SOME EARLY BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS 

 AND THEIR WORKS. 



BY 



W. H. MULLENS, m.a., ll.m., m.b.o.u. 



L— WILLIAM TURNER 



{circa 1500—1568). 



The history of British ornithology may be said to commence 

 from the time of WiUiam Tm^ner, famous both as a naturahst 

 and an author. Born just 400 years ago, this illustrious 

 man, who is styled the " Father of English Botany,' is 

 perhaps best known for his researches in that department 

 of natural history ; but he also exceUed in several branches 

 of zoology, and his claim to be considered the earhest 

 responsible authority on the birds of this country is 



undeniable. 



Before Turner's time, the available knowledge concerning 

 British birds was small indeed. It is true that a quaint 

 and very credulous writer, Giraldus Cambrensis (1146-1223) 

 had in his Topography of Ireland (wTitten in 1187, and 

 first pubhshed in 1587) devoted ten chapters to a description 

 of the birds of that country, but his observations, although 

 made at first hand, are confused and unrehable, and more 

 curious than instructive.* Passing mention of certain 

 birds is also to be found in the itineraries of some of the 

 earher English writers, e.g., William of Worcester (ob. 1480), 

 and John Leland (ob. 1552), and some information con- 

 cerning the Hawks and Game Birds can be obtamed from 

 the old books of the chase— the most famous example ot 

 which is The Boke of St. Albans, containing the Treatises 

 of Hawking, Hunting, and Coat-Armour, printed at St. 

 Albans, 1486, and attributed to Dame Juliana Barnes, or 



* cf. also Forrest, " The Fauna of North Wales," p. xxv. 



