244 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



have been translated from Schneider's edition, which is admitted 

 to be the best text. The extract from Aristotle's ' Generation of 

 Animals ' has been translated from Didot's edition.) 



The identification of the bird called drepanis has given rise 

 to much difference of opinion. Gesner and Belon considered 

 that it was the Sand-Martin, Gesner stating (Hist. Anim. lib. iii. 

 de Avium natura, Zurich, 1555. Folio, p. 545) that drepanis 

 seems to be no other bird than riparia, mentioned by Pliny, and 

 called by some Germans " the little bird of the Rhine." In 

 Billerbeck's table (' De Avibus ab Aristotele Plinioque commem.' 

 1806, 8vo) both the Sand-Martin and, apparently, the Alpine 

 Swift are given under the name drepanis. Gloger was of opinion 

 that the Common Swift, or the Alpine Swift, was meant, and 

 Sundevall preferred to identify drepanis with the Alpine Swift. 



Now, drepane means a sickle, and it is very probable that the 

 name drepanis was given to the bird because the form of one of 

 its parts was suggestive of that implement. The great difficulty 

 is to decide to what part of the bird the name referred. Gloger 

 and Sundevall considered that this part was the wing, the former 

 stating, what is by no means certain, that the name could scarcely 

 be given on account of the form of the claws (' Dissert. . . . de 

 Avibus ab Aristotele commem.' 1830, 8vo),and the latter pointing 

 out that the Alpine Swift (Cypselus melba) has the most sickle- 

 shaped wings ('Die Thierarten des Aristoteles,' Stockholm, 1863, 

 8vo). It seems most likely, however, that the Alpine Swift, with 

 its exceedingly well-developed wings, short feet, and feathered 

 metatarsus, should be included under the name apous, together 

 with the Common Swift (C. apus). That C. melba is not drepanis 

 appears to be consistent with Aristotle's statement that the 

 drepanis is seen during rainy weather in summer, and is a rare 

 bird on the whole ; for C. melba is common in Greece during the 

 breeding season, according to Lindermeyer, and is sold in large 

 numbers in the Grecian markets. Modern Greeks also give the 

 name drepanis to a Martin (according to Contopoulos), and, I 

 believe, the one to which the name is specially applied is the 

 Sand-Martin. The long and curved first claw of this Martin 

 might readily suggest the name drepanis to anyone who examined 

 one of these birds. Theodore of Gaza, at any rate, called the 

 Sand-Martin falcula, a word signifying a small sickle, and, by 



