418 
THE YAL DI CIII AN A. 
The bed of the Arno near Arezzo and that of the Paglia at 
the southern extremity of the Yal di Chiana did not differ 
the north [south] to spend the summer in our climate, do not frequent 
marshy districts with a malarious atmosphere. A proof of the restoration 
of salubrity in the Yal di Ohiana is furnished by these aerial visitors, which 
had never before been seen in those low grounds, but which have appeared 
within a few years at Forano and other points similarly situated.” 
Is the air of swamps destructive to the swallows, or is their absence in 
such localities merely doe to the want of human habitations, near which 
this half-domestic bird loves to breed, perhaps because the house fly and 
other insects which follow man are found only in the vicinity of his 
dwellings ? 
In almost all European countries, the swallow is protected, by popular 
opinion or superstition, from the persecution to which almost all other birds 
are subject. It is possible that this respect for the swallow is founded 
upon ancient observation of the fact just stated on the authority of Fos- 
sombroni. Ignorance mistakes the effect for the cause, and the absence of 
this bird may have been supposed to be the occasion, not the consequence, 
of the unhealthiness of particular localities. This opinion once adopted, 
the swallow would become a sacred bird, and in process of time fables and 
legends would be invented to give additional sanction to the prejudices 
which protected it. The Eomans considered the swallow as consecrated 
to the Penates, or household gods, and according to Peretti ( Le Serate del 
Villaggio , p. 168) the Lombard peasantry think it a sin to kill them, be¬ 
cause they are le gallinelle del Signore, the chickens of the Lord. 
The following little Tuscan rispetto from Gradi (Racconti Popolari , p. 
33) well expresses the feeling of the peasantry toward this bird: 
O rondinella che passi lo mare 
Torna ’ndietro, vo 1 dirti du’ parole; 
Dammi ’na penna delle tue bell’ ale, 
Vo 1 scrivere ’na lettera al mi’ amore; 
E quando 1’ avro scritta ’n carta bella, 
Ti renderd la penna, o rondinella; 
E quando 1’ avro scritta ’n carta bianca, 
Ti renderd la penna cbe ti manca; 
E quando 1’ avro scritta in carta d’ oro, 
Ti renderd la penna al tuo bel volo. 
O swallow, that fliest beyond the sea, 
Turn back 1 I would fain have a word with thoe. 
A feather oh grant, from thy wing so bright! 
For I to my sweetheart a letter would write ; 
And when it is written on paper fine 
I’ll give thee, O swallow, that feather of thine; 
—On paper so white, and I’ll give thee back, 
O pretty swallow, the pen thou dost lack ; 
—On paper of gold, and then I’ll restore 
To thy beautiful pinion the feather once more. 
