The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
Petrus Pawius ( - )
Alias for Pieter Pauw
Excerpts from Ornithology (1876) related to Sir Thomas Browne's and the Tradescants' collections After I had composed and writ down
the History of this Bird with as much diligence and faithfulness
as I could, I hapned to see in the house of University of ,
a Leg thereof cut
off at the knee, lately brought over out of
Mauritius
his Island. It was not very long, from the
knee to the bending of the foot being but little more than four
inches; but of a great thickness, so that it was almost four
inches in compass, and covered with thick-set scales, on the
upper side broader, and of a yelÂlowish colour, on the
under [or backside of the Leg] lesser and dusky. The upper side
of the Toes was also covered with broad scales, the under side
wholly callous. The Toes were short for so thick a Leg: For the
length of the greatest or middlemost Toe to the nail did not
much exceed two inches, that of the other Toe next to it scarce
came up to two inches: The back-toe fell something short of an
inch and half: But the Claws of all were thick, hard, black,
less than an inch long; but that of the back-toe longer than the
rest, exceeding an inch. The Mariners in their dialect gave this
bird the name of
, primary Professor of Physic in thePeter Pawius
Leyden
Walghvogel,that is, a nauseous, or yellowish bird: Partly because after long boyling its fleshbecame not tender, but continued hard, and of a difficult concoction; excepting the Breast and Gizzard, which they found to be of no bad relish; partly because they could easily get many
Turtle-Doves,which were much more delicate and pleasant to the Palate. Wherefore it was no wonder that in comparison of those they despised this, and said they could well be content to be without it. Moreover they said, that they found certain stones in its Gizzard:
And no wonder, for all other birds as well as these swallow stones, to assist them in grinding their meat.Thus far
Clusius .