Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

CHAP. LXI.

Of the Misken.

AMongst the little birds of the cage, the Misken is a of cheerefull nature, and singeth sweetly and delightsomely: she is exceeding pleasing vnto the sight. She breedeth thrice a yeare, first about the end of Aprill, a∣mongst the shrubs or hedges of iuie or laurell, secondly, about mid-May, and thirdly and lastly, in the end of ••une: and this is their ordinarie and most com∣mon course; for sometimes they come sooner or latter, more or lesse. Their nests are made of the most ••ine roots of herbs, and oftentimes of the leaues of reeds, according as the place will afford them where they nest.

To seed the Misken taken out of her nest, you shall giue her of a sheepes heart mi••••••ed very small, taking away the fat and sinewes, or else of a calues or heyfers hea••••, taking from it likewise the sinewes and the fat, all the rest being well beaten and shr••••, because of digestion. You shall seed her in her nest oftentimes, giuing her eue∣ry time a mo••••ell or two, and no more, least they should die, by being too much fil∣led. And when you shall perceiue that the Misken will ••ate alone, you shall hang at her cage a little of the said heart minced, not ceasing notwithstanding to feed her, by putting it in her mouth certain times euery day for more as••urednesse. After she hath beene accustomed to eate alone, you may giue her some paste, feeding her therewith∣all onely, not giuing her any more heart, when she shall be accustomed thereto. Fur∣thermore, if you haue any great desire that she should learne some proper songe, take the paines for to teach her, for it is a bird that is very easie to be taught. The Miskens, which are taken in birding, proue better and more perfect than the other. They are woont to continue without singing the space of ten daies after they are taken. You shal feed them, for the space of eight da••es, with new or drie ••igs, and after you shall begin to giue them of the paste which is woont to bee made for the Nightingales, wherof we will speake hereafter: such as are fed with paste do liue longer than those which are fed with nothing but figs.

Notes

• The Mis••••n.