252 
KINGFISHER. Crass ff¥,. 
the vocal alcedo of the philofopher, xai 4 atv @Sévyeran, 
nokilavera ext tay dovanwv*, which was vocal and perched 
upon reeds. Ariftotle fays, it is the left of the two, 
but that both of them ,have a cyanean back +. 
Belon \abors to prove the vocal alcedo to be the 
rouffercle, or the greater reed fparrowt, a bird 
found in France and fome other parts of Europe, 
and of a very fine note: it is true that it is con- 
verfant among reeds, like the bird defcribed by 
Ariftotle ; but as its colors are very plain, and that 
{triking character of the fine blue back is wanting, 
we cannot affent to the opinion of Belon; but ra- 
ther imagine it to be one of the loft birds of the 
antients. 
Thofe who think we have faid too much on this 
fubje&t, fhould confider how incumbent it is on 
every lover of fcience, to attempt placing the Ia- 
bors of the antients in a juft light: to clear their 
works from thofe errors, that owe their origin to 
the darknefs of the times; and to evince, that ma- 
ny of their accounts are ftri€tly true; many found- 
ed on truth; and others contain a mixture of fable 
and reality, which certainly merit the trouble of fe- 
paration. It is much to be lamented that travel- 
* Fiift. an. 392. 
+ Na&roy xvaveov, the color of the cyanus, or lapis lazul. 
t Le Roufferolle, Belon av. 221. Le Roucherolle, Briffon ] 
av. Il. 218. Greater reed fparrow, Wil, ore. 143. Turdus 
arundinaceus, Liz. ft, /p. 296. 
lers 
