230 Miscellaneous. 



And tow'rds this watery kind, about the flashes brim, 



Some cloven-footed are, by nature not to swim. 



There stalks the stately Crane 17 , as tho' he march'd in war, 



By him that hath the Hern 18 , which (by the fishy car) 



Can fetch with their long necks, out of the rush and reed, 



Snigs 19 , fry, and yellow frogs, whereon they often feed : 



And under them again (that water never take, 



But by some ditches side, or little shallow lake, 



Lie dabbling night and day) the palate-pleasing Snite w , 



The Bidcock 21 , and like them the Redshank 22 , that delight 



Together still to be in some small reedy bed> 



In which these little fowls in summer's time were bred. 



The buzzing Bitter 23 sits, which through his hollow bill 



A sudden bellowing sends, which many times doth fill 



The neighbouring marsh with noise, as though a bull did roar. 



But scarcely have I yet recited half my store ; 



And with my wondrous flocks of Wild- Geese 24 come I then, 



Which look as though alone they peopled all the fen, 



Which here in winter time, when all is overflow'd, 



And want of solid sward enforceth them abroad, 



Th' abundance then is seen that my full fens do yield, 



That almost through the isle do pester every field, 



The Barnacles 25 with them, which wheresoe'er they breed, 



On trees, or rotten ships, yet to my fens for feed 



Continually they come, and chief abode do make, 



And very hardly forc'd my plenty to forsake ; 



Who almost all this kind do challenge as mine own, 



Whose like, I dare aver, is elsewhere hardly known. 



For sure, unless in me, no one yet ever saw 



The multitudes of fowl in mooting time they draw ; 



From which to many a one much profit doth accrue. 



" Now such as flying feed, next these I must pursue : 

 The Sea-Meaw 26 , Sea-Pye 27 , Gull 28 , and Curlew 29 , here do keep, 

 As searching every shoal, and watching every deep, 



17 Grus cinerea. 18 Ardea cinerea. 19 Small eels. 



20 Snite or Snipe, Scolopax gallinago. 



21 Bidcock and Bilcock, old names for the Water-rail, Rallus aquaticus. 



22 Totanus calidris. 



23 Bitter or Bittern, Botaurus stellaris. The generic name is derived 

 from Bos and Taurus, in reference to the bull-like roar. 



24 The particular species is doubtful. 



25 In reference to the old fable. 



26 Sea-mew, Sea-mell and Sea-mall, old names for a small common gull. 

 Thus Caliban, among his other offers of service to Stephano, says — 



" and sometimes I '11 get thee 

 Young sea-mells from the rocks." 



Shakespeare* s * Tempest,' Act. 2, Scene 2. 



27 Sea pye, a name for the Oyster-catcher, Hcematopus ostralegus, in re- 

 ference to its black and white colours. 



28 Already noticed. 



89 Numenius arquata. Both words refer to the bent form of the beak ; 

 numenius meaning ( new moon/ 



