A Bird, came down the Walk－ 1
He did not know I saw－
He bit an Angle Worm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw,
And then, he drank a Dew 5
From a convenient Grass－
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
To let a Beetle pass－
He glanced with rapid eyes, 9
That hurried all abroad－
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought,
He stirred his Velvet Head－
Like one in danger, Cautious, 13
I offered him a Crumb,
And he unrolled his feathers,
And rowed him softer Home－
Than Oars divide the Ocean, 17
Too silver for a seam－
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon,
Leap, plashless as they swim.
He did not know I saw－
He bit an Angle Worm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw,
And then, he drank a Dew 5
From a convenient Grass－
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
To let a Beetle pass－
He glanced with rapid eyes, 9
That hurried all abroad－
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought,
He stirred his Velvet Head－
Like one in danger, Cautious, 13
I offered him a Crumb,
And he unrolled his feathers,
And rowed him softer Home－
Than Oars divide the Ocean, 17
Too silver for a seam－
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon,
Leap, plashless as they swim.
(F.359/J.328)
[1] Bird:: a burbot, also named eel-pout by some.
[3] Angle Worm:: a hint on fish.
[7] hopped:: no flying act in this poem.
[12] Velvet Head:: soft and smooth head.
[15] feathers:: fins.
[19] Butterflies:: butterfly-fish.
Burbot (G. lota). The jaws in this species are of equal length, and the caudal fin is oval, and even a little pointed at the termination, something approaching in shape to that of an eel. The length varies from one foot to three, and upwards; the ground colour is brownish, with blotches of pale yellow and olive. The first dorsal fin is short, and consists of eleven rays; the second fin extends along the back, almost to the caudal fin, which is another approximation to the eel family. It is a river fish, and not a sea one; and as a British fish it has been found in the slow rivers of the rich parts of England only. Different from those which inhabit the sea, it spawns about the middle of winter; and it differs from the eels in spawning in the cold season, and not descending the rivers, so far as has been ascertained, for the purpose of maturing its spawn. The common English name “burbot” is a contraction of “bird-bolt" a kind of short arrow shot from a cross-bow, which this fish is understood to resemble in shape, and after which it has uccordingly been called. It is also named the “eel-pout,” and the “coney-fish.” ─ The British Cyclopedia of Natural History (1836)
BIRD-BOLT: a delicate kind of codfish, otherwise called Burbot. ─ Universal Technological Dictionary by George Crabb (1823)
THE BUTTERFLY-FISH. This fish, which is a species of Blenny, has a long, large head, narrowed at the sides; and prominent eyes of considerable magnitude, with black pnpil, and orange-coloured iris; the month is large; the jaws are of equal length, with a row of very narrow teeth standing close to each other; the tongue is broad, but short. The gills are wide, the cheeks large, and of a silver colour. The back is round, and of a dark green; the belly is short but broad. The ground colour of the fish is a dirty green, with brown spots; there are some, however, whose principal colour is a clear blue. The dorsal fin is spotted with black. This fish inhabits the Mediterranean sea: and at Marseilles, Sardinia, and Venice, is common in the markets with other small fish. It attains to the length of six or eight inches; lives near the shore, among the rocks and weeds; and feeds on crabs and small shell-fish. Its scales are hardly visible. Some naturalists describe this fish as having two dorsal fins; while others say it has but one. This contradiction must nrise from these fins being sometimes united by a membrane, and sometimes not. ─ A Natural History of the Most Remarkable Quadrupeds, Birds, Fishes (1825)
