Chapter IV

The phœnix—Various ancient and mediæval writers thereon—The
Bird of Paradise—The Museum of Tradescant—The roc—The
barnacle goose—The eagle—Its power of gazing upon the sun—Its
keenness of vision—The pelican—The swan and its death song—A
favourite idea with the poets—Hostility between the swan and
the eagle—The ostrich—Its digestive powers—How its eggs are
hatched—The cock—Antipathy between lion and cock—Cock-broth
and cock-ale for invalids—Incorporation in man of various
valued animal characteristics—The stone alectorius—Animals
haled before the judges for offence against man—The deadly
cockatrice—Cock-crow—The “Armonye of Byrdes”—The raven—How
it became black—The raven-stone—The owl—The swallow—Sight
to the blind—Oil of swallows as a remedy—The robin and the
wren—Their pious care of the dead—The nightingale—The
doctrine of signatures—Thorn-pierced breast—Philomela—The
cuckoo—His voice-restorer—The peacock—Its pride and its
shame—The kingfisher—As a weathercock—Sir Thomas Browne
thereon—Halcyone—Halcyone days—The filial stork—The cautious
cranes 200-263