The age-herald., 1897-09-19
SUPERSTlTI0NS ABOUT BIRDS.
Some Queer Beliefs Found in the Folklore of
 Many Nations,
Frern the Philadelphia. T;mes.

Fregn the Phil adeIphsa Times.
 Birds have held prominent place in the religious life of man from the car Hest times They seem to be connected, in one way or another, with the super sttions and the folklore of every nation, civilized or savage.
 Among the oldest superstitions are those relating to the comen cock and hen. These fowls were carefully watched and studied by the anclene au- gurs, particular notice being taken of the dime and place of their growing, which was interpreted for good or evil In the Bible the cock is conspicuous at the time when Peter denied his Master. It is said fits figure on church spires was placed there to remind men of this circumstance. In the early hours of Lhe morning, the cock crows a warning to the dead as we'll as to the living, and all ghosts that are wandering about the earth must return to the land of spirits.
 Mahomet declared that, in a revelation, he saw in the first heaven a cock so large that his crest touched the floor of the second heaven. The growing of this celestial bird arouses from sleep every living creature except man. When iIhds cock ceases to crow the judgment day will be at hand.
 In Persia the growing of a cock is a sign of some event affecting gl1e family, and the master of the house hastefi.s to feel the birds feet If they are cold it Is premonition of death; but if.they are warm the sign is propitious, and fhe master rejoices in comng good fortune.
 The hen is nov so highly respected as the cock, and her growing is generally. thing not to be tolerated. In many places it forebodes death.
 With tho ancient Romans the goose was a sacred bird. During the invasion of Rome by the Gauls detachmenc of soldiers in single file proceeded up the hill of rhe capitol so silently that the leader reached the top without being challenged but when he was climbing over the wall the noise disturbed some sacred geese in the Temple of Juno. The geese began to caol1le and awakened the garrison, when Marcus Manlius rushed to the wall ard. threw the luckless Gaul back. In commemora Hon of this event the Romans carried a sacred goose in procession to the capitol each year.
 According to Greek mythology Argus was set to wa:ch To, who had been changed into COW. Hermes, ordered to release To, lulled Argus to sleep with the music of a shepherds pipe. and then killed him. Hera Ouno) set Argus hun dred eyes fn the tail of her favorlte bird, the peacock.
 This bird, anong the early Chris fans, was emblematic of a glorified body. It's feathers have adorned many chrome, were at one time among the ornaments of the kings of England. They are the insignia of rank in China ard the wear ing of them is charm against. the evil spirit. By some persons they are com sdered particularly unlucky, but this su- perstition is dying cut, and they the re- gaining their former popularity.
 The sacred Ibis of the Egyptians was supposed, from the color of it's feathers, to symbolize the light and the shade of the moon It was the incarnaton of the god Thoth. who, dn the guise of this bird, escaped the wrath of Typhon.It is said i.hat its feathers would scare and even kill the crocodile. The bird was believed to deliver Egypt from winged and ether serpents that came from Arabia. It was celebrated for dts purity and drank only the purest water. Its love for Egypt was
 
 would die of self-starvation if trans- ferred elsewhere. It was so deeply ven- erated that it entered the most sacred temples with impunbty, and toi kill one, even by accident, was a crime punishable by death After death, its body was em- balmed and thousands of their remains have been found at Thebes, at MeHnphs s and att other Egyptian cltiss.
 @l1o1x I more sacred than any other bird, ex- cspt the ibis. It was the type of filial attachment among the Creeks. the Ro- mans and the Hebrews, who believed that the young repaid the care of neither parents by remaining with them through life, and attending thens in old age In Holland boxes are built for the storks. and 1t is a fortunate thing for household to have the box occupied.
 The dove has been largely employed in Christian art, representing psace and purity. It was the dove, you know, that Noah sent forth from the ark to find dry land. It has been represented with seven rays proceeding from 1t, termi- hating in seven stars, sgnifying the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit Hold ing an olive branch the dove is em- blematic of peace, and when seen is- suing from the lips of dying saints and martyrs it represents the human soul purified by suffering.
 Mahomet had a pigeon that was taught to pick grains of wheat from his ear, that 1t might be thought that the bird brought him messages from heaven. There is a superstition that anyone sprinkled with the blood of a pigeon will never die a natural death.