( 373 ) 



ii loiig pointed red beak. "The head bare and covered vvilh a skin somewhat like 

 the substance and coh;ur of flesh. From the neck depends a maue, as it is 

 observed in capons. On the feet are some golden feathers." Bellonius, he says, 

 shows a similar figure, but without a mane, and with palmiped feet, which 

 he does not doubt is an inaccuracy of the artist. [The authors of this article 

 cannot refer the Phalacrocorax of Belon (]). 162) to our bird. The letterjiress 

 evidently treats of the Cormorant, and the figure (poorly reproduced by Aldrovandus) 

 is doubtful.] There follow then some notes on habits, but they are all taken 

 from other old writers, and it is most doubtful whether any refer to the bird in 

 ijuestion. This is the usual thing with Aldrovandus, who was merely a compiler, 

 while Gesner (like Belouj was, to a certain extent, also an observer. For us, 

 therefore, the value of Aldrovandus' work lies merely in the figure of the Illyrian bird. 

 Linnaeus' third quotation in the tenth edition is from Albin. This author 

 {Siippl. Nat. Hist. Birds, Vol. III. p. 1(3, and PI. XVI., 1740) describes the bird 

 as " the 'Wood-C'row from Switzerland."' He says verbatim : — 



" This Bird is about the bigness of a common Hen ; its Bill is red, long and tit to 

 thrust into narrow Chinks and Holes of the Earth, Trees, Walls and Rocks, to fetch 

 out Grubs and Insects lurking there. It also feeds on Grasshoppers, Crickets, the 

 (Jrubs of the Cockchafer, little Fish and Frogs. Its Head is of a dusky 3'ellow, with 

 Shades of Red ; it hath a Crest on the hinder part of the Head hanging down : the 

 Body, Wings and Tail are of a dark green, with a Shade of Purple ; the Legs and 

 Feet of the C!olour of the Bill ; they build for the most part in high Walls of 

 demolished or ruinous Towers, which are common in Switzerland : they fly very 

 high ; they lay two or three Eggs ; the young fly about the beginning of June,* 

 and if taken before they can fly are easily fed and made tame, so as to fly out into 

 the Fields and return of their own accord. The young ones are commended for 

 good Meat, and counted a Dainty : their Flesh is sweet and their Bones tender. 

 Those that take them out of the Nests are wont to leave one in each, that they may 

 the more willingly return the following Year. They are called in Switzerland 

 Waldrapp and Steinrapp, that is Wood-Crows, because they delight to live in 

 woody, mountainous and desert Places ; where they build in Rocks and old for- 

 saken Towers. 



" This Bird I had out of the Collection of Sir Thomas Lowther." 

 It is evident that Albin's article is, for the most part, only a free translation 

 and digest of Gesner's, but the description of the head seems to be his own, and his 

 plate, reproduced in our PI. IX., is a very good likeness of the bird, in fact one of the 

 best in Albin's work, but badly coloured. It is most interesting to hear that he had 

 the bird out of the collection of Sir Thomas Lowther. This would be the only 

 Euroi)ean specimen of the bird recorded as having been in any collection, but it is to 

 be feared that it is long lost. 



These being all the references of Linnaeus' tenth edition, there can be no doubt 

 that h'is i'pupa crem/'ta is not an ipupa, and this he must have felt liimself, ibr in 

 his twelfth edition, 1 766, p. lo!>, he calls it Cornus eremita t and adds to the synonyms 

 Briss. av. 2. p. 6, and Will. orn. 306. Let us now consider these. 



 Albin .ippiirontly wrongly transLittd or tried to irajirove upon Gesner, for Gesner says " Sy &ie|;en<l 

 zum ersten auss alien voglen Iiinwog," or in the Latin edition " rrini.ie omuium, quod sciam, auolant." 

 Both thetie can only mean that they leave the country about that time, which, however, seems to be a vcrv 

 early date. 



t Linnaeus' diagnosis in the twelfth edition is : "I '. virescens, capitc flavescente, occipite subcristato 

 rostro pcdibuMjue rubris. Habitat in llclveliae montibus el destruetis aivibus." 



