THE AFFECTION OF BIRDS.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Dr. Kay, commenting on Psalm civ., 17, tells a story about the stork similar to that published in the Spectator of July 5th. He says that the name Chasidah is equivalent to pia avis, and suggests that " stork " may be cognate with frroPYi-
The parental affection of the eagle was sufficiently known among the Israelites to serve as an illustration of the pro- tecting guidance of God. " As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings : so the Lord alone did lead him." In the New Testament, our Lord illustrated the divine solicitude in a similar way : " How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings."
The power which has been given to birds of returning love other than parental, may be illustrated from numerous sources. St. Francis wooed and won their love : " The redbreasts picked up crumbs on his table, the pheasant nestled at his side, the falcon woke him to prayer, and the swallow hovered round his bedside and sang him to sleep when his last hour came?' St. Hugh, at the Great Chartreuse, " tamed the little birds to such an extent, that they would leave their woods, and regularly at the hour of supper would come to- share his meal with him, not only getting on his table, but eating out of his hand and his plate, and making themselves completely his companions." At Witham, " a certain little bird which is called Burneta ' came every day to his table, as though it had discovered the innate kindness of the man, and took its food from his hand and his plate." In Lincolnshire he was faithfully loved, equally when present and when absent, by his beautiful swan. In " England under the Angevin Kings," I., 77-79, an account is given of St. Godric, who said " He who denies himself the converse of men wins the con- verse of birds and beasts, and the company of angels." St. Cuthbert won such love from the eider-ducks that they nestled in his lap, and he loved them so that eider-ducks were em- broidered on his dalmatic. St. Guthlac, too, " was in league with the fowls of the air ; the wild birds would eat from his hand; swallows came to sit on his arms and his bosom ;" and he said : " He who is joined to God with a pure spirit finds all things uniting themselves to him in God."—I
am, Sir, &c., ROBERT G. FOOHES. Pembroke College, Oxford, July 16th.
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