BookII. 0<%3\ClTH0L0gr. %z 7 



* The fourth Beccafigo of Aldrovand. 



The Beccafco defcribed by Aldrovand in the fourth and fifth place in his Chapter 

 oiFiceduU may perchance differ fpecifically from our Blackcap. On the upper fidq 

 Head, Back, Wings, and Tail it is of a brown colour, inclining to a chefnut. The Fe- 

 male on the nether fide isall white 5 the Male from white declines to cinereous. The 

 quil-feathers of the Wings in the Male are black, with fome white ones intermix!: : In 

 the Female they incline to a chefnut colour, as doth alfo the Tail, which in the Cock 

 is black. Contrariwife, the Feet in the Cock incline to a chefnut colour, in the Hen 

 are black. . 



Beccafigo's abound in Candy, as BeUonius WitnefTes, and alfo in the Ifland of Cyprus? 

 where they are faked up in great numbers, and tranfported into other Countries, 

 With us in England they are called by a general name, Cyprus-birds, and are in no lefs 

 efteem with our Merchants for the delicacy of their tafte, than they Were of old with 

 the Italians : And that defervedly, ( faith Aldrovandus ) for feeding upon two of the 

 choiceft fruits, viz. Figs and Grapes, they muft needs become a more wholfom food 

 than other birds, yielding a better nourifhment, and of more eafie concoftion. Bec- 

 cafigo's arc accounted beft and moft in feafbn in the Autumn, as being then fatteft by 

 reafon of the plenty of meat that feafon affords them. 'At which 'time they are highly 

 prized and coveted by the Italians even now adays. 



Chap. XL 



The golden-crownd Wren : Regulus criftatiis, JldroV. lib. 1 7. cap. 1 1 the 



Trochilus of Pliny and * Ariftotle^ who alfo calls it TIpiaGvs and Bounds. *&JMxjmtii 

 Others call it by a diminutive word Ba^X/oK®*. In Tnfcany it is called Fiof 

 Rancio, that is, the Mangold Flower, from the colour of its Crefl. 



*His is the leaft of all birds found with us in England, weighing not more than 

 one fingle drachm. Its length from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Claws 

 is four inches and an half^ to the end of the Tail four and a quarter. The 

 breadth of the Wings extended fix and three quarters. The top of the Head is 

 adorned with a moft beautiful bright fpot, ( which they call a creft) of a deep Saffron 

 or pale Scarlet colour. Hence it got thofe ambitious titles of * Regulus and Tyr annus. * Little King 

 This Creft or Crown ( if you pleafe fo to call it ) it can when it lifts, by corrugating an 4 T y rant ' 

 its forehead, and drawing the fides of the lpot together, wholly conceal and render 

 invifible. It is of an oblong figure, and extended direftly through the middle of the 

 Head from the Bill towards the Neck. The edges of it on both fides are yellow 5 

 the whole is environed with a black line. The fides of the Neck are of a lovely 

 lhining yellowifh green colour. The Eyes are encompaffed with white. The Neck and 

 all the Back from a dark green incline to yellow. The Bread: is of a fordid white. 

 [ In the bird that I J. R. defcribed the Breaft and Belly were dalhed with a faint green.] 

 The Wings were concave, not much unlike to a Chaffinches Wings. The quil-fea- 

 thers of the Wings, as in almoft all fmall birds, were eighteen, all of a dusky colour, 

 only their exteriour edges yellowifh, and their interiour whitifh. The tips alfo of 

 the three next to the body were white. But what was moft efpecially notable in the 

 Wings of this bird was, that the middle quill-feathers, or indeed all excluding the 

 five outmoft, and the three inmoft,, had their exteriour Webs, as far as they appear 

 above the covert feathers, to a considerable breadth black, fo that when the Wings are 

 fhutthey make a black fpot of a good bignefs about the middle of each Wing. The 

 outmoft quil-feather was very fhort and little. The covert-feathers of the firft row 

 have white tips, all together making a white line acrofs the Wing. Above alfo to- 

 wards the ridge of the Wing is a white fpot. 



The Tail is made up of twelve fharp-pointed feathers, an inch and half long, not 

 forcipate, of a dusky colour, only the exteriour borders of the feathers are of a yel- 

 lowifh green. 



The Bill is flender, ftreight, black, half an inch long. The feet yellowifh, and the 

 Claws of a not much different colour. The Tongue long, fharp, and cloven. The Irides 

 of the Eyes of a hazel colour. 



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