FOURTEENTH CENTURY 67 
Ranulph Higden.—Next in order of date come Higden’s 
notes, chronicled some time between 1330 and 1360. A Chester 
Benedictine, Ranulph Higden, has bequeathed a good deal 
about Irish birds in what is known as the ‘“ Polychronicon,” 
but he was an extensive borrower from Giraldus. Describing 
the natural productions of Ireland, Higden (translation in 
Rolls series) says—‘‘ That londe is more habudaunte in 
kye [kine] than in oxen, in pasture thanin corne. Neverthe- 
less, hit habundethe in salmones, eles, lawmpreis, and in other 
fysche of the see; in egles, cranes, pokokkes [? capercaillie], 
curlewes [?], sparrehowke, ffawken [Falcons] and _gentille 
gossehawke ; hauenge wulphes [wolves] and moste nyous myse 
[noxious mice] and weselles lytelle in body, but bolde in herte. 
Also there be bryddes which thei calle bernacles, lyke to 
wylde gese, whom nature producethe ageyne nature from 
firre trees. . .” 
Further on, taking his cue from Giraldus, Higden says, 
as if the remark was original, that Ireland does not possess 
‘“a kynde of hawkes that be callede lanerettes and grete- 
fawkones [gyro faleones], partricehe and fesaunte, pyes, 
nyghtegales, bucke and doo, wontes [moles] and other bestes 
of venom.” This last fortunate immunity, he goes on to say, 
is attributed by some men to the prayers of St. Patrick. 
The absence of the Magpie—at the present day a bird 
so common in Ireland—is remarkable, but on this subject see 
a paper by the late Mr. G. EH. Barrett-Hamilton in the 
““Zoologist,’* where a great deal of evidence about the 
former status of this species is adduced. 
Both Giraldus and Higden include ‘‘ Pavones”’ among 
the birds of Ireland, and, although the evidence of the latter 
counts for nothing, this is generally accepted a8 meaning the 
Capercaillie, an opinion in which Mr. J. F. Dimock, who edited 
Giraldus’ Chronicle, shared.{ Giraldus’ words are: ‘‘ Pavones 
silvestres hic abundant.” Higden says: “ Abundat... 
pavonibus, coturnicibus, niso, faleone et accipitre generoso.” 
It is possible that both authors meant not the Capercaillie 
but the Peacock ; yet the expression Wood Peacock implies a 
wild haunter of the forest. When the Capercaillie became 
* “Zool,” 1891, p. 247. 
{ Edition of 1867. 
