Comix — Corvus — Culicilega 65 



Of the Cornix. 



KojO(Bi/?7, cornix, in English a crow, in German eyn i<rae 

 and eyn kraeg. 



The Crow^ is an omnivorous bird, for it eats flesh and 

 fish and sometimes grain ; it much frequents sea-coasts and 

 river-banks, that it may there obtain those animals which 

 the tide has thrown up. The Crow is wholly black and is 

 midway in size between a Daw and a Raven. 



There also is a certain Sea Crow, which some call the 

 Winter Crow'', with black head, tail, and wings and the 

 remainder grey : but whether Aristotle or Pliny ever saw this 

 bird I am uncertain, for they have not mentioned it in any 

 place. There still remains another Crow^, a grain-eater, with 

 white beak, but black otherwise. Longolius conjectured this 

 to be Aristotle's airepfioXo'yo';, that is frugilega. 



Of the Corvus. 



K.6pa^, corvus, in English a raven, in German eyn rabe. 



The Raven, inasmuch as it is bigger than the Crow, quite 

 black, and a flesh-eater, is sufficiently well known to all. 

 In places with less space, and where there is not room for 

 many. Ravens dwell only in pairs, and, when their young 

 have just gained power of flight, the parents first banish 

 them from the nest, and later drive them out of the whole 

 neighbourhood. The Raven has a brood of four or five. 



Of the Culicilega. 

 Kz/tTToXdyos^ culicilega, in English a wagtale, in German 

 eyn wasser steltz, eyn quikstertz. 



Aristotle. 



The Culicilega is a bird of the same size as the 

 Spinus, ash-coloured, and marked with spots : its voice 

 is poor ; moreover it pecks wood. 



The Culicilega I judge to be that little bird, which some 

 name Motacilla, inasmuch as it is variously marked with 



' The Carrion Crow {Corvus corone). 



^ The Hooded or Grey Crow {Corvus comix). 



^ The Rook {Corvus frugikgus). 



*• Sundevall thinks that this bird is Certhia familiaris. 



T. S 



