BIRDS MENTIONED BY ARISTOTLE. 249 



or Sheldrake, may have also been included under the name 

 chenalopex, on account of its breeding in hollows in the earth, 

 like the Fox. 



Much uncertainty exists respecting the bird called aix by 

 Aristotle. Gaza and Belon translate the word as capella, or 

 Lapwing (Vanellus cristatus) ; Billerbeck suggested that Anas 

 crecca or Scolopax gallinago was meant, and Sundevall thought 

 that aix was one of the small Geese ; while Schneider, although 

 translating aix as capella, says that Camus rightly advises us not 

 to regard the bird as the Lapwing. Belon, describing le vanneau, 

 or the Lapwing (' L'hist. de la nat. des Oyseaux, Paris, 1585), 

 says that in his opinion this bird was called aix by Aristotle 

 because, when screaming, it seemed to make a noise like a Goat, 

 which says " aex aex." However this may be, the modern Greek 

 for the Lapwing has no resemblance to aix, according to Conto- 

 poulos ; besides, Aristotle's aix was without doubt a water-bird, 

 and may have been one which darted or flew rapidly (aisso, 

 aixo, to dart, to move with a rapid shooting motion), such as 

 the Pintail Duck (Dafila acuta), which is tolerably common in 

 Greece and Turkey, according to Lord Lilford and Lindermeyer. 

 The data are, however, insufficient for the purpose of identifying 

 Aristotle's aix with any reasonable chance of success. 



The Mallard, or Wild Duck (Anas boscas), which is very 

 common in Greece, Turkey, and Asia Minor, is the netta of 

 Aristotle. The male is larger than the female, and its plumage 

 is more brightly coloured, according to Athenseus, ix. 52 ; and 

 iElian says that the young nettai take to the water immediately 

 after they are hatched. 



In determining the species corresponding to boscas, Athenseus 

 may be consulted with advantage. He states (ix. 52) that of the 

 birds called boscades, the male is marked all over with lines, is 

 less than netta, and has a short beak which is disproportionately 

 small compared with the size of the bird ; also that there is 

 another species of boscades, larger than netta, but smaller than 

 chenalopex ; and that the birds called phascades are a little larger 

 than the Little Grebe, but resemble the nettai in other respects. 

 From this it would seem that several species were included 

 under the name boscas, and that the Wigeon (Mareca penelope) 

 and Common Teal (Querquedula crecca) may have been two of 



