SOME EARLY BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS. 43 



Through this fortunate alteration of his original purpose 

 we are indebted to Richard Carew for a book of peculiar 

 and lasting interest. Not only is the "Survey of Cornwall " 

 one of the earliest works to deal with the birds of a 

 particular county, but it contains a far fuller and more 

 important description of them than do many of the so- 

 called County Natural Histories, afterwards published 

 in this country. 



Carew's observations on Cornish birds have frequently 

 been quoted by later writers, and as the first edition of 

 the " Survey of Cornwall " is an uncommon book, we 

 propose to give them at length.^ 



Our author begins his account of the birds on fol. 24 of 

 the " Survey " as follows : — 



" Among living things on the land, after beastes follow 

 Birds, who seeke harbour on the earth at night, though 

 the ayre bee the greatest place of their haunt by day. 



" Of tame Birds, Cornwall hath Doves, Geese, Ducks, 

 Peacockes, Ginney Duckes, China geese, Barbarie hennes, 

 and such like. 



" Of wild, Quaile, Raile, Partridge, Fesant, Plover, 

 Snyte, Wood-dove, Heath cocke,t Powte, etc. 



" But amongst all the rest, the Inhabitants are most 

 beholden to the Woodcockes, who (when the season of 

 the yeare affordeth) fiocke to them in great aboundance. 

 They arrive first on the North-coast, where almost everie 

 hedge serveth for a Roade, and everie plashoote for 

 Springles to take them. From whence as the moyst 

 places which supplie them food beginne to freeze up, they 

 draw towards those in the South Coast, which are kept 

 more open by the Summers neerer neighbourhood : and 

 when the Summers heate (with the same effect from a 

 contrairie cause) drieth up those plashes, nature and 

 necessitie guide their returne to the Northern wetter 

 soyle again. 



* Gf. Harting's edition of Rodd's " Birds of Cornwall," Introduction, 

 pp. xiv.-xviii. 



t i.e., the Black Grouse and its " powte " or young. 



