Notes and Letters on the Natural History of Norfolk Part 11

That [calld by some a _written above_] whin-bird is a kind of ox eye b.u.t.t the s.h.i.+ning yellow spot on the back of the head [_see Note 48_] is scarce to bee well imitated by a pensill.

I confess for such litle birds I am much unsatisfied on the names giuen to many by countrymen, and vncertaine what to giue them myself, or to what cla.s.ses of authors cleerly to reduce them. surely there are many found among us whch are not described; & therefore such whch you cannot well reduce may (if at all) bee set downe after the exacter nomination of small birds as yet of uncertain cla.s.se or knowledge.

I present you with a draught of a water-fowl not co[=m]on & none of our fowlers can name it [_see_ p. 79 _infra_] the bill could not bee exactly expressed by a coale or black chalk, whereby the litle incuruitie [at the end _written above_] of the upper bill & small recurvitie of the lower is not discerned. the wings are very short, & it is finne footed.

the bill is strong & sharp, if you name it not I am uncertaine what to call it pray consider this Anatula or mergulus melanoleucus rostro acuto.

[_Fol. 107._] I send you also the heads of mustela or mergus mustelaris mas. et faemina [_see Note 21_] called a wesel from some resemblance in the head especially of the female wch is brown or russet not black & white like the male. & from their praying quality upon small fish. I have found small eeles small perches & small muscles in their stomacks.

Have you a sea phaysant [_see Note 22_] so co[=m]only calld from resemblance of an hen phaisant in the head & eyes & spotted marks on the wings & back. & wth a small bluish flat bill, tayle longer than other ducks, long winges crossing over the tayle like those of a long winged hawke.

Have you taken notice of a breed of porci solidi pedes.[118] I first obserued them above xx yeares ago & they are still among us. [See also p. 80 _infra_.]

[118] Mr. Darwin writes ("Anim. and Plants under Domestication,"

i., p. 78), that from the time of Aristotle to the present day, Solid-hoofed Swine have been occasionally observed in various parts of the world. Dr. Coues also says that this variety seems to be persistent in a Texas breed. See also Professor Struthers in the "Edin. New Phil. Journal," April, 1863. The two distal phalanges of the two great toes, both front and back, in the examples described by Professor Struthers, were joined together, forming a single hoof-bearing bone. The next two phalanges were separate, and sometimes kept widely apart from each other by the introduction of a special ossicle. I have been told that about the year 1827, a breed of solid-footed swine existed at or near Upwell. By some it was thought that their flesh was not good for food because they were "uncloven." Dr. Wren, in a note to Browne's _Pseudodoxia_ (book vi., chap. x.), says, "About Aug., 1625, at a farm 4 miles from Winchester, I beheld with wonder a great heard of swine, whole-footed, and taller than any other that ever I sawe."

Our nerites or neritae are litle ones [_see Note 83_].

I queried whether you had dentalia [_see Note 83_] becaus probably you might haue met with them in england. I neuer found any on our sh.o.a.re b.u.t.t one brought mee a few small ones with smooth with [_sic_] small sh.e.l.ls from the sh.o.a.re. I shall inquire further after them.

Urtica marina minor Johnst. tab. xviii. [_see Note 90_] haue found more than once by the sea side.

The hobby and the merlin would not bee omitted among hawkes the first coming to us in the spring the other about the autumn. Beside the ospray wee have a larger kind of agle, calld an erne [_see Note 3_]. I haue had many of them.

Worthy deare Sr, if I can do anything farther wch may bee seruiceable unto you you shall ever readily co[=m]and my endeauours; who am, Sr, Your humble & very respectfull seruant,

THO. BROWNE.

_Febr 6 [1668-9.]_ _Norwich._

No. VI.

[MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. MS. SLOANE 1847, FOL. 198.]

[This volume contains a Miscellaneous collection, mostly letters to his son Edward, and some to "Tom." The following (as all in the volume) is on letter-sized paper, 7-1/2 6 in.]

Worthy Sr

[_Fol. 198._] Though I writ vnto you last monday. yet hauing omitted some few things wch I thought to have mentioned I am bold to giue you this trouble so soone agayne haue you putt in a sea fish calld a bleak [_see Note 74_] a fish like an herring often taken with us and eat b.u.t.t a more lanck & thinne & drye fish.

The wild swanne or elk [_see Note 8_] would not bee omitted, [here _crossed out_] being co[=m]on in hard winters & differenced from [the _crossed out_] our River swanns by the Aspera Arteria. [See also pp. 80 and 83 _infra_.]

Fulica and cotta Anglorum [_see Note 23_] are different birds though good resemblance between them, so some doubt may bee made whether it bee to bee made a coote except you set it downe fulica nostras. & cotta Anglorum I pray consider whether that waterbird whose draught I sent in the last box & thought it might bee named Anatula or mergulus melanoleucos may not bee some gallinula. it hath some resemblance with gallina hypoleucos of Johnst Tab 32 [31] b.u.t.t myne hath shorter wings by much & the bill not so long [_Fol. 198 verso_] & slender & shorter leggs & lesser & so may ether be calld gallina Aquatica hypoleucos nostras or hypoleucos or melanoleucos Anatula or mergulus nostras.[119]

[119] The "draught" of this bird sent to Merrett is not forthcoming. Professor Newton has been kind enough to send me the following note on this puzzling pa.s.sage. "Jonston's figure (tab.

31) of _Gallina hypoleucos_, to which Browne says it bore some resemblance, undoubtedly represents what we know as the Common Sandpiper, _Tota.n.u.s hypoleucus_ or _Act.i.tis hypoleuca_, the _Fysterlin_ of the Germans of Jonston's time (p. 160), and _Fisterlein_ or _Pfisterlein_ of modern days. But there seems to be some strange confusion that cannot now be cleared, between this bird and Browne's _Anatula_ or _Mergulus melanoleucos_ [_see_ p. 76 _ante_], of which some years later, he sent a drawing, under the latter name, to Willughby, in whose work it is described and figured (Lat. Ed. p. 261, Engl. 343, tab. lix.), for this most certainly is the Rotche or Little Auk, _Mergulus alle_ of modern ornithology." In the next letter (p. 81), Browne mentions that he encloses the draft of "Ralla aquatica" here referred to.

Tis much there should be no Icon of Rallus or Ralla Aquatica I haue a draught of one & they are found among us

Feb xii 1668.

The vesicaria I sent is like that you mention [_see Note 91_] if not the same the co[=m]on fanago resembleth the husk of peas this of [Part _crossed out_] Barly when the flower is mouldred away. [See also p. 89 _infra_, where Merrett aptly compares the latter to the flowers of the Grape Hyacinth.]

No. VII.

[BIBLIOTHECA BODLEIANA. MS. RAWLINSON D. cviii. SR THO BROWN TO DR.

MERRETT.]

[_Fol. 105._] Sr I craue your pardon for this delayed returne unto your last, whose courteus acceptance & worthy entertaynment [?] deserued [a speed _blotted out_] even a speedier reply. The small plant may fitly come in among the corallines upon the [diff _crossed out_] account of articulation Icthyorachius [_see Note 114_] I think will bee a good Diference [?]. whether you will subexpand [?] the word I referre it to yourself. certhia may best bee vertice aureo [_word blotted out_] or vertice aureo penicello vix imitando. morinellus marinus [_see Note 28_]

I think rather then Aquaticus becuse it is seen most about the sea coast. Anas alis oculatis[120] rather then Anser for it is not altogether so longe as a wild duck. of porci solidipedes [_see Note 118_] there are still in this country in some places. and I am promised a pigge by a Gentleman that hath still a boar and sow of that kind. I tooke notice of them 26 years ago & having not lately [met with _crossed out_] met with any thought the race had been worne out b.u.t.t I perceue it is not--they are whole footed in the forfeet & have [only _crossed out_]

a seame only in the hinder. so they are animalia duplici nomine i[=m]unda. The wild swans or elk [_see Note 8_] in [very _crossed out_]

lasting cold winters are most plentifull. It is larger then the River swan somewhat gray & of a lowder note & [differenced call _crossed out_] a recuruation of the Aspera arteria in the sternon as I noted in the margin long agoe in vulgar errors. the blicca marina [_see Note 74_]

may well be named Harengiformis. [_several words smeared out_] I have the draught of that an Herring & a pilcher in one paper upon that account [Fol. 104 _verso_] I belieue [?] you were well informd of the cotta [_see_ p. 79] & fulica of our Ralla Aquatica I enclose a draught.

[120] Possibly the Pintail, _Dafila acuta_ (Linn.), _see_ p. 77.

Of porci solidipedes there are diuers still in the country in some places I am promised a pigge by a friend who cherisheth that [new _crossed out_] breed. I tooke notice of them 26 yeares ago, & hauing not lately minded them thought they had been worn out b.u.t.t I perceiue they are not--some are more plainly wholefooted then others & especially in the fore feet & in the rest there is no thorough fissure b.u.t.t at most a superficiall seame, so they are [No. 3 cap 27 _above_] Quadrupedia duplici nomine i[=m]unda.

[This last paragraph seems to have been written by way of emendation of what appears above on the same subject. A photograph of a portion of the above letter will, by the courtesy of the Bodleian Librarian, be found as a frontispiece to this volume. Mr. Jenkinson, the Librarian of the University of Cambridge, and through him, Mr. G. F. Warner and Mr.

Kenyon, of the Department of Ma.n.u.scripts of the British Museum, have kindly interested themselves in the transcript of this letter, which was very difficult to decipher.]

No. VIII.

BIBLIOTHECA BODLEIANA (MS. RAWL. D. cviii.)

[Draft of a letter from Sir Thomas Browne, described in the Catalogue of the Rawlinson MSS. as to the Secretary of the Royal Society, but from its contents evidently written to Merrett, whose letter, dated 8th May, 1669, is in part a reply to it.]

[_Fol 58._] Honord Sr I humbly thank you for your care of my sonnes paper & the Royll Societie for their acceptance of it. If hee bee in health I knowe hee is mindfull of their co[=m]ands receiued aboue 2 months ago by a letter from Mr. Oldenburg.[121] I haue not heard from him of late the last I receiued was from Komorn[R] in Lower Hungary and hee was then going to the mine countryes. I think the Rowd may bee calld Rutilus ventre magis compresso[122] w^{ch} is the first discoverable difference to the eye. The weazelling [_see Note 60_] is as you see in the draught a long fish figura ad teretem vergente. somewhat of the shape b.u.t.t differing in the head from the _mustela viuipara_ of Schoneueld. b.u.t.t not lozenged on the back though the back bee much darker then the other parts. I send you the figure of the head of a cristated wild duck. it is black blackish [_sic_] in the greater part of the body some white on the brest & wings blewish legges & bill & seems to bee of the Latirostrous tribe perhaps you haue it not. it may bee called _Anas macrolophos_ [Fol. 59] as excelling in that kind.[123]

there is also a draught of one sort of _mergus cristatus_ resembling that of Aldrovandus or Johnstonus where there is only the figure of the head only this is also ruffus b.u.t.t the head sad red.[124] wee haue a kind of teale which some fowlers call crackling teale from the noyse it maketh[125] it is almost of the bignesse of a duck coming late of the yeare & latest going away hath a russet head & neck with a dark yellow stroak about a quarter of an inch broad from the crowne to the bill winged like a teale a white streake through the middle of the wings and edges thereof the tale blackish. it may be calld Querquedula maior serotina. I send you the figure in litle of a pristis[126] w^{ch} I receaued from a yarmouth seaman. you may please to compare it w^{th} yours. the asper you mention is much like our Rough or Aspredo.

[121] Henry Oldenburg (1615-1677) was born at Bremen. Came to England about 1640, where he remained eight years. In 1653 he was sent to England from Bremen on a diplomatic mission to Cromwell. He returned to England a third time in 1660. He was an original Member of the Royal Society, and became one of its first Secretaries. A half-length portrait is in the possession of the Royal Society.

[R] A well-known town on the Danube, forty-seven miles west of Buda-Pesth, probably the Comorra of E. Browne's letter to his father, _cf._ Wilkin, i., p. 159.

[122] The Rudd (_Leuciscus erythrophthalmus_, Will.) is known in Norfolk as the Roud. Browne seems to treat it as a variety of the Roach (_Rutilus_, Willugh.), and Merrett in his second letter remarks with approval "you have very well named the Rutilus."

[123] _Fuligula cristata_ (Linnaeus), the Tufted Duck.

[124] Professor Newton suggests that Browne intended to write _Mergus cirratus_. Aldrovandus figures the head, iii., p. 283, and that of _M. longirostris_ in the preceding page. This last is copied by Jonston (fol. 47). Both birds seem to be female or immature Goosanders. Neither author has a _M. cristatus_.

[125] The above description certainly applies to the Common Teal, which was well-known to Browne (_vide supra_, p. 14), and that species is with us all the year; I cannot help thinking, however, that he had in his mind the Garganey, or Summer Teal, so called from the season of its visit to us. This species is known to the Norfolk gunners as the "Cricket Teal," and being slightly larger than the common species it might well be called by him "_Querquedula major serotina_."

[126] _See Note 55_, p. 36. It will be noticed that both this and the _Centriscus_ mentioned at p. 41 were given to Browne by a "seaman of these seas," but may possibly have been brought home as curiosities from a foreign voyage; the Saw-fish, however, mentioned at p. 36, is distinctly stated to have been "taken about Lynn." It is a matter of intense regret that the numerous drawings mentioned in these letters should have been lost.

I forgot in my last to signifie that an oter [an other?] Elk or wild swan was headed like a goose that is without any k.n.o.bb at the bottome of the bill. [_See_ p. 80 and _Note 8_.]

Haue you had the duck called Clangula in Ald. [drovandus] & Johnst.[127]