BookII. o%3\ciTHOLogr. l9i 



that is, the RockrOuzel. It is lefler than a Blackbird, and blue all over, kept in Cages, 

 and highly efteemed for its finging. Its voice is the fame with the Blackbirds'. It 

 hath no French name,becaufe it is not found in France ,nor yet in Italy, unlefs brought 

 thither in Cages. It is fometimes taken out of the Neft to be taught fo fpeak arti- 

 culately. * In another place* where he alfo treats profefledly of this bird, adding a * ub.6. de 

 figure of it 5 although ( faith he) we call the bird by Ariftotle entitled Cyanus, by Avihw ^h^ 

 Gtfzdrendred Cdruleus, In French Merle bleu, yet we do not this as if it were known 

 to France 5 but becaufe of the Countrimen of Epidaurm, who ufe divers Idioms, 

 fome who fpeak Italian call it, * Merlo biavo, others who fpeak Greeks, Petrocoftypho, * Tbi bhi 

 others who fpeak Dalmahc call it fimply, Merle. Kept in a Cage it lings more fweet- 0li ^ L 

 lyeven than a Blackbird. For which reafonthe Countrimen oilllyricum, who live 

 among the Rocks, take them out of the Nefts, and carry them to the Cities to fell. 

 It is not found in France, unlefs brought in from abroad. It builds in the tops 

 of Mountains, as we obferved in Candy, Citharta, Corcyra, Zacynthus, and Eubtsa, 

 now commonly called Negroponte. Ariftotle alfo in the fore-quoted place making 

 mention of it, faith it was commonly feen among the Rocks inScyros. Arifiotle com- 

 posing his Hiftory of Animals at Athens, fent abroad men through divers Countries to 

 fearch out all kinds of living Creatures : In Scyros the Mountains are cragged, with 

 many Rocks. But to make a brief, compendious defcription of this bird, we need 

 but imagine a fmall Blackbird of a blue colour 5 for juft fuch a one is this bird. It is 

 full of tongue, and feldom defcendsinto the plain Country. It breeds for the moft 

 part five Young, and never more. It affords as good and better nourifhment than a 

 Blackbird, flies fwifter, and ufes the fame food. All this out of Bellonius^ whom 

 Aldrovandus pronounces miftaken, in that he thought this bird to be the Cyanus of 

 Arifiotle. Himfelf, with Gefner, deeming the Cyanus of Ariftotle to be of the Wood- 

 pecker kind : Which how he proves fee in this place. 



Turner conjectures the Ceruleus of Ariftotle to be that bird whichis called in Englijh^ 

 a Clot-bird, a. Swatch, mArling, a Stonechec^nd in High Dutch, EinBrechvogel. This 

 he faith in England breeds in Coney-burrows, and under ftones, and appears not iri 

 Winter. The Englijh names and place of building argue Turner to have meant the 

 common Oenan the or White-tail 3 which is a far different bird from the Carulem of 

 Bellonius. 



For my part* to fpeak freely what I think, I judge the Blduvogel of Gefner to be the 

 Very fame bird with the folitary Sparrow^ but the Csruleusoi Bellonius to be a bird 

 fpecifically different, and which I have not yet feen alive, though I have often feen its 

 picture. 



§. IV. 



The Indian Mockbird, Cxruleus IndicuS. 



WE faw this Bird dried in Tradefcants Cabinet. It is of the bignefs of a corri^ 

 mon Lark,, hath a ftreight ftiarp Bill, a long Tail: And is all over of a blue 

 colour. Upon fecond thoughts, however Tradefcdnt might put the Epithete oilndi* 

 an upon this bird, I judge it to be no other than the Csruleus or Blue Ouzel of Bellonius ^ 

 defcribedin the precedent Article. 



§. V. 



* Aldrovandus his Brazilian Mcrula, Book t6. Chap. 1 6. 



BEUonius figures this bird among the MeruU, induced only by this reafbn, that 

 thofe who bring it out of Brafil into Europe call it,the Brazilian Blackbird. Where- 

 fore feeing he fpeaks nothing concerning the nature of the'Bird, and it is alike un- 

 known to me, I alfo adjoyn it to the MeruU, although in the fhortnefs, or rather 

 crookednefs, of its Bill it differs much from them; Thofe ( faith Bellonius ) who 

 trade in Countries newly difcovered, bring back thence fuch ftrange rarities as they 

 think will fell dear with us here : But becaufe they cannot bring the birds themfelves 

 alive in Cages, therefore they flay off the skins of fuch as are more beautiful than the 

 reft, as this is, and bringing them over make a great gain of the fale of them 5 efpeei- 

 ally of this which they call, the Brazilian Blackbird 3 though in bignefs it differs 

 from a Blackbird. The colour of the whole body, except the Tail and Wings,which 



Cc are 



