Na chadw byth yn nghylch dy dŷ,
Na cheiliog gwyn, na chath ddu.Never keep about thy house,
A white cock, nor black cat.
Crane.
The crane is often mistaken for the heron. When the crane flies against the stream, she asks for rain, when with the stream she asks for fair weather.
This bird is said to be thin when the moon wanes, and fat at the waxing of the moon.
Ducks.
When ducks sportively chase each other through the water, and flap their wings and dive about, in evident enjoyment of their pastime, it is a sign that rain is not far off.
Eagle.
Persons who had eaten eagle’s flesh had power to cure erysipelas, and this virtue was said by some to be transmitted to their descendants for ever, whilst others affirmed it only lasted for nine generations. See page 263, where this subject is fully treated.
The Goat Sucker.
A curious notion prevailed respecting this bird, arrived at, presumably, in consequence of its peculiar name—the goat sucker—viz., that it lives on the milk of the goat, which it obtains by sucking the teats of that animal.