PROFESSOR SKEAT 223 



probably saw the bird himself at Ferrara. It is rather a 

 misnomer for the people to have called the Long-biUed 

 Curlew Spinzago, for its bill is distinctly blunt and not 

 needle-pointed. Pray let me know when and where you 

 publish your views as to Avosetta, that I may refer to 

 them if occasion should arise. 



Yours very truly, 



Alfkeb Newton. 



De Avosetta 



Avis haec, cujus iconum in sequeh pagina damus, apud 

 Malos Ferrarse auosetta (ni f allor) nominatur, nescio qua 

 ratione : & a rostri sursum inflexi figura beccostorta 

 & beccoroella. Lucarni circa lacum Verbanum spinzago 

 d'aqua : nam & arquata avis jam supra nobis descripta 

 spinzago simphciter eis nominatur, haec vero aquatica 

 est, & palmipes. 



Conradi Gesneri, Tigurini medici & PhilosophisB 

 professoris in Schola Tigurina, "Historise Animahum," 

 Liber III, qui est de Auium natura (Tiguxi : 1555), p. 225. 



The above is the earhest description of the Avosetta, 

 but the same is first mentioned a few pages before (p. 215) 

 in the description of the Arquata or Spinzago sinvpliciter, 

 i.e. the Long-biUed Curlew. 



A.N. 



He always spelt the Cuckoo in the old-fashioned 

 manner " Cuckow," and preferred to write the Whooper 

 Swan without the initial " W," for which he had the 

 authority of Professor Skeat : — 



Cambridge, 

 January 4, 1906. 



My dear Newton, 



I think the inconsistency in the spelHng of 

 hoop-whoop is not exactly my own, but due to the per- 

 versity of the EngUsh public. The correct form (etymo- 

 logically) is hoop, but you cannot get people (as a rule) 

 to adopt it. But if you have the courage of your opinions 



