errs NY] Faruey, Ornithology at St. Marks. 175 
serrator of the Northern Hemisphere. Save for their long crests 
there is nothing about these dull nondescripts to show that they are 
Red-breasted Sheldrakes; and even their eyes are white instead 
of the proper merganser red. Yet it is this well-known water-fowl 
of Asia, Europe and North America that the artist undoubtedly 
had in mind to portray. Did he tire? Or was it another hand? 
Surely the hand that pictured the Peacock, the Pheasant and the 
Partridge was skilful also to portray the green-headed and rufous- 
chested Sheldrake which the red Indian of undiscovered America 
knew as well as the Italian of the Dark Ages and he, in his turn, 
as well as the Venetian of a later day — the peregrinating water- 
bird, here, there and everywhere in the northern parts of both 
hemispheres; the same today and yesterday, now and forever, 
one and indivisible — judging by its non-plastic past. 
Conspicuous by reason of their stature in the crowd of birds at 
the Ark’s door stand the Cranes. ‘These are the common European 
species Grus grus. The blue, long-legged waders lack the details 
of their color-plan. Yet the white stripe running down the side 
of the neck appears; while more important still the touch of red 
on top of the head, indicating the semi-naked crown of Grus, shows 
that the artist was at least aware of this most diagnostic as well as 
striking external of the Crane. This most ancient form of bird- 
life was pictured at an earlier day than the mosaics of San Marco 
for Cranes appear on the frescoed walls of Dehr-el-Bahari. But 
even 3,000 years are made to seem but as yesterday by this Miocene 
bird. 
The “clean” barnyard Poultry are strongly represented in the 
throng of birds. In bold relief against the dark side of the ship, 
as well by their bulk as by their color, are the seven, fat, white 
Geese, red-legged and yellow-billed. The adjacent group of the 
same number of Fowl are the usual variegated barnyard lot — this 
old-fashioned type the same in the thirteenth century as to-day. 
The rooster in the corner has a splendid comb, in shape, size and 
color true to life; but his equally well-conceived (from an artistic 
standpoint), impressionistic, five- or six-feathered tail is woefully 
unavian in that it lacks more than half the total number of quills 
required to complete the thoroughly orthodox, galline tail. Again 
the mosaicist’s license —or his limitations. This tail has an 
