Book II. <%J\£1T HO LO QT. n 5 



f v. 



The Jack-daw 9 Monedula. 



IT weighed nine ounces and an half 5 being in length from the tip of the Bill to the itswcigtw,, 

 end of the Tail thirteen inches and an half, in breadth between the tips of the ^jjif 11 ^ 

 Wings fpread two feet four inches and an half. The Bill is ftrong, from the point to The Bill 

 the Angles of the mouth an inch and a quarter long. The Nofthrils round. Little Nofthrils, 

 hairy feathers cover the Nofthrils, and half the Bill : The Tongue cloven 3 the hides tongue, 

 of the Eyes whirifh § the Ear9 large. yes ' 



The hinder part of the Head as far as the middle of the Neck inclines to an alh- colour of th= 

 colour, as alfo the Breaft and Belly, but lefs$ elfe the whole Plumage is black with a feachers - 

 kind of blue glofs : the fore-part of the Head is of a deeper black* 



The number of prime feathers in each Wing is twenty ; Of which the firft is trior- Prime wing^ 

 ter by half than the fecond, the third and fourth the longeft of all. From the cle- Sf* 5 or 

 venth, the fix following have the tops of their Vanes fo running forth on each fide 

 above their (hafts, that thefe feathers feem to be * crenate in their tops $ and from the * Notched 

 Angle of that notch the (haft of the feather is continued in form of a brittle. The 

 number of Tail-feathers is twelve, whereof the exteriour are fomewhat thorter. The Thc "£&- 

 length of the Tail five inches and an half. 



The back-toe and Claw greater than in other birds is ufual. The outmoft fore-toe The T «" and 

 joyned to the middlemoft at the bottom, as in the reft of this kind. ciaws - 



It hath no Craw : Theftomach is mufculous: The length of the Guts was twenty its Entrails, 

 four inches. It feeds upon Nuts, Fruits, Seeds, andlnfe&s. The Appendices or blind Food - 

 Guts (mall, and fcarce an inch long. 



The Head of this Bird, in refpecr. of its body, is great 5 which argues him to be in- J ac ii aws 

 genious and crafty 5 which is found true by experience. J gemous ' 



Jackdaws ufually frequent and build in ancient Caftles, Towers, Houfes,and Stone- where it 

 walls, efpecially if they be defolate and ruinous, in great numbers. They build alio jgjjjj! and 

 fometimes in Trees, aswecanteftilieupon our own experience, though Aldrovandm 

 be unwilling to believe it. They lay five or fix Eggs, lefler, paler, and having fewer £ gg s « 

 Ipots than thole of Crows. 



Aldrovandm makes the Latine Graculm, which anfwers to the Greek K©Ao/os, a The names, 

 common or general name, containing under it four Species, viz.the Coracias or Chough, 

 the Lupus or Jackdaw, the Senna or and the Graculm palmipes or Shag. 



But the words KoAoics and Graculm are fometimes appropriated to the Jackdaw, as he 

 acknowledges. 



Befides the common Jackdaw we have now defcribed, Aldrovandm fets forth a fi- The King- 

 gure of another, differing from this, only in that it hath a white ring about its neck. J ac k law > 

 Gefier alfo writes from the report of others, that about Zng in Stvitzerland there is 

 found a Jackdaw diftinguillied from the common by a ring of white encompaffing 

 his neck. As for that Species of Daw [ Graculm ~] in Rh£tia known by the name of 

 Tulla, which Gefier alfo mentions, having a blue head 3 he giving us ho other notes 

 of it, I cannot tell what to determine concerning it. The Vulgar and ignorant 

 Fowlers love to tell wonders, and amplifie things, and therefore their relations are 

 not much to be confided in. What Gefier delivers of his own fight or knowledge, I 

 readily believe and accept for true, he being an Author of great judgment, and no 

 his fidelity and integrity : But what he hath from the relation of others I do often 

 fufped. Befides it is to be obferved, that fhort, rude,, imperfecl:, and general de= 

 fcriptions, made by fuch as were not pra&ifed and skilful in defcribing and obfer- 

 ving the certain and chara&eriftic notes of each Species, have occasioned great 

 confufion, and multiplication of more kinds of birds and other Creatures' than Na- 

 ture hath produced. 



§. VI; 



