a tree and hurl his lightning at his adversary to bring him down to submission. [Illustration: Aurora. _Guido Reni._] Another thunder bird is Sootooch, believed in by the natives of Vancouver’s Island. He is a mighty bird, dwelling aloft and far away, the flap of whose wings makes the thunder, and his tongue is the forked lightning. There were once four of these birds in the land, and they fed on whales. But the great deity Quawteaht, entering into a whale, enticed one thunder bird after another to swoop down and seize him with its talons. Then he would plunge to the bottom of the sea and drown it. Thus three of them perished, but the last one spread his wings and flew to the distant height, where he has since remained. The Dakotahs say that thunder is a large bird flying through the air. Its bright tracks are seen in the air before you hear the clapping of its wings. The old bird begins the thunder, but its rumbling noise is caused by an immense quantity of young birds or thunders that do the mischief. They are like the young, mischievous men that will not listen to good counsel. The old Thunder is wise and good, and does not kill anybody nor do any kind of mischief. The chief god of the Brazilians is a large bird who sweeps over the heavens, watching his children and watering their crops. He warns them of his presence by the mighty sound of his voice, the rushing of his wings, and the flash of his eye. This interesting bird is worshipped in a way befitting his nature. A dry gourd is filled with pebbles and decked with feathers and arrows, which is rattled vigorously to symbolize the drama of the storm. This curious implement has another element of interest in the fact that it is one of the earliest forms of musical instrument. An equally remarkable variety of bird is the wind bird, who wings his way through all mythologies in one form or another. Although the wind in Greece had risen to man’s estate, it was still represented as having wings. Even the wind god Hermes, far removed as he is from the savage idea of the wind, could not get along without wings for his feet and head. Zeus, also, has a raven for his messenger, and Odin has the ravens Hugin and Munin, who fly every day over the whole world and report to him on their return what they have seen. Besides, there is a Norse god of the winds—a giant who sits in the northern extremity of heaven, clad in eagle’s plumes. When he spreads out his wings for flight the winds arise from under them. The thunder, however, like the wind, even among savages, is sometimes personified as men, as in the following Algonquin stories: HOW A HUNTER VISITED THE THUNDER SPIRITS WHO DWELL IN MOUNT KATAHDIN (_Passamaquoddy_)