The Ornithology of Shakespeare Part 20

With the ancients, much superst.i.tion prevailed in regard to various species of the crow family; and Shakespeare has specially mentioned three of these as birds of omen:--

"Augurs that understood relations have, By magot-pies, and choughs, and rooks, brought forth The secret'st man of blood."

_Macbeth_, Act iii. Sc. 4.

Even at the present day, there are many who profess to augur good or evil from the flight of a magpie, or from the number of magpies seen together at one time. An old rhyme on the subject runs thus:--

"One for sorrow, two for mirth; Three for a wedding, four for a birth."

The origin of the word magpie we have not heard explained, but it is possible, from the manner in which the name is spelled above, that "mag"

may be an abbreviation of "maggot," pointing to a certain propensity of the bird, which, however, is not peculiar. Those who have spent much time in the country, must have observed not only the magpie, but also the jackdaw and starling, busily engaged in searching for insects on the back of a sheep.

As in the case of the jackdaw, the magpie is sometimes called by the latter half of his name:--

"And chattering pies in dismal discords sung."

_Henry VI._ Part III. Act v. Sc. 6.

[Sidenote: THE ROOK.]

Before taking leave of the crow family, we have yet to notice another bird mentioned by Shakespeare, which is nearly related to the crow. This is the Rook (_Corvus frugilegus_). But, notwithstanding the usefulness of the bird, the poet has not said much in its favour. It is noticed in the song in _Love's Labour's Lost_, and is included amongst the birds of omen in the quotation lately given from Macbeth.

In the _Merry Wives of Windsor_, Act i. Sc. 3, we find the expression "bully-rook," and it would seem that this epithet in Shakespeare's time bore much the same signification as "jolly-dog" does now-a-days. But it came subsequently to have a more offensive meaning, and was applied to a cheat and a sharper.

[Sidenote: THE JAY.]

We had well-nigh forgotten the Jay (_Corvus glandarius_),--_Winter's Tale_ (Act iv. Sc. 3),--and only allude to it now to show that Shakespeare has not omitted it from his long list of birds. In _Cymbeline_, the name is applied to a gaudily-dressed person:--

"Some jay of Italy hath betray'd him."

_Cymbeline_, Act iii. Sc. 4.

No doubt on account of the bright plumage of this bird.

"What, is the jay more precious than the lark, Because his feathers are more beautiful?"

_Taming of the Shrew_, Act iv. Sc. 3.

Caliban, addressing Trinculo, in _The Tempest_ (Act ii. Sc. 2), exclaims:--

"I pr'ythee let me bring thee where crabs grow, And I with my long nails will dig thee pig-nuts; Show thee a jay's nest, and instruct thee how To snare the nimble marmozet; I'll bring thee To cl.u.s.t'ring filberds, and sometimes I'll get thee Young sea-mells from the rock. Wilt thou go with me?"

This tempting offer is irresistible, and Stephano interrupts him at once by saying,--

"I pr'ythee now, lead the way, without any more talking."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER V.

THE BIRDS OF SONG.

If there is one cla.s.s of birds more than another to which poets in all ages have been indebted for inspiration, and to which they have directed particular attention, it is that which includes the birds of song.

Shakespeare, as a naturalist, could not have overlooked them. Nor has he done so. These "light-wing'd Dryads of the trees" have received at his hands all the praise which they deserve, while oftentimes, for melody and pathos, he may be said to have borrowed from their songs himself.

[Sidenote: THE NIGHTINGALE.]

Of all the singers in the woodland choir the Nightingale (_Luscinia philomela_), by common consent, stands first. For quality of voice, variety of notes, and execution, she is probably unrivalled. Hence, with poets, she has ever been the chief favourite. Izaak Walton has truly said, "The nightingale breathes such sweet loud music out of her little instrumental throat, that it might make mankind to think miracles are not ceased. He that at midnight, when the very labourer sleeps securely, should hear, as I have very often, the clear airs, the sweet descants, the natural rising and falling, the doubling and redoubling, of her voice, might well be lifted above earth and say, Lord, what music hast thou provided for the saints in heaven, when thou affordest bad men such music on earth?" To "sing like a nightingale" has pa.s.sed into a proverb.

"She sings as sweetly as any nightingale."

_Taming of the Shrew_, Act ii. Sc. 1.

In Gardiner's "Music of Nature," the following pa.s.sage is given from the song of the Nightingale:--

[Music]

Although the male bird only is the songster, yet we talk of _her_ singing:--

"It was the nightingale, and not the lark, That pierc'd the fearful hollow of thine ear; Nightly _she_ sings on yon pomegranate tree;[67]

Believe me, love, it was the nightingale."

_Romeo and Juliet_, Act iii. Sc. 5.

The origin of this change of s.e.x is to be found, no doubt, in the old fable which tells us of the transformation of Philomela, daughter of Pandion, King of Athens, into a nightingale, when Progne, her sister, was changed to a swallow.[68]

[Sidenote: LAMENTING PHILOMEL.]

Hence also the name Philomel, which is often applied by the poets to this bird.

"Philomel, with melody, Sing your sweet lullaby."

_Song--Midsummer Night's Dream_, Act ii. Sc. 2.

"By this, lamenting Philomel had ended The well-tun'd warble of her nightly sorrow."

_Lucrece._

"His Philomel must lose her tongue to-day."