224 EARLY ANNALS OF ORNITHOLOGY 
Following their road, as it is laid down with much exact- 
ness in the “ Travels,” we see that by the Ist of October, 1663, 
the four friends had reached the city of Venice. Now we have 
to depend on the pages of “The Ornithology,” from which 
it appears that they saw several good birds at Venice, viz., 
Ruffs, Avocets and Water-Rails, besides a Little Egret and 
a Sea EKagle, and Brambling Finches in profusion.* The 
Goldeneye Duck was very abundant, although so early in the 
year, most likely in the market, a resort Willughby would have 
been sure not to miss. Ray notices its applicable provincial 
name of Quattro-occhi,t the Tufted Duck being called by the 
natives a Capo negro. At one of the palaces they were 
shown a living Vulture, possibly the palace of Foscari 
al? Arena, where Evelyn, the diarist, had seen sundry live 
birds in 1645.} 
Both at Venice and at Padua they saw many Capercaillie, 
which had been brought from the Alps, where they are still 
to be found; while at Modena a Great Bustard was hanging 
for sale in the market, perhaps a migrant, as the date was 
February 22nd, 1664,§ when snow might have driven it from 
more eastern quarters. 
When they got to Rome they very quickly took notice 
of Little Owls, standing on their perches, offered for use as 
decoys, a practice of very old standing. Ray alludes to this 
form of sport in “‘The Ornithology,” referring to Olina’s 
“ Vecelliera,” a work of much repute, printed in 1622, where 
there is a quaint illustration of the mode in which it is carried 
on.|| At Rome there were also many great Cranes exposed 
for sale ‘‘in the Winter time, which I suppose had been shot 
on the Sea-coast.” 
* “The Ornithology,’ pp. 62, 254, 280, 315, 322. 
t ‘The Ornithology,” p. 368: it is still in use, cf. ‘Fauna d'Italia,” 
II, p. 267. 
} “ Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn,” Vol. I, p. 212. 
§ “ The Ornithology,” pp. 173, 179. 
|| See Olina (p. 64) for a clever plate, and a pretty full description “‘ del 
modo d’vecellare con la Ciuetta.’’ The birdeatchers of Italy still repeat 
the process, just as their forefathers used to do it hundreds of years ago. 
It is extraordinary what a fascination these Little Owls exercise on birds, 
especially the smallest sorts, which soon fall victims to the well limed rods 
artfully set to catch them. 
