Ortygometra — Ossifraga 1 2 9 



perched upon long legs because their life is passed in 

 marshes. 



Some will have Ortygometra to be the same as Crex 

 and Cychramus. But .Aristotle lias attributed a peculiar 

 sort of head to Crex, and in the eighth book of his History 

 of Animals distinguishes his Cychramus from Matrix, which 

 he calls Ortygometra, in the following words : — 



Coturnices (he says) when they come to these places 

 travel without guides : but when they go away set out 

 with the Lingulaca, the Otus, and the Matrix as their 

 guides, and also with the Cychramus, by which they 

 are moreover summoned back at night. And when 

 the fowlers have heard its cry, they know the birds' 

 departure is at hand. 



Thus he writes. 



Therefore it is impossible that the Matrix and the Cy- 

 chramus should be the same. Others will have the Orty- 

 gometra to be the Scrica of the Germans and the Daker Hen 

 of the English, and I should accede to their opinion, if they 

 could but prove the Crex to be the same as this. 



Of the Ossifraga. 



Aristotle 



In size the Ossifrage is greater than the Aquila, its 

 colour whitish grey 1 . Both in breeding it is comely 

 and in way of life, it brings food home and is kindly. 

 For it rears its own young with care, besides those of 

 the Aquila. For when the latter has cast its progeny 

 out of the nest, the former takes them to itself, and 

 brings them up. 



Pliny. 



Some there are who add that kind of Aquila, 

 which the Tuscans call a bearded Ossifrage 2 . 



1 See p. 36. 



- Possibly Pliny means the Lammergeier {Gypactus barbatus). 



