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When the figs ripen, a very small bird, called by the Italians beccafico, by the Greeks sycophas, appears, and is continually settling on the branches of the tree and pecking the fruit. If frightened away, they return almost immediately, and a person sitting in the corn, or concealed by a thicket, may fire with little intermission. They are eaten roasted entire each in a vine-leaf, and are a delicacy. When the olives blacken, vast flights of doves, pigeons, thrushes, and other birds repair to the groves for food. Wild turkies are not rare. The red-legged partridge, with her numerous brood, basks in the sun, or seeks shade among the mastic bushes. They are fond of the berries in the season, and have then a strong but not disagreeable taste. In winter, woodcocks abound; descending, after snow on the mountains, into the plain, especially on the side of the Cephissus, and as suddenly retiring. If the weather continue severe, and the ground be frozen, they enter the gardens of the town in great distress, rather than cross the sea; and are sometimes taken with the hand. Snipes teal, widgeon, ducks, and the like, are also found in plenty. A horse or ass is commonly provided by sportsmen, who go in a party to bring home what they kill.

Hares are exceedingly numerous. Calling is practised in still weather, from the latter end of May to about the middle of August. Three or four men in a company stand silent and concealed in a thicket, with guns pointed in different directions. When all are ready, the caller applies two of his fingers to his lips, and sucking them, at first slowly and then faster, produces a squeaking sound; when the hares within hearing rush to the spot. In this manner many are slaughtered in a day. One of my companions, with Lombardi, a Turk and Greek or two, who were adepts, killed eleven;

among which was a female big with young. These animals are said to assemble together, to leap and play, at the full of the moon; and it is likely the shepherds, who live much abroad, observing and listening to them, learned to imitate their voices, to deceive, and make them thus foolishly abet their own destruction.

The wild beasts, which find shelter in the mountains, greatly annoy the shepherds; and their folds are constantly guarded by several large fierce dogs. The person, who killed a wolf, was entitled by a law of Solon to a reward; if a male to one drachm, about seven-pence half-penny; if female, to five drachms. Afterwards a talent, or one hundred and eighty pounds sterling, was paid for a young wolf; and double that sum for one full grown. The peasant now produces the skin in the bazar or market, and is recompensed by voluntary contributions. Parnes, the mountain toward the Cephissus, is haunted, besides wolves, by deer and foxes, as it formerly was by wild boars and bears. The sportsmen lie in ambush by the springs which they frequent, waiting their approach in the dusk of the evening. Pliny* mentions the deer bred about Parner and Brilessus, as remarkable for four kidneys, and the hares as having two livers. The latter peculiarity in some, which we purchased, was much noticed by our Swiss, who once brought the two livers, for my inspection, on a plate. The youth of Athens were anciently trained to hunting as a manly and useful exercise.

The favourite bird of Minerva was the large horned owl,

1. 11. c. 37.

+ The partridges of Paphlagonia were found to have two hearts, and the hares at Bisaltia two livers. A. Gellius, p. 906.

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The Athenians stamped its effigy on their coin, and placed it, as her companion, in her temple in the acropolis. We had not been long at the convent before a peasant brought us one alive, with the wing broken. This recovered, and was much visited during our stay, as a novelty. Afterwards I saw another, flying, in the day-time. They are as ravenous as eagles, and, if pressed by hunger, will attack lambs and hares. On leaving Athens, we set our venerable and voracious prisoner at liberty, not without fear that, after so long confinement, he would be unable to procure food, or, being unwieldy, to escape the wild beasts, which prowl nightly in quest of prey. About the middle of October, while we resided at the convent, I had the satisfaction of seeing distinctly the phænomenon, called a water-spout, from the window of my apartment, which looked toward the sea. The weather had changed from settled and pleasant, and clouds resided on the mountains, black and awful, particularly on Hymettus, whose side and tops were covered. About seven in the morning, when I rose, a cloud, tapering to a point, had descended in the gulf, between the islands Ægina and Salamis. Round it, at the bottom, was a shining mist. After a minute or more, it began gradually to contract itself, and retired very leisurely up again into the sky. We had little rain this day, but at night pale lightning flashed at short intervals, and thunder, bursting over our heads, exceedingly loud, rolled tremendously, and it poured down as from open sluices. The quantity of water, which fell, was answerable to the long and visible preparation, but seasonable; seed time approaching.

Athens has, on the west side of the plain, the mountains Ægaleos and Parnes, now called Daphne-vouni and Casha; on the north, Brilessus or Nozea; on the north-east, about

six miles distant, Pentele; and next the Ægean Sea, Hymettus or Telo-vouni. The latter has a gap in it, dividing the greater from the lesser mountain, which is toward the south, and was formerly called Anydrus, from its being destitute of water. The clouds attracted by some of these mountains anciently furnished a variety of prognostics of the weather. A small cloud in the hollow of Anydrus, or white clouds, in summer, above the greater or lesser mountain, and on the side of Hymettus, portended rain. If in the night a long white cloud girded it, beneath the top, the rain generally continued for some days. A long cloud resting on Hymettus, in winter, pre-signified a violent storm. At the setting of the seven stars, called Vergiliæ, lightning about Parnes, Brilessus, and Hymettus, if all were comprehended, denoted a a great storm; if two, a less; but, if Parnes alone, serene weather. A storm ensued, if clouds enveloped that portion of Parnes, which was toward Zephyrus, or the west. It was observed also, that a cloud resting on Ægina, and above the temple of Jupiter Panhellenius there, was commonly followed by rain.

A day or two after the storm before-mentioned, the capuchin, as we were conversing by the window of his apartment, put his hand incautiously on the frame, and, suddenly withdrawing it, complained of a painful puncture. A Turk, who was with us, on examining the wall, found a scorpion of a pale green colour, and near three inches long, which he crushed with his foot, and bound on the part affected, as an antidote to its own poison. The smart became inconsiderable, after the remedy was applied; and, as no inflammation followed, soon ceased. The sting, if neglected, produces acute pain, attended with a fever and other symptoms for several hours,

until the paroxysm is over, when the malignancy of the virus as it were decaying, the patient is left gradually free. Some preserve scorpions in oil in a vial, to be used if that which commits the hostility should escape; though it seldom happens but on turning up a log or stone another may be found to supply its place. This was the only one I ever saw at Athens, within doors. We supposed it had entered at the window for shelter, and to avoid the danger of being drowned by the flood.

CHAP. XXVIII.

We remove from the convent-A Turk described-The Athenians civil to us-A Turkish foot-race and wrestling-matchDance of the Arabian women-Greek dances—Marriages of the Turks-Of the Greeks-Of the Albanians-Funeral ceremonies-No learning-Credulity and superstition.

WE were instructed by the Committee of Dilettanti not to interfere at Athens with the labours of Mess". Stuart and Revet, but solely to attend to those articles, which they had either omitted, or not completed. With this restriction we soon perceived, that we had matter to detain us much longer than had been expected. After some weeks the prospect of a speedy conclusion continuing distant, we removed from the convent to a large and commodious house, belonging to one of the archons. It had many trap doors and hiding-places, and, standing detached, was called (vnoi) the island.

A place where the fair sex bears no part in society, will be justly supposed dull and uniform. Indeed, a Turk is gene

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