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ROBERT SIBBALD and HIS PRODROMUS. the First Attempt To ( 34 ) ROBERT SIBBALD AND HIS PRODROMUS. BY W. H. MULLENS, M.A„ IX.M., F .t.s. [PLATE 2.] THE first attempt to treat of the Fauna of Scotland on a comprehensive scale* was that made by Robert Sibbald in his Scotia Illustrata sive Prodromus Historice Naturalis, pub­ lished in Edinburgh in 1684. This " Prodromus," or " Fore­ runner," which Sibbald produced after a labour of twenty years.f was the result of an attempt on his part to compile a geographical and historical account of Scotland, including a description of the natural history of that kingdom. Under­ taken at the instance of his patron the Earl of Perth, the actual production of the " Prodromus " seems to have been due to the command of Charles II., whose physician and geographer Sibbald was, and although it entailed on him, as he tells us, " great pains and very much expense in buying all the books and manuscripts I could gather . and procuring information from all parts of the country, even the remote isles," his only reward was, according to his own account, a fee of a hundred guineas, bestowed on him by James VII.J in March, 1685. The full title and collation of the " Prodromus " is as follows :— Scotia Illustrata / sive / Prodromus / Historise Naturalis/ in quo / Regionis natura, Incolarum Ingenia & Mores, Morbi iisque medendi Methodus, & / Medicina Indigena accurate explicantur : / ET / Multiplices Naturae Partus in triplice ejus Regno, Vegetabili scilicet, Animali & Minerali / per hancee Borealem Magnae Britaniae Partem, quae Antiquissimum Scotiae / Regnum constituit; undi- quaque diftusi nunc primum in Lucem eruuntur, & varii eorum Usus, Medici praesertim & Mechanic!, quos ad Vitae / cum necessitatem, turn commoditatem praestant; * Some ornithological matter is contained in the writings of Hector Boethius or Boece (1465-1536), and of George Buchanan (1506-82). They both wrote Histories of Scotland. f c/. title-page of " Prodromus." % James II. of England. VOL. vi.] SIBBALD'S PRODROMUS. 35 cunctis / perspicue exponuntur. / Cum Figuris Aeneis / Opus viginti Annorum / Serenissimi Domini Regis Caroli II, Magnae Britanniae &c. / Monarche Jussu editum. / Auctore Roberto Sibbaldo M.D. Equite Auratro, Medico & Geographo / Regio, & Regii Medicorum Collegii apud Edinburgum Socio / Edinburgh/ Ex Officina Typo- graphica Jacobi Kniblo, Josuae Solingensis / & Johannis Colmarii, Sumptibus Auctoris / Anno Domini M., D. C. LXXXIV, 1 Vol. Folio. Collation pp. 4un.+ pp. 18 + pp. 18un.+ pp. 102 + pp. 6 un. (Pars Prima) + pp. 6 un.+ pp. 114 + pp. 6 un. (Pars secunda, liber primus & secundus) + pp. 6 un. + pp. 56 (Pars secunda, liber tertius) + pp. 2 un, & 22 plates. Birds are dealt with in the Third Book of the second part, pp. 11-22, and again on p. 36 of the same book, where under the heading " A discourse of the geese of Scotland," the well- known fable of the generation of the Barnacle-Goose from " seeds and rotting timber," is discussed and confuted. Although the ornithological matter in the " Prodromus " is far inferior to that contained in Willughby's Ornithology (1676), much of Sibbald's information being derived from " the communications of ignorant and credulous correspondents,"* it nevertheless contains much that is of interest and importance. It is perhaps best, however, to let Sibbald's remarks speak for themselves, and as the original work is printed in obscure and somewhat involved Latin, we have appended a free translation of Sibbald's account of the birds of his native country, omitting only those parts which are of a medical nature, and adding some few brief anotations where necessary. + * The " Prodromus "was severely attacked by Dr. Archibald Pitcairne (1652-1713), a contemporary of Sibbald's, and eminent as a Physician, Mathematician, and Poet, in a work entitled Disertatio de legibus Historicae Naturalis. Edinburgh 1696. f It is almost impossible at times to translate Sibbald's Latin literally, but an attempt has been made to preserve the correct sense as far as possible. My best thanks are due to Mr. Hugh S. Gladstone of Capenoch, for placing at my disposal a translation and notes of the " Prodromus." m BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. VI. [Translation of Sibbald] CONCERNING BIRDS. CHAPTER r. OF BIRDS IN GENERAL. Certain of them migrate, others do not depart or hide themselves far away from the places they usually frequent. CHAPTER II, OF THE CARNIVOROUS LAND BIRDS. The Eagle places its nest in steep and inaccessible places, such as the highest rocks or trees, so that it may not be dis­ turbed by hunters or hostile beasts, and that its young may be the more securely guarded from any harm. When hunting for its prey it despises the smaller and attacks the larger animals such as kids* and fawns. The learned Matthew Mackaile, a chemist of Aberdeen, informs me that there are very many Eagles in the western parts of the main island of Orkney, which is called Pomona, as is also the case in the Island of Hoy, and that one of them seized an infant of a year old, wrapped up in a shawl, which his mother had laid down for a moment at a spot called Houton-head, while she was collecting peats for the fire, and carried him to Hoy, a distance of some four miles, which event being made known by the shrieks of the mother, four men set off in a small boat, and knowing where the nest was, they recovered the infant, untouched and unhurt. The Eagles which are found among us are, as I am informed : Chrysaetos [the Golden Eagle], which derives its name from the yellow colour of its plumage. Haliseetus, the Sea Eagle or Ospray. Melanseetos, in one of the Orkney Islands. Pygargus Hinnularius (so called because according to Turnerf it preys on fawns) an Erne [the White-tailed Eagle]. The smaller diurnal birds of prey are called Accipitres ; these are either of the more noble kind which are wont to be tamed and trained for Hawking, or of the baser and more cowardly sort, which either because they cannot be taught, or are but of little use for Hawking are neglected by man. * Literally " wild she-goats." t William Turner (1500-68) author of Avium Prceeiptiarum brevis & succincta hisioria, Cologne, 1544. Turner says " Pygargus, if I err not, in the English tongue is called an "Erne." VOL, vi.] SIBBALD'S PRODROMUS. 37 The former sort are by our people termed Hawks, and by fowlers are diYided into long-winged and short-winged hawks, the long-winged being those in which the wings when folded extend almost to the end of the tail. The nobler of the long-winged hawks usually trained for fowling among us are :— Faleo gentilis [the Peregrine] Tereell-gentle [Tereell, the name applied in falconry to the male hawk of different species] in Ross and the Orkneys. Faleo sacer, the Saere [possibly the female Peregrine]. Gyrfaleo, the Gerfalcon. Faleo Gibbosus. Can this be our Hobby-female* [gibbosus, i.e. hunch-backed, it is futile to attempt to identify this or many others of the birds Sibbald mentions ; he evidently described most of them from hearsay]. Accipiter JSsalon, Merlin the female, Jack the male, Tinnuneulus male and female, Stanohel [the Kestrel]. The short-winged Hawks, the wings not reaching to the tail, among us are :— Accipiter Palumbarius, the Goshawk. The male is called the Tereell. Accipiter Fringillarius, or Nisus, the Sparrow-hawk, The baser kind, or unteachable long-winged hawks are :— Balbusardus, the Bald Buzzard [the Marsh-Harrier]. Buteo Vulgaris, the Buzzard. Subbuteo, by some called Buteo albus, the Ring-tail [the female Hen-Harrier]. Milvus, the forked-tail Kite, or Gled. Milvus palustris, the Bog-gled. Is this the Milvus JSruginosus of Aldrovandus ? f Milvus Albicans. Is this the Lanius albicans ? Milvus niger, a black Gled. Is this the Lanius ? Milvus similar in colour to the ash-coloured falcon. Is this the Lanius Cinereus ? Cueulus, the Cuckow. The nocturnal birds of prey among us, from hearsay (or according to my witnesses) are :— Bubo maximus, of a black and dusky colour. In the Orkneys [the Eagle-Owl], Otus, or Noctua Aurita, the Owl with feathers standing above his ears [the Long-eared Owl]. * The Hobby is now a very rare visitor to Scotland. f Ulysess Aldrovandus (1522-1605) author of Ornithologim de Avibus Sistoriae, Libri XX. Bologna, 1599-1603. 38 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. VI. Noctua, the common Gray Owl. Strix, the Scritoh Owl [the Tawny Owl] Aluco minor of Aldrovandus. the White Owl, or Church- Owl [the Bam-Owl]. Nycticorax, the Night-Raven, and this seems the same as the Caprimulgus of others [the Nightjar]. Vespertilio a Bat or Flitter mouse [classed among the birds by most of the earlier writers]. Birds with thick and somewhat long and straight beaks among us are :— Corvus, the Raven, among our folk the Corbei. Corvus Cinereus. Is this a kind of Vulture ? Corvus minor, the Carrion-Crow. Corvus semicinereus. Is this the Hooded Crow of our country people ? Cornix—the Chough. Spermologus frugivorus, the Rook. Cornix Aquatica. Coracias, the Cornwall Kae. The frequent crowing of Choughs foretells showers. Graculus, or Monedula, a Jackdaw, a Kae. Concerning the Pica tribe :— Pica varia Caudata [the Magpie]. Pica Glandaria, the Jay (Glandaria=acorn-eating). Among Woodpeckers the following are found with us :— Woodpeckers have a straight, hard, angular and sharp pointed beak, adapted for boring trees ; their feet have two claws in front and two behind. They feed solely on insects. Picus viridis [the Green Woodpecker—this bird is very rare in Scotland, as are also the two next mentioned]. Picus varius minor [the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker]. Picus Cinereus [the Nuthatch cf. Willughby's Ornithology 1, 142]. Accompanying the above is :— Upupa [the Hoopoe] in the Merse* and Orkneys.
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