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. LXII.

Of the solitarie Sparrow.

BY nature the solitari•• Sparrow is giuen to be melancholicke, she loueth by-places, and thereupon commeth her name, because they are very so∣litarie, as namely, the old decayed walls of churches, and other ••••••••ha∣bited places, as being far remoued from the companie of other birds: she 〈◊〉〈◊〉 very iealous ouer her young ones: she maketh her nest in the holes and clefts of old buildings, and breedeth thrice a yeare: first, in Aprill: secondly, in May: and thirdly, in Iune.

If you will bring vp, and take any pleasure by the solitarie Sparrow, which haue taken young in their nests, you must chuse the greatest and biggest, namely such as are well couered with feathers, for else you shal neuer bring them to any proofe.

If peraduenture, when they are growne thus great, they will not open their bils, you shall open them, giuing them as much as a bird will hold in her bill three or foure times. But and if you perceiue that they will eate of themselues, you may put in their trough or meate-boxe, some of the foresaid heart, not giuing ouer notwith∣standing, to put it into their mouthes, vntill such time as they can eate alone. But for such as open their bils, you shall feed them with the said heart, after that you haue

taken off the skinne round about, and the fat also, and that once euerie houre or more, if you heare them crie and see them gape. Put in their cage a little straw or hay, keeping them as neate and cleane as possibly you can; for if you do not, they will be∣come lame, or else die in a small time. Wherefore you shall do as hath beene said, vn∣till they haue mouted, and afterward if you will keepe them in sand, it will be very good: howbeit, I thinke it better to keepe them in hay all the Winter following. And whenas they shall eate of themselues, their meate shall bee sheepes heart small minced, and sometimes of the paste which is woont to be giuen to Nightin∣gales. And sometimes for an extraordinarie dish, you may giue them hard egges, as also raysins.

Notes

• 〈…〉〈…〉.