14 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



doubted that the dove was sent out of the ark by Noah, to give 

 him notice of land, when to him all appeared to be sea, and the 

 dove proved a f\iithful and comfortable messenger. And for the 

 sacrifices of the law, a pair of turtle-doves or young pigeons 

 were as well accepted as costly bulls and rams. And when God 

 would feed the prophet Elijah, after a kind of miraculous man- 

 ner, he did it by ravens, who brought him meat morning and 

 evening. Lastly, the Holy Ghost, when he descended visibly 

 upon our Saviour, did it by assuming the shape of a dove.* And 

 to conclude this part of my discourse, pray remember these 

 wonders were done by birds of the air, the element in which 

 they and I take so much pleasure. 



There is also a little contemptible winged creature, an inhabit- 

 ant of my aerial element, namely the laborious bee, of whose 

 prudence, policy, and regular government of their own common- 

 wealth, 1 might say much, as also of their several kinds, and 

 how useful their honey and wax is both for meat and medicines 

 to mankind ; but I will leave them to their sweet labor, without 

 the least disturbance, believing them to be all very busy at this 

 very time amongst the herbs and flowers that we see nature puts 

 forth this May morning. 



And now to return to my hawks, from whom I have made too 

 long a digression ; you are to note, that they are usually distin- 

 guished into two kinds ; namely, the long-winged and the short- 

 winged hawk : of the first kind, there be chiefly in use amongst 

 us in this nation. 



The gerfalcon and jerkin, 

 The falcon and tassel-gentle, 

 The laner and laneret, 

 The bockerel and bockeret, 

 .The saker and sacaret. 

 The merlin and jack merlin, 

 The hobby and jack : 



* Moses Browne's note on this opinion of Walton is correct. The Evan- 

 gelist does not mean that the Holy Ghost assumed the form of a dove, but 

 descended hovering, gently fluttering like a dove. — Am. Ed. 



