The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1899-07-07
BIRDS OF ILL OMEN.

SOME HAVE BEEN SO REGARDED
FROM EARLY TIMES.
Owl and Raven Hnv. Eccu ostracisea
as UnIucky Birds Since the keinote
Past Magpics Betokcn Misfortune
and Stormy Petrcls Bad Weather.
There are several birds, perfectly
harmless toward man, Which nave
ever been held in evil repute, mercy IL
would seem, from similar cause W
that which in former times invested olu
women when of eccentric habits OF
aspect with the character of WttcheS'
and rendered them objects of supefsu-
tious dread. The owl and the raNeh'
that are much given to following SOIL
tary walks IN life, are instances III
point They have ever from feno'e
ages been ostraciscd as unlucky bros,
birds of iN-omen. and so forth.
The owl, says the Chicago News
was so rcckoned In early Roman tilhes'
and the poet Ovid terms him tine uh'
lucky fowl abhorrpd by men, and
called the screeching owl" Virgil, too,
speaks in like depreciatory terms or
the raven:
The horse raven on the blasted boush,
By crrs,lling from the left, presaged the
coming blow.
Martin Luther in ono of his writings
alludes in very severe terms to the
raven, and we can all recall foe's cele-
brated poem to which he gives his
rame for title. The Romans, we learn,
had special officers, selected from the
patrtcian class. one of whose duties 1T
was to study the omcns Of the owl,
the crow, and other birds, and inter-
pret them to the people. Butlc1, IN
''Hudilras," has we'll hit off this pro-
cecuing where he alludeS TO the Roman
Senate, when an owl was seen within
the city walls, causing the priests with
Illustrations to avert the roundfaced
prodigy from doing town or country
hurt In Shakespeare the owl IS often
quoted, notably when it is said OF
Richard Ill, .'the owl shrielied at his
birth an evil sign" and in Macbeth y
'thc raven is hoarse that croalls the
fatal entrance of Duncan under the
battlements."
The maspie is well known to be-
| token misfortune. Now there is nat
ural explanation about seeing one mag
pie which may have given rise to this
belief The fact is that IN cold and
stormy weather one magpc alone
| leaves the nest In search Of food, the
| other remaining sitting on the eggs or
the young brood; but in fine and mild
weather under the same conditions
| both magpies are at liberty to leave the
nest together. The notion is thus po-
etically expressed, "One's sorrow, two S
mirth" dad and fine weather.. Sey-
| eral of the SupcrStltOnS regarding
birds appear at first sight positively
humane Thus the small size of the
wren, and the trust in humanity shown
by the robin, have disarmcd even boys
and secured an immunity of their
nests from plundor. The innocence of
the dove also appeals strongly to rus
| llc Sci lIIltiil, btIt III ltil 81, pti lltipS
owing to the fact that it IS not consid-
cred good or lucky to use IT'S feathers
in q bed.
Sailors are unreasonable respecting
that wclEknown bird, the stormy petrol
1t is mainly in Consequence Of its ever
being seen prior to the occurrence OF
snow-storms, whose utmost rage never
seems to disturb it, as it boldly breasts
tho waves lnd faces the blasts, utter
ing the while its low cry. The ancient
mariner absurdly considered it us rails
ing the stern, which its habits only
bring it in connection With, and exc
Grated it accordingly. This belief hn>
unfortunately survived TO the prcscn
day. ''As we'll" wrote Wilson, tho
ornithologist, might the sailors ours,
the lighthouse that guides them OF
their lonely way, or the buoy tha
warns Of the Sunken rock below" The
petrol is i'll reality a monitor Of the ap
proach Of stormy weather, and as sucl
is deserving Of the highest cOnsidera
ton, which he certainly does not re
ceive