"His chuff cheeks dimpling in a fondling smile."
[160] See Yarrell's "History of British Birds," 2d edition, vol. ii. p. 58.
[161] Nares's "Glossary," vol. i. p. 156; Singer's "Shakespeare," 1875, vol. v. p. 115; Dyce's "Glossary," 1876, p. 77.
[162] Mr. Dyce says that if Dr. Latham had been acquainted with the article "Chouette," in Cotgrave, he would not probably have suggested that Shakespeare meant here the lapwing or pewit. Some consider the magpie is meant. See Halliwell-Phillipps's "Handbook Index to Shakespeare," 1866, p. 83. Professor Newton would read "russet-patted," or "red-legged," thinking that Shakespeare meant the chough.
[163] "Glossary," vol. i. p. 162; Singer's "Notes to Shakespeare," 1875, vol. v. p. 42.
[164] Massinger's Works, 1813, vol. i. p. 281.
[165] "Handbook Index to Shakespeare," 1866, p. 86.
[166] Miss Baker's "Northamptonshire Glossary," 1854, vol. i. p. 116.
Shakespeare alludes to the practice of teaching choughs to talk, although from the following passages he does not appear to have esteemed their talking powers as of much value; for in "All's Well That Ends Well" (iv. 1), he says: "Choughs' language, gabble enough, and good enough." And in "The Tempest" (ii. 1), he represents Antonio as saying:
"There be that can rule Naples As well as he that sleeps; lords that can prate As amply and unnecessarily As this Gonzalo; I myself could make A chough of as deep chat."
Shakespeare always refers to the jackdaw as the "daw."[167] The chough or jackdaw was one of the birds considered ominous by our forefathers, an allusion to which occurs in "Macbeth" (iii. 4):
"Augurs and understood relations have, By magot-pies and choughs and rooks brought forth The secret'st man of blood."
[167] "Coriolanus," iv. 5; "Troilus and Cressida," i. 2; "Much Ado About Nothing," ii. 3; "Twelfth Night," iii. 4; "Love's Labour's Lost," v. 2, song; "1 Henry VI." ii. 4.
At the present day this bird is not without its folk-lore, and there is a Norwich rhyme to the following effect:[168]
"When three daws are seen on St. Peter's vane together, Then we're sure to have bad weather."
In the north of England,[169] too, the flight of jackdaws down the chimney is held to presage death.
[168] Swainson's "Weather-Lore," 1873, p. 240.