Notes and Letters on the Natural History of Norfolk Part 10

_Excrementum fungosum verticibus scatens_: "a spongy secretion bursting out from the ends of the shoots." The Oak Apple, _Biorhiza terminalis_, Fab.

_Excrementum lanatum_: the Woolly Gall, _Andricus ramuli_, L., a somewhat rare Gall, resembling a ball of cotton-wool.

_Capitula squamosa jacaeae aemula_: "little scaley (or imbricated) heads resembling the heads of Jacea" (Black Knapweed). The Artichoke Gall. _Andricus fecundatrix_; Htg.

_Nodi_: probably swellings of any sort, whether caused by insects or not.

_Melleus liquor_: Honey-dew, a secretion of Aphides.

_Tubera radic.u.m vermibus scatentia_: "swollen tubers on the roots containing grubs;" without doubt the Root-Gall, _Andricus radicis_, Fab. Polythalamous Galls, often very large at the roots or on the trunk near the ground.

Mosses, Lichens, and Fungi, all "genuine products of the Oak," need no comment, but Mr. Bloomfield remarks, "How wonderfully observant Sir Thomas Browne must have been thus to distinguish the various galls, &c., and to point them out so distinctly."

Browne's contemporary, Dean Wren, seems sadly to have misunderstood the fructification of the Oak. In a note on Browne's remarks on the "Miseltoe" (_Pseudodoxia_, book ii., chap. vi.), he says, "Arboreous excrescences of the Oak are soe many as may raise the greatest wonder. Besides the gall, which is his proper fruite, hee shootes out oakerns, i.e., _ut nunc vocamus_ (acornes), and oakes apples, and polypodye, and moss; five several sorts of excrescences." See also letter to his son, Dr. Edward Browne, in which Sir Thomas Browne says that "wee haue little or none of _viscus quercinus_, or miselto of the oake, in this country; b.u.t.t I beleeve they have in the woods and parks of Oxfordshyre."--Wilkin, i, p. 279.

[_Fol. 43._] Capillaris marina sparsa fucus capillaris marinus sparsus sive capillitius marinus or sea periwigge.[113] strings of this are often found on the sea sh.o.a.re. but this is the full figure I haue seen 3 times as large.

[113] In Sir Thomas Browne's time the Hydrozoa were not distinguished from the Corallines, and both were regarded as vegetable growths. It is almost impossible to determine from his vague descriptions even to which section those mentioned belong, but although our exposed coast-line is not favourable to such growths, there are a few common species of Hydroid Zoophytes which abound here, and to these, fortunately, Browne's specimens appear to belong. What he calls the "Sea-perriwig" is doubtless _Sertularia operculata_, Lin., sometimes known as "Sea-hair," a very common and widely dispersed species.

I send you also [_several words smeared out_] a little elegant sea plant[114] which I pulled from a greater bush thereof which I haue resembling the back bone of a fish. Fucus marinus vertebratus pisciculi spinum referens Icthyorachius or what you thinck fitt.

[114] The little "Fucus," which he compares to the backbone of a fish, is probably _Halecium halecinum_, Lin., the "Herring-bone Coral" of Ellis, one of the most common Zoophytes on our coast. The "Abies," of which he suggests at p. 75 that this may be a "difference," is most likely _Sertularia abietina_, Lin., which this species resembles, but is less regularly pinnate; this may have led him to suppose that the "sprouts, wings, or leaves" may have fallen off. The _Fucus marinus_ is most likely _Fucus serratus_.

And though perhaps it bee not worth the taking notice of formicae arenariae marinae or at least muscus formicarius marinus[115] yet I obserue great numbers by the seash.o.a.re and at yarmouth an open sandy coast, in a sunny day many large and winged ones may bee obserued upon & rising out of the [sh.o.a.re _crossed out_] wet sands when the tide falls away.

[115] Swarms of Ants and Flies are no uncommon sight along the seash.o.r.e at certain seasons of the year, and under the conditions which Browne describes. The Pagets ("Nat. Hist. of Great Yarmouth") mention that the fly, _Actora aestuum_, is common on the beach at high-water mark; but Mr. Verrall writes me that there are many others likely to be thus met with, such as _Orygma luctuosa_ and _Limosina zosterae_, widely divergent species. In his "Journal of a Tour" into Derbys.h.i.+re, Dr. Edward Browne, in crossing the sands of the Wash, mentions his satisfaction at the absence of the swarms of flies "with which all the fenne countrys are extremely pestered."

_See also Note 110 supra._

Notonecton an insect that swimmeth on its back [_see Note 98_] & mentioned by m.u.f.fettus may be obserued with us.

I send you a white Reed chock[116] by name some kind of Junco or litle sort thereof I haue had another very white when fresh.

[116] It is impossible to form an idea as to what is here intended.

I know of no _Juncus_ which would answer the description. Professor Newton reminds me__ that "Junco" was a common name for "a bird that inhabited reeds," and was loosely applied, some old authors taking it to be the Reed Thrush (_i.e._, the Great Reed-Warbler of these days), and others, the Reed-Sparrow or Bunting. But bearing in mind Browne's practice of referring to Jonston, it seems possible that the latter's _Junco_ may be here intended, and that, as the figure (pl. 53) shows, is a small Sandpiper, almost certainly the Dunlin.

It is lettered "Junco Bellonii," but this he must have taken second-hand from Aldrovandus, since Belon never used the word "Junco" in this connexion, but called it "Schoeniclus" or "Alouette-de-mer"--terms rendered _Junco_ by Aldrovandus (iii. p.

487). Charleton took the same view in his "Onomasticon" (p. 108), published in 1668 (the year a.s.signed as that of this letter), stating that it was so-called because "in juncis libenter degat,"

and identifying it with the _Alouette-de-mer_ of the French, and the English "Stint, or Sparr, or Perr." Gilbert White appears to have thus applied the term (_cf._ "Life" by Rashleigh Holt-White, i. pp. 186, 194, 250). In one place he says, "No. five is Ray's _Junco_ and the _t.u.r.dus arundinaceus_ of Linn." That "Junco" is the name of a bird is absolutely certain, but the context, "very white when fresh," does not seem to admit of explanation.

Also the draught of a sea fowle called a sherewater [_see Note 17_]

billed like a cormorant, feirce & snapping like it upon any touch. I kept 2 of them aliue 5 weekes cramming them with fish refusing of themselues to feed on anything & wearied with cramming them they liued 17 dayes without food. They often fly about fis.h.i.+ng [ves _crossed out_]

s.h.i.+pps when they cleans their fish & throwe away the offell. so that it may bee referred to the Lari as Larus niger gutture albido rostro adunco.

Gossander videtur esse puphini species [_Pinax_, p. 184]. worthy Sr that wch we call a gossander [_see Note 19_] & is no rare fowle among us is a large well colourd & marked diuing fowle most answering the [mer _crossed out_] Merganser. it may bee like the puffin in fattnesse and [Ranknesse _crossed out_] Ranknesse b.u.t.t no fowle is I think like the puffin differenced from all others by a peculiar kind of bill

[_Fol 43 verso._] Barganders [_see Note 18_] not so rare as Turn [Turner] makes them co[=m]on in Norfolk so abounding in vast & spatious warrens.

If you haue not yet putt in Larus minor or a sterne [_see Note 13_] it would not bee omitted, co[=m]on about broad waters and plashes not farre from the sea.

Haue you a Yarwhelp, Barker, or Latrator [_see Note 39_] a marsh bird about the bignesse of a G.o.dwitt

Haue you Dentalia [_see Note 83_] which are small vniualue testacea whereof sometimes wee find some on the seash.o.a.re

Haue you putt in nerites another little Testaceum which wee haue [_see Note 83_].

Haue you an Apiaster a small bird calld a Beebird.[117]

[117] Probably the Spotted Flycatcher is here referred to, the prefix not being used in a technical sense; it is known here as the Beam-bird, either of which names may be a corruption of the other.

Another Norfolk name for this bird is the Wall-bird.

Haue you morinellus marinus or the sea Dotterell better colourd then the other & somewhat lesse [_see Note 28_].

I send you a draught of 2 small birds the bigger called a Chipper or Betulae Carptor [_see Note 48_] cropping the first sproutings of the Birch trees & comes early in the spring. The other a very small bird lesse than the certhya or ox eyecreeper called a whinne bird

I send you the draught of a fish taken sometimes in our seas [_see Note 69_]. pray compare it with Draco minor Johnstoni. this draught was taken from the fish dried & so the p.r.i.c.kly finnes less discernible.

There is a very small kind of smelt [_see Note 71_] b.u.t.t in shape & smell like the other taken in good plenty about [wh _crossed out_] Lynne & called Primmes.

Though s...o...b..i Or Makerells [_see Note 73_] bee a co[=m]on fish yet [in _crossed out_] our seas afford sometimes strange & large ones as I haue heard from fishermen & others. & this yeare 1668 one was taken at Lestoffe an ell long by measure & presented to a Gentleman a friend of myne.

Musca Tuliparum moschata is a small beelike flye [_see Note 108_] of an excellent fragrant odour which I haue often found at the bottom of the flowers of Tuleps.

[_Fol. 44._] In the little box I send a peece of vesicaria or seminaria marina [yo _crossed out_] cutt of from a good full one found on the sea sh.o.a.re [_see Note 91_].

Wee haue [_two or three words smeared out here_] also an eiectment of the sea very co[=m]on which is fanago [_see Note 91_] whereof some very large.

I thank you for communicating the account of Thunder & lightening some strange effects thereof I haue found heere b.u.t.t this last yeere wee had litle or no Thunder & lightening. [_No signature._]

No. V.

DR. BROWNE TO MERRETT.

[This letter which was originally printed in the "Posthumous Works," will be found in MS. Sloane 1911-13, fol. 106, where it is headed in pencil as addressed to Sir Wm. Dugdale, but it was restored to its proper place by Wilkin in the 1836 Edition of the Works, i., p. 404.]

Honoured Sir

[_Fol. 106._] I am sorry I have had [diuersions _above_] of such necessitie, as to hinder my more sudden salute since I receiued your last. I thank you for the sight of the _Sperma Ceti_, and such kind of effects from [Lightning & Thunder _written above_] I have known and about 4 yeares ago about this towne when I with many others saw fire-b.a.l.l.s fly & go of when they met with resistance, and one carried away the tiles and boards of a leucomb Window of my owne howse, being higher then the neighbour howses & breaking agaynst it with a report like a good canon. I set downe that occurrence in this citty & country, & haue it somewhere [in _crossed out_] amongst my papers, and fragments of a woman's hat that was s.h.i.+uered into pieces of the bignesse of a groat. I haue still by mee a little of the spermaceti of our whale, as also the oyle & balsome wch I made with the oyle & spermaceti. Our whale was worth 500 lib. my Apothecarie got about fiftie pounds in one sale of a quant.i.tie of sperm [_see Note 51_].

I made enumeration of the excretions of the oake which might bee obserued in england [_see Note 112_], because I conceived they would bee most obseruable if you set them downe together, not minding whether there were any addition by excrementum fungosum vermiculis scatens I only meant an vsuall excretion, soft & fungous at first & pale & sometimes couered in part with a fresh red growing close vnto the sprouts. first full of maggots in little woodden cells which afterwards turne into little reddish browne or bay flies. of the tubera indica vermiculis scatentia I send you a peece, they are as bigg as good Tennis-b.a.l.l.s & ligneous.

The little elegant fucus [_see Note 114_] may come in as a difference of the abies, being somewhat like it, as also unto the 4 corrallium in Gerard of the sprouts whereof I could never find any sprouts wings Or leaves as in the abies whether fallen of I knowe not, though I call'd it icthyorachius or pisciculi spinam referens yet pray do you call it how you please I send you now the figure of a quercus mar. [inus] or alga which I found by the seash.o.a.re differing from the co[=m]on [_see Note 114_] as being denticulated & in one place there seemes to bee the beginning of some flower pod or seedvessell.

[_Fol 106. verso._] A draught of the morinellus marinus or sea doterell I now send you. the bill should not have been so black & the leggs more red, [_see Note 28_] & [the _crossed out_] a greater eye of dark red in the feathers of wing and back: it is lesse & differently colourd from the co[=m]on dotterell, wch [wee haue _crossed out_] cometh to us about March & September. these sea-dotterells are often shot near the sea.

A yarewhelp or barker [_some words smeared out_] [_see Note 39_] a marsh-bird the bill 2 inches long the legges about that length the bird of a brown or russet colour.

That which is knowne by the name of a bee-bird [_see Note 117_] is a litle dark gray bird I hope to get one for you.

That whch I call'd a betulae carptor & should rather have calld it Alni carptor [_see Note 48_] whereof I sent a rude draught. it feeds upon alder [budds mucaments or _written above_] seeds which grow plentifully heere & they fly in little flocks.