66 LETTERS TO MERRETT. 



them maior & minor resembling the figures in Johnstonus 

 tab xvii Rotbart. 



Of the Acus marinus or needle fishes [see Note 64] I 

 haue obserued 3 sorts. The Acus Aristotelis called 

 heere an Addercock Acus maior or Garfish with a green 

 verdigris backbone the other saurus Acui similis Acus 

 sauroides or sauriformis as it may be called much 

 answering to the discription of saurus Rondeletij in the 

 hinder part much resembling a makerell opening one I 

 found not the backbone green Johnstonus writes nearest 

 to it in his Acus minor. I send you the head of one 

 dryed butt the bill is broken I haue the whole draught in 

 picture, this kind is more rare then the other wch are 

 comon & is a rounder fish. 



[Fol. 41 verso.] Vermes marini are large wormes 

 [see Note 91] found 2 foot deep in the sea sands & are 

 digged out at an ebbe for bayt. 



The Avicula Maialis or may chitt [see Note 29] is a 

 litle dark gray bird somewhat bigger then a stint which 

 Cometh in may or the later end of April & stayeth about 

 a moneth. A marsh bird the legges & feet black without 

 an heele the bill black about 3 quarters of an inch 

 long they grow very fatt & are accounted a dayntie 

 dish. 



A Dorhawke a bird not full so bigge as a pigeon [see 

 Note 42] somewhat of a woodcock colour & paned some- 

 what like an hawke with a bill not much bigger 

 then that of a Titmouse [& very wide throat added 

 above] known by the name of a dorhawke or prayer 

 upon beetles, as though it were some kind of accipiter 

 muscarius. in brief this accipiter cantharophagus or 

 dorhawke [a word smeared out] is Avis Rostratula 

 gutturosa, quasi coaxans, scarabceis vescens, sub ves- 

 peram volans, ouum speciosissimu [word smeared] 

 excludens. I haue had many of them & am sorry I 

 have not one to send you I spoake to a friend to shoote 

 one butt I doubt they are gone ouer. 



