1 902 Some Birds in Shakspear 2 1 9 



Malvolio is reading the note that has been set for him as 

 a trap ("Twelfth Night," ii. 5) — the others are in hiding. 



Fabian. "What a dish of poison has she dressed him." 

 Sir Toby. "And with what wing the stannyel checks at it." 



One may add to this the question from the "Tempest," ii. 

 2, where Cahban is telhng his new drunken master what he 



will do for him- — 



" I'll bring thee 

 To clustering filberds, and sometimes I'll get thee 

 Young scamels from the rocks." 



Many conjectures have been made to replace scamels : some 

 read sea-mells, which might mean animals of a fish-like 

 nature, or perhaps sea-mews ; some, however, read " stan- 

 nels." What is the meaning of stannel or stamyel, both of 

 which forms are found applied to hawks ? Richardson, of 

 the Dictionary, and others take it to mean the Stone Hawk 

 — i.e., the Litho falco or Steinfalke of the Germans, which 

 is the equivalent of the Merlin in England. But referring 

 to Walton's list, it will be seen that he mentions the Merlin 

 in his list of long-winged hawks (it was the bird assigned to 

 ladies), whereas Stanyel with him comes among the inferior 

 birds. Wherefore I conclude that he is really referring to 

 the Kestrel, which, from its peculiar way of stopping in the 

 middle of its flight quite motionless, was known as the 

 Windover or Stand-gale, corrupted into Stannel. In falconry 

 it was despised, and the yokel might fly it. 



The Buzzard comes in the same category with the stanyel, 

 and Shakspear, who must have known the sluggish bird 

 that beat along the hillside for frogs or mice and little 

 birds, does mention him, but whether from a falconry point 

 of view I know not ("Taming of the Shrew," ii. i) — 



" O slow-winged turtle, shall the buzzard take you .? " 



It was regarded as an inferior bird, as one may infer from 

 " Richard III.," i. i— 



" More pity that the eagle should be mewed 

 While kites and buzzards prey at liberty." 



In Cornwall the Buzzard is fairly common, and is called 



