The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-04-20
Bird MYTHS,

= About birds many interesting stories
are told lin Rollanfs "Fdune RpNlafre
dc ~ Francc'). The owl has every
where acquired m evil reputation, for
which many legends account. Thus It
b said that when the wren had brought
down fire from heaven, the grateful
birds, with one exception. contributed 4
feather apiece TO replace its scorchcd
plumagc. Only the owl refused to do
as the others dill, saying It would res
quire all its feathers during the APP
preaching Winter; on which account It
was condemned TO eternal seclusion dur.
ing the warm day, and to perpetual suf.
fcring from cold during the night This
is the real reason why "lhe owl, for all
IFS feathers. was AS coldN on st. Agnes
eye, and why the other bids poster 1t II
il makes lis appearance in sunshine. It
may be true, we may observe, that an
omelct made OF owls eggs Is u cure for
drunkenness, But Il Is false ctymology
to connect the owls name of Chdthudnt
with it, supposed likeness to nncldt OUT
HE. The name is really corruption
of its old designationsof Chardn, Conan,
or cathonani. Equally incorrect Is the
explanation OF It's name Of B6raie, as
meaning ccllc qni citrate. The term Is
corruption Of the Word firsatr, which
is connected with the Latin pr@sagc, the
prcdictor of misfortune. The wo0dpeckA
or is another bird which has Jared I'll in
popular fiction. 1t Is supposed to have
been the only bird which refused TO help
when the water-courscs OF the earth were
being made AS It would not Join in
digging the ground ut that time It was
condemned to dig into wood forever,
and TO be eterHally prevented from
drinking eany water except such rain.
drops as it can catch in its bill. That is
why it usually maintains vertical posi-.
ton, and frequently utters q plaintive
cry of piuie-ptuie. The king-tisher's blue
coat and rosy waistcoat, and its habit Of
flying along rivers, are accounted for
by the following tale: When Noah sent
forth tho dove from the ark, he sent out
the king-iishcr also, knowing ii to DO q
bird familiar with water. 1t flew up in.
to the air SO high that the sky turned its
back blue, and tho sun scorched tho
lower part Of its body, which became
red. BY tho time it returned the earth
had began to appear, but tho ark had
vanished Since that time it has been
ever looking for its lost home, seeking
it with plaintivc cries along the rivers,
where it may possibly find it. The
nightingale's habit Of singing at night,
and the imaginary sadness Of its song.
are accounted for by legend to the CT.
feet that in ancient days the nightingale
and the blind worm had only one eve
apiece. The bird borrowed the reptile s
eye in order to 70 with two eyes to .
feast, and afterward refused to restore
it. The blind worm vowed vengeance
on its periidious friend, Consequently,
the nightingale is afraid to 60 to sleep
at night, lest blindworm should attack
it during its slumber And In order to
keep itself awake it sings, resting its
breast against a thorn, tho pain caused
by which renders its singing sad. The
blackbird was originally, it seems, COM
pletcly white, its bill included But il
offended the Prince Of Riches one day
by taking up in its bcak some of the
gold dust 1t found In his palace, without
previously asking his permission. The
Prince eShaled his wrath against the
bird in fire and smoke, and was on the
point Of putting it to death, when it
pleaded so piteously for its lifo that he
forsave it. Butthe fire and smoke gave
to its plumnge the somber hue from
which it derives its present name, and
the gold dust 1t stole has given to its
beak yellow tingc. 1t Is probably the
blackncss of the crows coat which has
given rise to the idea that bad priests
turn into crows after death.