BOOK X.] History of Nature. 237 



bigness; and with a Dipping of Saffron it is a very delicate 

 Food. M. Egnatius Calvinus, Prefect of the parts about the 

 Alps, reporteth, that he hath seen there the Ibis, a Bird 

 proper to the Land of Egypt. 



CHAPTER XLIX. 

 Of new Birds, and such as are fabulous. 



DURING the Civil Wars at Bebriacum, beyond the Po, 

 there came these new Birds (for so they are still called) into 

 Italy. They are a kind of Turdi, somewhat less than House- 

 pigeons (Columbse), pleasant to eat. The Balearic Islands 

 send us another Porphyrio, better than that before-named. 1 

 There also the Buzzard (Buteo), a kind of Hawk, is held as 

 excellent for the Table. Likewise the Vipio, for so they call 

 the lesser Crane. As for the Fowls called Pegasi, with 

 Heads like Horses'; and the Gryphae (Griffins), with long 

 Ears and a hooked Beak, I take them to be Fables : and yet 

 they say that the Pegasi are in Scythia, and the Gryphae 

 (Griffins) in Ethiopia. Moreover, I think the same of the 

 Tragopanades, which many affirm to be greater than the 

 Eagle, having crooked Horns on each side of the Head, of 

 the colour of Iron, and the Head only purple. Neither do 

 the Syrens obtain Faith, although Dino, the Father of 

 Clitarthus the celebrated Writer, affirms that they exist in 

 India: and that with their Singing they will lull People into 

 deep Sleep, and then tear them in Pieces. He that will 

 give Credit to these Things will not deny that Dragons, in 

 Truth, taught Melampus, by licking his Ears, to understand 

 the Language of Birds; or the Things that Democritas 

 telleth, who nameth the Birds, of whose Blood mingled 

 together there is engendered a Serpent ; which whoever 

 eateth shall know what Birds say one to another: and the 

 Things he telleth particularly of that one Bird, the Galerita : 2 

 although without these there is an immense Collection to 



O 



occupy Life about Auguries. Homer maketh mention of a 

 1 Chap. xlvi. a Alauda arvensis; Field Lark. Wern. Club. 



