Swift.
Divining-Rod (The). A forked hazel rod, suspended between the balls of the thumbs, was at one time supposed to indicate the presence of water-springs and precious metals by inclining towards the earth beneath which these things might be found. Dousterswivel obtained money by professing to indicate the spot of buried wealth by a divining-rod.--Sir W. Scott, The Antiquary.
Dogs. The howling of a dog at night forebodes death.
A cane præviso funere disce mori.
R. Keuchen, Crepundia, 113 (1662).
Capitolīnus tells us that the death of Maximīnus was presaged by the howling of dogs. Pausanias (in his Messenĭa) says the dogs brake into a fierce howl just before the overthrow of the Messenians. Fincelius says the dogs in Mysinia flocked together and howled just before the overthrow of the Saxons in 1553. Virgil says the same thing occurred just previous to the battle of Pharsalia.
Dogs give warning of death by scratching on the floor of a house.
Dotterels.
When dotterels do first appear,
It shows that frost is very near;