INDEX

Abbey, founded by birds, 269

Adjutant Stork, stone in head of, 96

Aetites, or eagle-stone, 96

Albatross, raft-nest of, 76

Alectorius, a magic stone, 95

Alectromancy, 217

American eagle, 36

Ani, or Black Witch, see Jumbiebird.

Anka, mythical bird, 198

Arabian mythical birds, 193, 196

Ark, messengers from the, 99

Arthur, King, becomes a raven, 163

Arvenus, legend of Lake, 78

Asbestos, a bird’s skin, 195

Augury and Auspice defined, 214

Babes in the Wood, story, 116

Bennu, a sun-symbol, 195

Bestiaries described, 58

Bird-myths, origin of, 226, 253

Bird-of-Paradise, legends of, 63

Bird-superstitions rare in United States, 7

Birds, alleged hibernation of, 89

Birds as “Openers,” 249–253

Birds as pilots, 161

Birds as spirits, 10, 25, 189

Birds associated with monks and hermits, 262–271

Birds becoming gods, 18

Birds changing into other birds, 92

Birds connected with Lightning, 242–253

Birds, fabulous, explained, 202, 208, 226

Birds, lucky and unlucky, 25

Birds of Assyrian seals, 202

Birds of the Bosphorus, 16

Birds riding on bigger birds, 81

Birds transport souls, 190

Birds, variety of accounted for, 226–241

Bittern, breast-light of, 79

Blackbird, red-winged, 239

Blackbirds blackened by Raven, 229

Blackbirds once white, 233

Bluebird, mountain, 23, 240

Blue jay, legend of, 240

Bluejay visits the Devil, 166

Brahminy duck, sacred in Thibet, 18

Buffon denies song to American birds, 78

Bulbul, Persian nightingale, 48

Butcher-bird, alleged trick of, 79

Buzzard, turkey, features of, 227, 236, 241, 284

Chickens as weather-prophets, 221

288Chickens used in augury, 216, 223

Chimney swift, Josselyn’s account of, 62

Chouans, named from owl’s cry, 187

Cinamros, Persian myth, 205

Cock, alectorius of, 96

Cock, as Gaulish emblem, 44

Cock, barnyard, a sun-bird, 218

Cock, Christian legends of, 109, 151

Cock, stoned on Shrove Tuesday, 123

Cormorants, legends of, 228, 231

Cranes carry away girl, 237

Crane’s foot, origin, 170

Cranes transport small birds, 83

Cranes war with Pygmies, 94

Crocodile-bird, legend of, 60

Crossbill, Christian legend of, 113

Crow, Chinese three-legged, 172

Crow, formerly white, 233

Crow, hooded, dread of, 165

Crow in Ghost Dance, 176

Crow, omens from, 213

Crows’-feet at eyes, 170

Crows visit the Devil, 166

Cuckoos as rain-prophets, 223

Cupid of the Gaels, 3

Curassow, legend of, 170

David beguiled by a pigeon, 259

Deluges, birds connected with, 98–108

Demonic birds, 52, 205

Devil’s birds, 166

Direction, element in divination, 8, 175, 213

Divination by birds, 212–217; trifled with, 257, 258

Dove and the Holy Grail, 137

Dove as bird of peace, 140

Dove, Christian legends of, 113, 139

Dove guides Cortez’s ship, 138

Dove instructs Pope Gregory, 133

Dove of St. Remi, 133, 137

Dove, revered in Islam, 135

Dove saves Genghis Khan, 141

Dove sent from the Ark, 101

Dove, symbol of Holy Ghost, 133, 134, 138

Dove, symbol of Ishtar, 127–132

Doves at Dodona, 130

Doves in Jewish sacrifice, 140

Doves in Solomonic legends, 259

Doves, prophetic, 5–9

Eagle, double-headed, 29, 33, 52

Eagle, emblem of St. John, 149

Eagle, golden, or war, 24, 35

Eagle, imperial, 30

Eagle-lecterns, origin of, 149

Eagle, legends of, 97

Eagle, Mexican harpy, 38

Eagle, myths about, 68, 73, 76

Eagle of Lagash, 28

Eagles, omens from, 213

Eagle-stone, or aetites, 96

Easter eggs, customs explained, 124

Eggs in mosques and churches, 54

Eskimo bird-tales, 273, 274

289Fairies traced to Morrigu, 165

Falcon, symbolism of, 150

Feng-whang. See Fung-whang.

Fish-hawk, legend of, 80

France, popular emblem of, 41–46

Franklin compares eagle and turkey, 37

Fung-whang, Chinese myth, 207

Garuda, Hindoo myth, 206

Gaul, name explained, 41

Genghis Khan saved by owl, 186

Ghost Dance explained, 177

Goatsuckers, cries of dreaded, 6, 15

Goldfinch, Christian legend of, 113

Goose and golden eggs, 66

Goose-bone fable, 222

Goose, golden Capitoline, 255

Goose growing on trees, 64

Goose in Buddhist myth, 67

Grebe, legend of, 240

Green fowl, Mohammedan, 15

Grouse, marks on ruffed, 238

Guan, legend of, 107

Guatemala, emblem of, 39

Guillemots, origin of, 237

Gulls offend Giant, 234

Hair, superstitions about, 9

Halcyon days, meaning of, 22

Harpies, Sirens, etc., 193

Hibernation of birds, 89

Ho-ho, Japanese myth, 208

Hoopoe, legends of, 153, 250, 261

Hornbill, superstitions about, 16

Hummingbird, hibernation of, 90

Hummingbird, riding a crane, 81

Hummingbird, voice lost, 241

Indian poetic story, 275–279

Jackdaw of Rheims, 157

Jay, Canada, gives warning, 4

Jumbie-bird, Ani, or Black Witch, 189

Kamar, Persian myth, 206

Karshipta, Persian myth, 206

King, choice of by birds, 82, 206

Kingbird, riding a hawk, 81

Kingfisher, halcyon myth, 20, 234–239

Kingfisher, sent from the Ark, 102

Kiskadee, legend of, 239

Kite, Egyptian legend of, 151

Lapwing and Covenanters, 256

Lark, Laverock, funereal, 115

Legend, definition of, 254

Lightning attributed to birds, 243–253

Loon, origin of its cry, 279

Lucky birds, 25

Macaw as fire-bird, 41

Magpie, portents by, 171

Mexico, national emblem, 38

Migrating birds carried by others, 81–88

Migration to the moon, 91

Moccasin flower legend, 6

290Monks, medieval and birds, 262–271

Morrigu and her crows, 165

Nightingale, myths and legends, 48, 50

Number, important in divination, 8, 171

Nuns of Whitby, 88

Odin’s ravens, 150

Omens trifled with, 257, 258

Ornithomancy, origin of, 5

Osage Indians, bird ancestry, 11

Osprey, legend of, 80

Ostrich eggs, use of, 54

Ostrich, errors pertaining to, 54

Ostrich plumes, symbolism, 153

Owein’s ravens, 162

Owl, a Baker’s daughter, 121

Owl a monarch’s daughter, 183

Owl, Athenian, 180

Owl in medieval medicine, 185

Owl once a singer, 112

Owl once an Eskimo girl, 233

Owl saves heroes, 186, 258

Owls, Christian legends of, 121

Owls, superstitions about, 181, 187, 213, 258

Oystercatcher, why blessed, 112

Palm, associated with phenix, 198

Paradise-birds, 63, 64

Peacock feathers, indicate rank, 144

Peacock, feathers, superstitions, 148

Peacock, saves Chinese general, 187

Peacocks, legends of, 141–147

Pelican, errors pertaining to, 58

Pelican, Seri ancestor, 11

Pelican, symbolism of, 147

Pharaoh’s chicken, 34

Pheasant, Argus, painted, 233

Phenix as a Christian symbol, 196

Phenix described, 191

Pigeons in church feasts, 125

Pigeons of Venice, 125

Pigeon shrine near Yarkand, 136

Polynesian bird-gods, 19

Quails, Israelitish legend, 93

Quetzal-bird, 39

Rabbit and Easter eggs, 124

Rain-birds described, 223

Rara avis (swan), 46

Raven as culture-hero, 228–234

Raven, characteristics of, 134

Raven, Dickens’s “Grip,” 156

Raven dresses the birds, 228

Raven feeds Elijah, 158

Raven feeds hermits, 164

Raven flag of Danes, 159

Raven, ghostly, 164

Raven, Mosaic view of, 158

Raven, myths concerning, 72, 105, 248

Raven once white, 168, 232

Raven, portents by, 169, 173, 213

Raven saves body of St. Vincent, 164

Raven sent from the Ark, 100

291Raven’s Hill and Barbarossa, 163

Ravens, Odin’s messengers, 150

Redbreast, Christian legends of, 114

Redbreast covers corpses, 116

Redpoll, bringing fire, 274

Rhea, errors concerning, 55

Robin, American, singing, 282

Robin, European. See Redbreast.

Roc (Rukh), Sinbad’s discovery, 200

Sacred birds explained, 16, 24

Sagehen, Paiute story of, 106

Salamander as a bird, 196

Scapegoats among birds, 25

Scarlet bird of Taoists, 207

Schamir, Solomonic legend, 249

Seal of United States, 36

Semiramis, story of, 128

Sentinel-birds, stories of, 254, 256

Seven Whistlers, 13, 89

Shrike, errors regarding, 79

Shrove Tuesday customs, 123

Simurgh, Persian myth, 205

Smell, sense in birds, 75

Snow-owl blackens raven, 232

Souls brought by birds, 12

Souls carried away by birds, 13, 139, 148

Sparrow in Christian legends, 112

Speech by birds, 3, 10, 13

Stones possessed by birds, 95

Stork, as a migrant, 92

Stork, legends of, 112, 153

Stymphalia, birds of, 192, 194

Swallow, Eskimo origin of, 238

Swallow in Christian legends, 112

Swallow, omens from, 25, 213, 218

Swallow restores blindness, 96

Swan, black (rara avis), 47

Swan, death song, 76

Swan, omens from, 213

Symplegades, legend of, 131

Thibetan divination, 174

Thunder-birds described, 243–248, 281

Thunder Cape, name explained, 245

Trochilus legend, 60

Trogon, or quetzal-bird, 39

Trumpeter, legends of, 107, 239

Tulare, legend of lake, 108

Turkey, Franklin’s preference, 37

Turkey, Indian legend of, 106

Vulture, baldness explained, 227, 236, 241

Vulture, omens from, 213

Vulture revered in Egypt, 151

Vultures, Persian, 207

Vulture, Turkey. See Buzzard.

Wagtail, Ainu legend of, 103

War-eagle, American Indian, 35

Weathercocks explained, 151

Weather prognostics by birds, 217, 219, 282

292Whippoorwill as a prophet, 5, 6

Winds as birds, 203, 206, 249

Woodpecker, Californian, 281

Woodpecker, magical powers of, 250

Woodpecker, redheaded, 23, 106, 235, 241

Wren, Cherokee story of, 282

Wren, hunting of in Ireland, 118

Yel, culture-hero, 230