176 
The Animal-Lore of Shakspeare’s Time. 
flying citizens of the air, which prescribe for a corrody [an allowance of 
provisions] therein; of whom some serve for food to us, and some hut 
to feed themselves. Amongst the first sort we reckon the dipchick (so 
named of his diving and littleness), coots, sanderling, sea larks, oxen 
and kine [ruffs and reeves], seapies, puffins, pewits, meawes, murres, 
creysers, curlews, teals, widgeon, burranets, shags, duck and mallard, 
gull, wildgoose, heron, crane, and barnacle.” 
After the publication of Mr. Harting’s learned and 
Mr. Harting" interesting work, The Ornithology of Shake- 
on Birds. S p ea re, it may be thought not only unneces¬ 
sary but presumptuous to deal with the various kinds 
of birds at any length in this volume. But, on referring 
to his work, it will be seen that all the species of birds 
not mentioned by Shakspeare are omitted. The author 
also confines himself chiefly to Shakspeare for his illus¬ 
trations. Mr. Harting’s work is doubtless in the hands of 
every student of our great dramatist; quotations of any 
length will therefore not be made from The Ornithology , 
nor will the birds described in its pages be treated of in 
detail. The hope may be entertained that the following 
account of the different varieties of birds mentioned by 
Elizabethan writers generally may serve as an appendix 
to Mr. Harting’s admirable work. 
It accords well with the idea that the reign of force 
is no longer paramount, that in modern scien¬ 
tific classification birds of song have usurped 
the place once filled by birds of prey. The Song Thrush, 
or Throstle, placed by Mr. Wallace first on the list of 
the feathered race, is the compeer of the nightingale in 
volume of song, though not in variety or in sweetness. 
Drayton writes of this chorister— 
“ The throstel, with shrill sharps ; as purposely he sang 
T’ awake the lustless sun ; or chiding that so long 
He was in coming forth, that should the thickets thrill.” 
(Polyolbion , song xiii.) 
The mavis is considered by Yarrell to be another name 
Thrush. 
