that it floated on the water, 
and resembled those concretions that are formed by 
the sea water ; that it was like the long-necked gourd, 
hollow within, with an exceeding narrow entrance, 
so that, should it overset, the water could not enter ; 
that it resisted violence from iron, but could be 
broken with a blow from the hand. Even the earliest 
fathers of the church believed in the power of these 
birds. St. Ambrose writes : Behold the little bird 
which, in the midst of the winter, lays her eggs on 
* Grandsons in those days were called nephews. 
