The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-01
FANCIES ABOUT BIRDS.
SOME OF THE QUEER SUPeRSTt-
TONS OF COLOReD PEOPLE.

Feathcred Sopgsters-Dovc, Partridge.
Robin. jaw B,rd and "shiverin' Owl"
How many queer fancics the negroes
have about BIRDS TO them every feath
cred songster makes representation
either Of good or evil to befall the believer
In signs
Dusky legend tellers relate how the
white dove few ont Of the Ark and was the
first living thing to find land after the
great food They augment the old story by
saying that on that land did the dove. Tor
love Of man, plant the first grain OF corn
They bless the gentle bird for giving that
strongest staff OF life TO tho laborer. that
which they cali I'm then quaint fancy Tor
pcrsonifcation Friend John Constant,
"dc good corn meal dat stands by you
constant" 1t was the mourning dove
who brought tho world another great
blessing; with her tender bill she dug Tor
man the first springs To him who hears
the first doves note In the new spring
time. good or bad. luck is portended. as
the nearer happens to be going up or down
q biy when the tender complaining strikes
his ear
pocketful Of money and a crib full OF
corn Mt the end of the year await the man
who. walking a level road, hears the
doves cooling. If he comply with the fol
lowing condition 10 step three steps after
bearing the first note. then to lilo down
and roll over his three last tracks
A mighty love powder" is thought by
dark damsels to be made of parched and
powdered doves heart Not a few negroes
believe that troubles will follow him who
kills dove The MOURNING dove is said
to mourn for passing soul
CONCERNING BIRDS EGGS.
The partridge fears to frequent the
ground oft trod by man. hence arises the
belief that death will some to some
dweller in a cabin near which is heard the
partridge's shrill whistle Lucky is he
who. finds the nest of the industrious
partridge. for these are birds eggs that
can be eaten without fear of evil conse
quences
But let no person who loves home eat
the egg of the blue bird, for that egg gives
TO the eater thereof an insatiate desire TO
run away-always to run away Days
full of sunshine will invite him TO wander.
DAYS of clouds and rain will demand him
to leave the warm home hearth; always to
slip away somewhere from familiar places
and well loved faces Woe TO him who
eats mocking birds egg: the penalty
attached TO the eating thereof is 10 tell
all. an maybe mon you know. The
eater of kildee's egg will surely there
after break his arm.
1t was the bright. restless little robin
that planted OH old earth the first one of
the many cedars that now shake their
plumes on thousand hills
1t was the pert jay bird that brought In
his bill the first grit of dirt" to the
world, whence he Jew with it legend fails
to inform For a certain space on Friday
noon. say the mammies. no jay Is to be
seen Oh the whole faco of the earth
Whyg They go to the under world to
carry to the king of that realm grain OF
sand Whether this is a punishment for
the bringing of that first grit, no aunty
will tell. but she will assert most posi-
lively that the jays do certainly leave our
world at precisely 8 o'clock on Friday
morning. and are back promptly at
o'clock of that same day
LUCK AND LOVER
Lucky is the dusky maid who sees red
bird when she is not on the lookout for
one She must make no mention of hav
ing seen the pretty fellow. but discreetly
90 about her business maxim no mira
ton ut all " If this condition is complied
with she will see her sweetheart before the
sun is down If the bird seen is bright
red. her lover will como in happy mood; i!
pale is the color of the bird. her lover will
show himself i'll tempered.
Never bring out of wild birds nest II
young one TO strive TO rear it in house
where people live. for the bird will surely
die. and no less certainly will the super
stitious ones regard this death as 'call
for some loved inmate of that dwelling to
die also
The rain crow cries for rain. There are
many Jolly dialect songs about the crow
The negroes seem to consider him quite
smart fellow one of them, a black one
with white feathers under his wings. is a
preacher crow" Most direful i'll. how
ever, will follow the dwellers in house
on whose roof crow lights 1t is the wren
nesting under tho caves that brings the
greatest good fortune to house. Fol
lowed 10y griefs and trials will be that
man who kills wren.
Let no person mock ''shiverin' owl.
for the penalty thereto is dat firell fol
Ter YOU" Who mocks a whippoorwill
will have his clothes burned up Who
hears whippoorwill sounding its sweet
note In daylight will have his clothes
burned A flock Of brown birds called
"air colts" twtter for death sign.
The great white crane only leaves his
marshy places to bring to some household
"warnin o death Great CONSERVATION
fills O house when the crane flies over the
roof and calls down his dolorous cry of
ssCov,eaI Corpcat Cornsat'--E1i Sbannard