BIRDS MENTIONED BY ABISTOTLE. 247 



" The aithyia and the laroi hatch out their young, two or 

 three in number, among the rocks by the sea, but the laros does 

 so in summer, and the aithyia in early spring just after the 

 equinox ; they incubate like other birds, and neither of them 

 hybernates." (Ibid. v. 8, 4.) 



" The eagle sits about thirty days, and for other large birds 

 this is the period of incubation, as, for instance, in the case of 

 the chen and bustard." (Ibid. vi. 6, 2.) 



" Only the female chenes incubate, and, once they commence 

 to do so, sit continuously." (Ibid. vi. 8, 1.) 



" Also the stork and laros, and the laros is ash-coloured, .... 

 and the crows feed upon animals cast ashore, for they are 

 omnivorous. Also the white laros, storm petrel, aithyia, and 

 thick-knee." (Ibid. viii. 5, 7.) 



"The heavier web-footed birds live in the neighbourhood of 

 rivers and lakes, as, for instance, cycnos, netta,phalaris, colymbis, 

 and also boscas, which is like netta, but smaller; and the cor- 

 morant Also, the great chen, the small chen, which is gre- 

 garious, the chenalopex, aix, and penelops." (Ibid. viii. 5, 8.) 



" The crane, cycnos, pelican, and small chena are gregarious 

 birds." (Ibid. viii. 14, 6.) 



" The vulture and cycnos fight with the eagle, and the cycnos 

 is often victorious ; the cycnoi, among birds, are especially dis- 

 posed to devour [? fight with] one another." (Ibid. ix. 2, 9.) 



" The cycnoi are capable of singing, and sing especially towards 

 the end of life." (Ibid. ix. 13, 2.) 



" The web-footed birds, and those which have their feet 

 divided but flattened, so that they are in the same class as the 

 web-footed birds, have their necks long but their legs short for 

 swimming, .... and of necessity, on this account, some swim- 

 ming birds are simply web-footed, and others have their toes 

 separated one from another, but there is attached to each of 

 them something continuous throughout the toe, like an oar." 

 (' Parts of Animals,' iv. 12.) 



The species of Swan included under Aristotle's cycnos are 

 probably Cygnus olor and C. musicus, the former of which is 

 resident in Greece, and breeds on Lake Copais, according to Dr. 

 Kriiper, and the latter is a winter visitant. The word aTOw^otpuyoi 

 (devouring one another) in the Greek text is difficult to under- 



