Notes and Letters on the Natural History of Norfolk: More Especially on the Birds and Fishes — John Shaqi
Notes and Letters on the Natural History of Norfolk: More Especially on the Birds and FishesBrowne, Thomas, Sir
History
Notes and Letters on the Natural History of Norfolk: More Especially on the Birds and Fishes
Browne, Thomas, Sir
Natural history -- England -- Norfolk
Great varietie of finches[48] and other small birds whereof one very
small [one _crossed out_] calld a whinne bird marked with fine yellow
spotts & lesser than a wren. there is also a small bird called a chipper
somewhat resembling the former wch comes in the spring & feeds upon the
first buddings of birches & other early trees.
[48] In his fifth letter to Merrett Browne says, "I confess for
such little birds I am much unsatisfied on the names given to many
by countrymen and uncertain what to give them myself." This is
painfully apparent in the cases of the two little birds here
referred to as the "Whinne-bird" and the "Chipper." From the
description of the former, "marked with fine yellow spots and
lesser than a Wren," also with a "shining yellow spot on the back
of the head," it seems likely that the Gold-crested Wren is
intended. The Chipper, he says, "comes in the spring and feeds upon
the first buddings of birches and other early trees;" he also calls
it "_Betulæ carptor_," and says that he sends a drawing to Merrett;
a third mention is as follows: "That which I called a _Betulæ
carptor_, and should rather have called it _Alni carptor_ ... it
feeds upon alder buds, nucaments, or seeds, which grow plentifully
here; they fly in little flocks." I can only suggest that this bird
may be the Siskin, which fairly answers the description. It visits
us in small flocks on its way north very early in the year, feeding
upon the seeds of the alder, birch, and larch trees. One would
however have thought that the Siskin would have been well known to
Browne, as it evidently was to Turner, Willughby, and Ray. Merrett
mentions it under Turner's name of "Luteola."
A kind of Anthus [or _crossed out_] Goldfinch [_written above_] or
fooles coat co[=m]only calld a drawe water. finely marked with red &
yellowe & a white bill. wch they take with trap cages in norwich gardens
& fastning a chaine about them tyed to a box of water it makes a shift
with bill and legge to draw up the water unto it from the litle pot
hanging [abot the length of _crossed out_] by the chaine about a foote
[downe _crossed out_] belowe.
[The account of the Roller, which is written on smaller paper, will be
found improperly inserted among the Fishes, between pp. 30 and 32 as
follows:--]
[_Fol. 31._] On the xiiii of May 1664 a very rare bird was sent mee kild
about crostwick wch seemed to bee some kind of Jay.[49] the bill was
black strong and bigger then a Jayes somewhat yellowe clawes tippd
black. 3 before and one clawe behind the whole bird not so bigge as a
Jaye [the _crossed out_.]
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