Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

The tawny eagle seats his callow brood

High on the cliff, and feasts his young with blood:
On Snowden's rocks, or Orkney's wide domain,
Whose beetling cliffs o'erhang the western main,
The royal bird his lonely kingdom forms
Amid the gathering clouds ahd sullen storms.

MRS, BARBAULDI

CHAP.

CHAP V.

Torva leæna lupum sequitur, lupus ipse capellam; Florentem cytisum sequitur lasciva capella.

VIRGIL. ECL. II.

The hungry lioness the wolf devours;

The wolf the kid; the kid the shrubs and flow'rs.

MANY birds had now assembled on the same spot with the Canary-Bird and yellow-hammer, all in pursuit of their evening fare. Among the rest, was a swallow, clinging to a ledge on the wall of a neighbouring cottage. Other swallows were skimming

3

skimming about, in every direction. A hawk who, like the rest, was in search of his supper, darted suddenly upon one of these, and carried off his prize. All the birds were in the utmost consternation; but as the circumstance happened at some little distance, and as the hawk left the place almost as soon as he came, only a very few fled away. Our birds, and the swallow that I have mentioned, with many others, remained.

66

Monster", cried the swallow! "that such a wretch should live!-Eat swallows!-I shudder at the very thought!

[blocks in formation]

40

THE CANARY BIRD.

One would have imagined that the sight of so much beauty might have melted his hard heart-his crimson throat, his snowy breast, and back of deep splendid blue. Well, thank my stars, I shall never eat a swallow!-No- nor any other bird -he must have the palate of a very cannibal to relish such a feast!-independently of the cruelty of the deed. I should nauseate the dish.-"

At this moment, one of the scarabei, or beetle kind, flew along after it darted the swallow; and the terrified insect, dashing itself. in hasty flight,

against a tree, fell, and seemed incapable of attempting to avoid the danger with which its life was threatened. Its outer wings were of a brilliant verdigriscolour; and on each of these were sprinkled drops of gold; his head was coloured as his wings; his body covered with a shining corslet of grass-green; his legs seemed cased in foil of crimson-gold. The swallow, not at all seduced from his purpose by the sight of so much beauty, was about to swallow his prey-the fine colours of the insect no more inclined him to leave it, than the redness of an E 3 apple,

« ForrigeFortsæt »