154 On the Occurrence of some of the Rarer Species of Birds 



The contemporary poem thus describes the exploit : — - 



" Sir Alexander Giffard escaped with the gold and silver which was delivered 

 to him. He got the horses together and loaded them, and took the road towards 

 the city of Damont. He leaped into the long and wide river ; he wished to arrive 

 at Diote, as he had promised his liege lord, the good Longespee, for the purpose 

 of distributing his property according to his commands. As soon as they entered 

 the river, the perfidious Saracens observed them, and cast the Greek fire, which 

 was intensely hot, upon them ; but they would have been burnt to dust rather 

 than have moved back a foot." * 



R. H. Collins, Esq., C.B., when at Boyton House, first called 

 my attention to the shield in the window as a curious old coat, said 

 to be Giffard. I easily identified it as appertaining to Thomas, Earl 

 of Lancaster, from having traced and illustrated the same arms in 

 Dorchester Church, Oxon. 1 Mr. Collins, on the same occasion, 

 pointed out to me that the animal at the knight's feet is an otter. 



J. Baron. 



ON THE 



fanxnm of same of % %mx §fytat$ tff 

 ^xxh m % ^ig|kurIjaoir of ^afokrg* 



By the Eev. Arthur P. Morres, Vicar of Britford. 

 (Continued from Vol. xviii., page 318.^ 



PART IV. — RASORES. 



W p^SN resuming my papers on " The Rarer Species of Birds in 

 ml W& the Neighbourhood of Salisbury/'' I fear I shall justly lay 

 myself open to the charge of not keeping to the subject-matter in 



* See text and translation of A Contemporary Poem describing the Assault on Massoura, in 

 February, 1250, pp. 80-1, lines 346—355. In an earlier part of the poem, line 136, is the expression 

 " la flume tot avalant," the all swallowing river. Excerpta Historica ; London, Bentley, 1831. 



1 Compare Dorchester Abbey Church, xvi., plate following p. 44, fig. 6 ; and 

 pp. 45-6 ; Oxford, Parker, 1860. 



