Shakespeare, _The Tempest_, act iii. sc. 3 (1609). The phœnix is said to have fifty orifices in its bill, continued to its tail. After living its 1000 or 500 years, it builds itself a funeral pile, sings a melodious elegy, flaps its wings to fan the fire, and is burnt to ashes. The enchanted pile of that lonely bird Who sings at the last his own death-lay. And in music and perfume dies away. T. Moore, _Lalla Rookh_ (“Paradise and the Peri,” 1817). The phœnix has appeared five times in Egypt: (1) in the reign of Sesostris; (2) in the reign of Amăsis; (3) in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphos; (4) a little prior to the death of Tiberius; and (5) during the reign of Constantine. Tacitus mentions the first three (_Annales_, vi. 28). PIG. In the fore feet of pigs is a very small hole, which may be seen when the pig is dead and the hair carefully removed. The legend is that the devils made their exit from the swine through the fore feet, and left these holes. There are also six very minute rings round each hole, and these are said to have been made by the devil’s claws. When pigs carry straws in their mouth, rain is at hand. When swine carry bottles of hay or straw to hide them, rain is at hand.--_The Husbandman’s Practice_, 137 (1664). When young pigs are taken from the sow, they must be drawn away backwards, or the sow will be fallow. The bacon of swine killed in a waning moon will waste much in the cooking. When hogs run grunting home, a storm is impending.--_The Cabinet of Nature_, 262 (1637). It is unlucky for a traveller if a sow crosses his path. If, going on a journey on business, a sow cross the road, you will meet with a disappointment, if not an accident, before you return home.--Grose. To meet a sow with a litter of pigs is very lucky. If a sow is with her litter of pigs, it is lucky, and denotes a successful journey.--Grose. Langley tells us this marvellous bit of etymology: “The bryde anoynteth the poostes of the doores with swynes grease, ... to dryve awaye misfortune, wherefore she had her name in Latin _uxor_, ´ab ungendo’ [_to anoint_].”--_Translation of Polydore Vergil_, 9. PIGEON. If a white pigeon settles on a chimney, it bodes death to some one in the house. No person can die on a bed or pillow containing pigeon’s feathers. If anybody be sick and lye a-dying, if they [_sic_] lie upon pigeon’s feathers they will be languishing and never die, but be in pain and torment.--_British Apollo_, ii. No. 93 (1710). The blue pigeon is held sacred in Mecca.--Pitt. PORCUPINE. When porcupines are hunted or annoyed, they shoot out their quills in anger. RAT. Rats forsake a ship before a wreck, or a house about to fall. They prepared A rotten carcass of a boat; the very rats Instinctively had quit it. Shakespeare, _The Tempest_, act i. sc. 2 (1609).