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A Dorhawke or kind of Accipiter muscarius conceiued to haue its name from feeding upon flies and beetles, of a woodcock colour but paned like an Hawke a very litle poynted bill, large throat, breedeth with us and layes a maruellous handsome spotted egge. Though I haue opened many I could neuer find anything considerable in their mawes. Caprimulgus.

Auis Trogloditica or Chock a small bird mixed of black and white and breeding in cony borrouges whereof the warrens are full from April to September, at which time they leaue the country. They are taken with an Hobby and a net and are a very good dish.

Spermologus. Rookes which by reason of the great quantitie of corn feilds and Rooke groues are in great plentie the yong ones are commonly eaten sometimes sold in Norwich market and many are killd for their Liuers in order to cure of the Rickets.

Crowes as euerywhere and also the coruus variegatus or pyed crowe with dunne and black interchangeably, they come in the winter and depart in the summer and seeme to bee the same which Clusius discribeth in the Faro Islands from whence perhaps these come, and I have seen them very common in Ireland, butt not known in many parts of England.

Coruus maior Rauens in good plentie about the citty which makes so few Kites to bee seen hereabout, they build in woods very early and lay egges in Februarie.

Among the many monedulas or Jackdawes I could neuer in these parts obserue the pyrrhocorax or cornish chough with red leggs and bill to bee commonly seen in Cornwall, and though there bee heere very great store of partridges yet the french Red legged partridge is not to bee met with. The Ralla or Rayle wee haue counted a dayntie dish, as also no small number of Quayles. The Heathpoult common in the north is vnknown heere as also the Grous, though I haue heard some haue been seen about Lynne. The calandrier or great great crested lark Galerita I haue not met with heere though with 3 other sorts of Larkes the ground lark woodlark and titlark.

Stares or starlings in great numbers, most remarkable in their numerous flocks which I haue obserued about the Autumne when they roost at night in the marshes in safe places upon reeds and alders, which to obserue I went to the marshes about sunne set, where standing by their vsuall place of resort I obserued very many flocks flying from all quarters, which in lesse than an howers space came all in and settled in innumerable numbers in a small compasse.

Great varietie of finches and other small birds whereof one very small calld a whinne bird marked with fine yellow spotts and lesser than a wren. There is also a small bird called a chipper somewhat resembling the former which comes in the spring and feeds upon the first buddings of birches and other early trees.

A kind of Anthus Goldfinch or fooles coat commonly calld a drawe water, finely marked with red and yellowe and a white bill, which they take with trap cages in Norwich gardens and 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 by the chaine about a foote belowe.

On the xiiii of May 1664 a very rare bird was sent mee kild about Crostwick which seemed to bee some kind of Jay. 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 head neck and throat of a violet colour the back upper parts of the wing of a russet yellowe the fore and part of the wing azure succeeded downward by a greenish blewe then on the flying feathers bright blewe the lower parts of the wing outwardly of a browne inwardly of a merry blewe the belly a light faynt blewe the back toward the tayle of a purple blewe the tayle eleuen fethers of a greenish coulour the extremities of the outward fethers thereof white wth an eye of greene. Garrulus Argentoratensis.

NOTES ON CERTAIN FISHESAND MARINE ANIMALS FOUNDIN NORFOLK

It may well seeme no easie matter to giue any considerable account of fishes and animals of the sea wherein tis sayd that there are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts because they liue in an element wherein they are not so easely discouerable. Notwithstanding probable it is that after this long nauigation search of the ocean bayes creeks Estuaries and riuers there is scarce any fish butt hath been seen by some man, for the large and breathing sort thereof do sometimes discouer themselues aboue water and the other are in such numbers that some at one time or other they are discouered and taken, euen the most barbarous nations being much addicted to fishing: and in America and the new discouered world the people were well acquantd with fishes of sea and rivers, and the fishes thereof haue been since described by industrious writers.

Pliny seemes to short in the estimate of their number in the ocean, who recons up butt one hundred and seventie six species; butt the seas being now farther known and searched Bellonius much enlargeth, and in his booke of Birds thus deliuereth himself allthough I think it impossible to reduce the same vnto a certain number yet I may freelie say that tis beyond the power of man to find out more than fiue hundred sorts of fishes, three hundred sorts of birds, more than three hundred sorts of fourfoted animalls and fortie diversities of serpents.

Of fishes sometimes the larger sort are taken or come ashoar. A spermaceti whale of 62 foote long neere Welles, another of the same kind 20 yeares before at Hunstanton, and not farre of 8 or nine came ashoare and 2 had yong ones after they were forsaken by ye water.

A grampus aboue 16 foot long taken at Yarmouth 4 yeares agoe.

The Tursio or porpose is common, the Dolphin more rare though sometimes taken which many confound with the porpose, butt it hath a more waued line along the skinne sharper toward ye tayle the head longer and nose more extended which maketh good the figure of Rondeletius; the flesh more red and well cooked of very good taste to most palates and exceedeth that of porpose.

The vitulus marinus seacalf or seale which is often taken sleeping on the shoare. 5 yeares agoe one was shot in the riuer of Norwich about Surlingham ferry having continued in the riuer for diuers moneths before being an Amphibious animal it may bee caryed about aliue and kept long if it can bee brought to feed. Some haue been kept many moneths in ponds. The pizzell the bladder the cartilago ensiformis the figure of the Throttle the clusterd and racemous forme of the kidneys the flat and compressed heart are remarkable in it. In stomaks of all that I have opened I have found many wormes.

I haue also obserued a scolopendra cetacea of about ten foot long answering to the figure in Rondeletius which the mariners told me was taken in these seas.

A pristes or serra saw fish taken about Lynne commonly mistaken for a sword fish and answers the figure in Rondeletius.

A sword fish or Xiphias or Gladius intangled in the Herring netts at Yarmouth agreable unto the Icon in Johnstonus with a smooth sword not vnlike the Gladius of Rondeletius about a yard and half long, no teeth, eyes very remarkable enclosed in an hard cartilaginous couercle about ye bignesse of a good apple. ye vitreous humor plentifull the crystalline larger then a nutmegge remaining cleare sweet and vntainted when the rest of the eye was vnder a deepe corruption wch wee kept clear and limpid many moneths vntill an hard frost split it and manifested the foliations thereof.

It is not vnusuall to take seuerall sorts of canis or doggefishes great and small which pursue the shoale of herrings and other fish, butt this yeare 1662 one was taken intangled in the Herring netts about 9 foot in length, answering the last figure of Johnstonus lib 7 vnder the name of canis carcherias alter and was by the teeth and 5 gills one kind of shark particularly remarkable in the vastnesse of the optick nerves and 3 conicall hard pillars which supported the extraordinarie elevated nose which wee haue reserued with the scull; the seamen called this kind a scrape.

Sturio or Sturgeon so common on the other side of the sea about the mouth of the Elbe come seldome into our creekes though some haue been taken at Yarmouth and more in the great Owse by Lynne butt their heads not so sharpe as represented in the Icons of Rondeletius and Johnstonus.

Sometimes wee meet with a mola or moonefish so called from some resemblance it hath of a crescent in the extreme part of the body from one finne unto another one being taken neere the shoare at Yarmouth before breake of day seemed to shiuer and grunt like an hogge as Authors deliuer of it, the flesh being hard and neruous it is not like to afford a good dish butt from the Liuer which is large white and tender somewhat may bee expected; the gills of these fishes wee found thick beset with a kind of sea-lowse. In the yeare 1667 a mola was taken at Monsley which weighed 2 hundred pound.

The Rana piscatrix or frogge fish is sometimes found in a very large magnitude and wee haue taken the care to haue them clend and stuffed, wherein wee obserued all the appendices whereby they cach fishes butt much larger then are discribed in the Icons of Johnstonus tab xi fig 8.

The sea wolf or Lupus nostras of Schoneueldus remarkable for its spotted skinne and notable teeth incisors Dogteeth and grinders the dogteeth both in the jawes and palate scarce answerable by any fish of that bulk for the like disposure strength and soliditie.

Mustela marina called by some a wesell ling which salted and dryed becomes a good Lenten dish.

A Lump or Lumpus Anglorum so named by Aldrouandus by some esteemed a festiuall dish though it affordeth butt a glutinous jellie and the skinne is beset with stony knobs after no certaine order. Ours most answereth the first figure in the xiii table of Johnstonus butt seemes more round and arcuated then that figure makes it.

Before the herrings there commonly cometh a fish about a foot long by the fishman called an horse resembling in all poynts the Trachurus of Rondeletius of a mixed shape between a mackerell and an herring, obseruable from its greene eyes rarely skye colored back after it is kept a day, and an oblique bony line running on ye outside from the gills vnto ye tayle. A drye and hard dish butt makes an handsome picture.

The Rubelliones or Rochets butt thinly met with on this coast, the gornart cuculus or Lyræ species more often which they seldome eat butt bending the back and spredding the finnes into a liuely posture do hang up in their howses.

Beside the common mullus or mullet there is another not vnfrequent which some call a cunny fish butt rather a red muellett of a flosculous redde and somewhat rough on the scales answering the discription of Icon of Rondeletius vnder the name of mullus ruber asper butt not the tast of the vsually knowne mullet as affording butt a drye and leane bitt.

Seuerall sorts of fishes there are which do or may beare the names of seawoodcocks as the Acus maior scolopax and saurus. The saurus wee sometimes meet with yonge. Rondeletius confesseth it a very rare fish somewhat resembling the Acus or needlefish before and a makerell behind. Wee have kept one dryed many yeares agoe.

The Acus maior calld by some a garfish and greenback answering the figure of Rondeletius under the name of Acus prima species remarkable for its quadrangular figure and verdigreece green back bone.

A lesser sort of Acus maior or primæ specæei wee meet with much shorter then the common garfish and in taking out the spine wee found it not green as in the greater and much answering the saurus of Rondeletius.

A scolopax or sea woodcock of Rondeletius was giuen mee by a seaman of these seas, about 3 inches long and seemes to bee one kind of Acus or needlefish answering the discription of Rondeletius.

The Acus of Aristotle lesser thinner corticated and sexangular by diuers calld an addercock and somewhat resembling a snake ours more plainly finned then Rondeletius discribeth it.

A little corticated fish about 3 or 4 inches long, ours answering that which is named piscis octangularis by Wormius, cataphractus by Schoneueldeus; octagonius versus caput, versus caudam hexagonius.

The faber marinus sometimes found very large answering the figure of Rondeletius, which though hee mentioneth as a rare fish and to be found in the Atlantick and Gaditane ocean yet wee often meet with it in these seas commonly calld a peterfish hauing one black spot on ether side the body conceued the perpetuall signature from the impression of St Peters fingers or to resemble the 2 peeces of money which St Peter tooke out of this fish remarkable also from its disproportionable mouth and many hard prickles about other parts.

A kind of scorpius marinus a rough prickly and monstrous headed fish 6 8 or 12 inches long answerable vnto the figure of Schoneueldeus.

A sting fish wiuer or kind of ophidion or Araneus slender, narrowe headed about 4 inches long with a sharpe small prickly finne along the back which often venemouslv pricketh the hands of fishermen.

Aphia cobites marina or sea Loche.

Blennus a sea millars thumb.

Funduli marini sea gogions.

Alosæ or chads to bee met with about Lynne.

Spinachus or smelt in greatest plentie about Lynne butt where they haue also a small fish calld a primme answering in tast and shape a smelt and perhaps are butt the yonger sort thereof.

Aselli or cods of seuerall sorts. Asellus albus or whitings in great plentie. Asellus niger carbonarius or coale fish. Asellus minor Schoneueldei, callarias Pliny, or Haydocks with many more also a weed fish somewhat like an haydock butt larger and dryer meat. A Basse also much resembling a flatter kind of Cod.

Scombri are makerells in greate plentie a dish much desired butt if as Rondeletius affirmeth they feed upon sea starres and squalders there may bee some doubt whether their flesh bee without some ill qualitie. Sometimes they are of a very large size and one was taken this yeare 1668 which was by measure an ell long and of the length of a good salmon, at Lestoffe.

Herrings departed sprats or sardæ not long after succeed in great plentie which are taken with smaller nets and smoakd and dryed like herrings become a sapid bitt and vendible abroad.

Among these are found Bleakes or bliccæ a thinne herring like fishe which some will also think to bee young herrings. And though the sea aboundeth not with pilchards, yet they are commonly taken among herrings, butt few esteeme thereof or eat them.

Congers are not so common on these coasts as on many seas about England, butt are often found upon the north coast of Norfolk, and in frostie wether left in pulks and plashes upon the ebbe of the sea.

The sand eels Anglorum of Aldrouandus, or Tobianus of Schoneueldeus commonly called smoulds taken out of the sea sands with forks and rakes about Blakeney and Burnham a small round slender fish about 3 or 4 inches long as bigge as a small Tobacco pipe a very dayntie dish.

Pungitius marinus or sea bausticle hauing a prickle one each side the smallest fish of the sea about an inch long sometimes drawne ashoare with netts together with weeds and pargaments of the sea.

Many sorts of flat fishes. The pastinaca oxyrinchus with a long and strong aculeus in the tayle conceued of speciall venome and virtues.

Severall sorts of Raia’s skates and Thornebacks the Raia clauata oxyrinchus, raia oculata, aspera, spinosa fullonica.

The great Rhombus or Turbot aculeatus and leuis.

The passer or place.

Butts of various kinds.

The passer squamosus Bret Bretcock and skulls comparable in taste and delicacy vnto the soale.

The Buglossus solea or soale plana and oculata as also the Lingula or small soale all in very great plentie.

Sometimes a fish aboue half a yard long like a butt or soale called asprage which I haue known taken about Cromer.

Sepia or cuttle fish and great plentie of the bone or shellie substance which sustaineth the whole bulk of that soft fishe found commonly on the shoare.

The Loligo sleue or calamar found often upon the shoare from head to tayle sometimes aboue an ell long, remarkable for its parretlike bill, the gladiolus or calamus along the back and the notable crystallyne of the eye which equalleth if not exceedeth the lustre of orientall pearle.

A polypus another kind of the mollia sometimes wee haue met with.

Lobsters in great number about Sheringham and Cromer from whence all the country is supplyed.

Astacus marinus pediculi marini facie found also in that place, with the aduantage of ye long foreclawes about 4 inches long.

Crabs large and well tasted found also in the same coast.

Another kind of crab taken for cancer fluuiatilis litle slender and of a very quick motion found in the Riuer running through Yarmouth, and in Bliburgh riuer.

Oysters exceeding large about Burnham and Hunstanton like those of Poole St Mallowes or Ciuita Vechia whereof many are eaten rawe the shells being broakin with cleuers the greater part pickled and sent weekly to London and other parts.

Mituli or muscles in great quantitie as also chams or cochles about Stiskay and the northwest coast.

Pectines pectunculi varij or scallops of the lesser sort.

Turbines or smaller wilks, leues, striati, as also Trochi, Trochili, or scaloppes finely variegated and pearly. Lewise purpuræ minores, nerites, cochleæ, Tellinæ.

Lepades, patellæ Limpets, of an vniualue shell wherein an animal like a snayle cleauing fast unto the rocks.

Solenes cappe lunge venetorum commonly a razor fish the shell thereof dentalia.

Dentalia by some called pinpaches because pinmeat thereof is taken out with a pinne or needle.

Cancellus Turbinum et neritis Barnard the Hermite of Rondeletius a kind of crab or astacus liuing in a forsaken wilk or nerites.

Echinus echinometrites sea hedghogge whose neat shells are common on the shoare the fish aliue often taken by the dragges among the oysters.

Balani a smaller sort of vniualue growing commonly in clusters, the smaller kinds thereof to bee found oftimes upon oysters wilks and lobsters.

Concha anatifera or Ansifera or Barnicleshell whereof about 4 yeares past were found upon the shoare no small number by Yarmouth hanging by slender strings of a kind of Alga vnto seuerall splinters or cleauings of firre boards vnto which they were seuerally fastned and hanged like ropes of onyons: their shell flat and of a peculiar forme differing from other shelles, this being of four diuisions, containing a small imperfect animal at the lower part diuided into many shootes or streames which prepossed spectators fancy to bee the rudiment of the tayle of some goose or duck to bee produced from it; some whereof in ye shell and some taken out and spred upon paper we shall keepe by us.

Stellæ marinæ or sea starres in great plentie especially about Yarmouth. Whether they bee bred out of the vrticæ squalders or sea gellies as many report wee cannot confirme butt the squalderes in the middle seeme to haue some lines or first draughts not unlike. Our starres exceed not 5 poynts though I haue heard that some with more haue been found about Hunstanton and Burnham, where are also found stellæ marinæ testacæ or handsome crusted and brittle sea starres much lesse.

The pediculus and culex marinus the sea lowse and flie are also no strangeres.

Physsalus Rondeletij or eruca marina physsaloides according to the icon of Rondeletius of very orient green and purple bristles.

Urtica marina of diuers kinds some whereof called squalderes, of a burning and stinging qualitie if rubbed in the hand; the water thereof may afford a good cosmetick.

Another elegant sort that is often found cast up by shoare in great numbers about the bignesse of a button cleere and welted and may bee called fibula marina crystallina.

Hirudines marini or sea Leaches.

Vermes marini very large wormes digged a yarde deepe out of the sands at the ebbe for bayt. Tis known where they are to be found by a litle flat ouer them on the surface of the sand; as also vermes in tubulis testacei. Also Tethya or sea dugges some whereof resemble fritters the vesicaria marina also and fanago sometimes very large conceaued to proceed from some testaceous animals, and particularly from the purpura butt ours more probably from other testaceous wee hauing not met with any large purpura upon this coast.

Many riuer fishes also and animals. Salmon no common fish in our riuers though many are taken in the Owse, in the Bure or north riuer, in ye Waueney or south riuer, in ye Norwich river butt seldome and in the winter butt 4 yeares ago 15 were taken at Trowes mill in Xtmas, whose mouths were stuck with small wormes or horsleaches no bigger than fine threads. Some of these I kept in water 3 moneths: if a few drops of blood were putt to the water they would in a litle time looke red. They sensibly grewe bigger then I first found them and were killed by an hard froast freezing the water. Most of our Salmons haue a recurued peece of flesh in the end of the lower iawe which when they shutt there mouths deepely enters the upper, as Scaliger hath noted in some.

The Riuers lakes and broads abound in the Lucius or pikes of very large size where also is found the Brama or Breme large and well tasted the Tinca or Tench the Rubecula Roach as also Rowds and Dare or Dace perca or pearch great and small: whereof such as are in Braden on this side Yarmouth in the mixed water make a dish very dayntie and I think scarce to bee bettered in England. Butt the Blea[k] the chubbe the barbell to bee found in diuers other Riuers in England I haue not obserued in these. As also fewer mennowes then in many other riuers.

The Trutta or trout the Gammarus or crawfish butt scarce in our riuers butt frequently taken in the Bure or north riuer and in the seuerall branches thereof, and very remarkable large crawfishes to bee found in the riuer which runnes by Castleaker and Nerford.

The Aspredo perca minor and probably the cernua of Cardan commonly called a Ruffe in great plentie in Norwich Riuers and euen in the streame of the citty, which though Camden appropriates vnto this citty yet they are also found in the riuers of Oxforde and Cambridge.

Lampetra Lampries great and small found plentifully in Norwich riuer and euen in the Citty about May whereof some are very large and well cooked are counted a dayntie bitt collard up butt especially in pyes.

Mustela fluuiatilis or eele poult to bee had in Norwich riuer and between it and Yarmouth as also in the riuers of marshland resembling an eele and a cod, a very good dish and the Liuer thereof well answers the commendations of the Ancients.

Godgions or funduli fluuiatiles, many whereof may bee taken within the Riuer in the citty.

Capitones fluuiatilis or millers thumbs, pungitius fluuiatilis or stanticles. Aphia cobites fluuiatilis or Loches. In Norwich riuers in the runnes about Heueningham heath in the north riuer and streames thereof.

Of eeles the common eele and the glot which hath somewhat a different shape in the bignesse of the head and is affirmed to have yong ones often found within it, and wee haue found a vterus in the same somewhat answering the icon thereof in Senesinus.

Carpiones carpes plentifull in ponds and sometimes large ones in broads: 2 the largest I euer beheld were taken in Norwich Riuer.

Though the woods and dryelands abound with adders and vipers yet there are few snakes about our riuers or meadowes, more to bee found in Marsh land; butt ponds and plashes abound in Lizards or swifts.

The Gryllotalpa or fencricket common in fenny places butt wee haue met with them also in dry places dung-hills and church yards of this citty.

Beside horseleaches and periwinkles in plashes and standing waters we haue met with vermes setacei or hardwormes butt could neuer conuert horsehayres into them by laying them in water: as also the great Hydrocantharus or black shining water Beetle the forficula, sqilla, corculum and notonecton that swimmeth on its back.

Camden reports that in former time there haue been Beuers in the Riuer of Cardigan in Wales. This wee are to sure of that the Riuers great Broads and carres afford great store of otters with us, a great destroyer of fish as feeding butt from ye vent downewards, not free from being a prey it self for their yong ones haue been found in Buzzards nests. They are accounted no bad dish by many, are to bee made very tame and in some howses haue serued for turnespitts.