62 VOYAGE INTO 



Concerning the names of the birds, I have made use of 

 those that the seamen have given them formerly, according 

 to their own fancy, that he that hearcth them called by these 

 names, may also know how to find them by them in this 

 book. Some of these birds, as lumhs, strundjagers, malle- 

 mucks, kirmeics, and the mews called kutijegehfen, I have 

 also seen about England, Scotland, and Ireland ; and also in 

 the Sj)anish Seas, nay even upon the Elce by Hamburg. I 

 have heard the kinnew and kutyegehfcvy ; but there is a dif- 

 ference, as well beween the beasts as men of other countries. 



1. Of the Rathsher.i 



First of the rathsher (or alderman, in English), for this is 

 the first of the thin-billed birds that have three claws, and is 

 called so by the seamen because he is a very stately and 

 handsome bird, but less than that which they call hurger- 

 mcister (or mayor, in EnglisJi). 



This bird hath a sharp, narrow, and thin bill, and hath 

 only three claws or toes, that are joined together by a black 

 skin, but he hath no claw behind. His legs are not very 

 long, and black, as the eyes are also. 



The bird is whiter than the snow, for when you see him 

 upon the ice, you may distinguish him from the snow ; he 

 shews very beautiful with his white body, his black bill and 

 eyes, black legs and feet ; and besides he is very well shaped. 

 His tail is pretty long and broad, like a lady's fan. 



His cry is somewhat lower than the little kirmews, as if he 

 did say kar, when she cries kir : he spreads his wings and 

 tail out when he flies, as the strnndjager or crow doth. He 

 doth not willingly swim in the water as the other birds do, 

 nor doth he much care for wetting his feet, but he stays 

 rather where it is dry, yet he loves fish mightily ; and so the 

 proverb that we commonly say of the cat is true of him, — 

 ' The ivory gull (Pagopldla eburiiea). (Sec Appendix.) 



