WALTER CHARLETON. 69 



well-known note that one had been killed near London 

 in the winter time and sent to him by a friend, and that 

 this same specimen was figured in the plate of the bird 

 which appears in his work. 



Descriptions of the water-birds then follow, amongst 



which me ma,j notice " Avosetta the 



Scooper (because his long beak arched upward resembles 

 the long crooked scoop with which Dutch Mariners throw 

 up water to wet their sails)." CharJeton notes that these 

 birds visit the east coast of England in flocks in the 

 winter time, and states that when a youth he had 

 killed many of their young ones with leaden pellets 

 (globulis plumbeis confodi) on the banks of the river 

 Severn. 



"Avis Pugnax the Ruff (because in fighting they raise 

 up their feathers on the neck, like a double Ruff)." He 

 mentions vast migrations of this bird as coming from the 

 north into the marshes of Lincolnshire, and adds " after 

 three months they depart, I know not where." Charleton 

 also gives us the well-known account of the Dotterel's 

 mimicr}^, which he takes from Camden, and further 

 quotes that author's derivation of the name Knot from 

 Canute, and adds that this bird (the Knot) is a winter 

 visitor, and that it is then so fat as to be much beloved 

 of gluttons (abdomini nati). 



There is much more of interest in Charleton's notes 

 on birds, but the above extracts will suffice to show that 

 it is no mere list of names. In addition to the British 

 birds he mentions many exotic ones, several of which 

 he describes as being kept alive in the king's menagerie 

 or vivarium, as it was then termed, in St. James's Park. 

 This vivarium is mentioned by John Evelyn in his Diary, 

 who notes that, in addition to the birds and beasts kept 

 in captivity: " The parke was at this time (1664) stored 

 with numerous flocks of several sorts of ordinary and 

 extraordinary wild fowle, breeding about the Decoy, 

 which for being neere so greate a citty, and among such 

 a concourse of souldiers and people is a singular and 



