VOL. VI.] SIBBALD'S l»B()DJU)All S. 47 



The legs are blood-red colour, as also the three toes, of which 

 the middle is the longest, the inner one the shortest. 



The middle and outer toes are joined by a very small 

 membrane. Ornithologus [Gesner] adds, " The cavity of the 

 knee is remarkable, the joint so flexible that even in the 

 skeleton the tibia may be bent back to the femur." 



This bird truly appears from its structure to be more fitted 

 for flying than running ; certainly progress would seem to 

 me, to be more difhcult unless balanced by an equal expansion 

 of the wings, its legs and feet being so long and slender. 



Oppian, treating of these birds says that there is this pecu- 

 liarity about them, that the lower jaw being fixed, the upper 

 jaw alone is moveable ; but in the specimen before us, the 

 movement of the jaws does not differ at all from that of other 

 birds, as appears from the joints in the skeleton. 



Bellonius* Mrongly gives the Pie-de-mer, Pica Marina, for 

 the Himantopus of Pliny, as is manifest from consideration 

 of the picture and description he gives of it. 



Fair-minded readers will pardon me from presenting the 

 description of this bird at such length, because the accepted 

 errors about the bird had to be exploded, and its likeness had 

 to be drawn according to its real nature. 



Haematopus, the Pica Marina of Belon. 



Gallinula Erythropus major of Gesner. The Red-Shank, 



or Pool-Snipe. 

 The bird called the Stint, is this the Cinclus Prior of 

 Aldrovandus ? 

 Insectivorous water birds with short beaks : — 



Capella, or Vanellus, the Lapwing or Bastard Plover 



[the Green Plover]. 



Pluvialis viridis, the Green Plover [the Golden Plover]. 



Pluvialis cinerea flavescens, called Squaturola by the 



Venetians [the Grey Plover]. These birds are used for 



food, they are of delicate flavour and easily assimilated. 



Morinellus, common in the Merse [the Dotterel]. It is in 



request for food on account of its excellent flavour 

 Charadrius, the Sea-Lark. 

 Birds which swim on the water and have separated feet, 

 their toes having no side membranes attached : — 



Gallinula Chloropus major of Aldrovandus, the Common 

 Water-hen. 

 The Water-railf of our own country — of this bird the descrip- 

 tion has been sent me by Mr. F. Brown, a very learned man. 



* Peter Belon. 



fThe description is, of course, that of the Water-Hen not Water-Rail. 



