descry vs discern

descry

verb
  • To see, especially from afar; to discover (a distant or obscure object) by the eye; to espy; to discern or detect. 

  • To announce a discovery: to disclose; to reveal. 

discern

verb
  • To detect with the senses, especially with the eyes. 

  • To distinguish something as being different from something else; to differentiate. 

  • To perceive, recognize, or comprehend with the mind; to descry. 

  • To perceive differences. 

How often have the words descry and discern occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )