The gentleman's recreation in four parts, viz. hunting, hawking, fowling, fishing : wherein these generous exercises are largely treated of, and the terms of art for hunting and hawking more amply enlarged than heretofore : whereto is prefixt a large sculpture, giving easie directions for blowing the horn, and other sculptures inserted proper to each recreation : with an abstract at the end of each subject of such laws as relate to the same.

How to make a Net-trap for Nightingales.

Take a Net made of green Silk or Thread, about the compass of a yard, made after the fashion of a Shove-net for Fishes; then get some large Wyre, and bending it round, joyn both ends, which you must put into a short Stick about an Inch and an half long; then you must have a piece of Iron with two Cheeks and a hole on each side, through which you must put some fine Whip-cord three or four times double, that so it may hold the piece of Wood the better unto which the ends of the Wyre are put, and with a Button on each side the Iron, twist the Whip-cord, that so the Net may play the quicker: you must fasten the Net to the Wyre as you do a Shove-net to the Hoop; then get a Board of the compass of your Wyre, and joyn your two cheeks of Iron at the handle of your Board; then make a hole in the middle of your Board; and put a piece of Stick of about two Inches long, and a Hole at the Top of your Stick, which you must

have a Peg to put in with two Wyres, an Inch and half long, to stick your Meal-worm upon; then tye a String in the middle of the top of your Net, drawing the Net up, having an eye at the end of the handle to put your Thread through, pull it till it stands upright, then pull it through the hole of the Stick that stands in the middle of your Board, and put your Peg in the hole, and that will hold the String that the Net cannot fall down: you must put two Worms upon the Wyres, before you put it into the hole, and set it as gently as you can, that it may fall with the first touch of the Nightingale: When you have your Net and Worm ready, having first scraped the place, then put some Ants in your Trap-cage, and upon your Board put some Worms upon Thorns, and set them at the bottom of your Trap-cage, little holes being made for the same purpose to stick in the ends of your Thorns: Then plant your Trap near to the place where you heard them call, either in the Ditch, or by the Bank-side, or corner of a Hedge, and then walk away; you may set what number of Trap-cages you think convenient. Do what is here proposed, and you need not doubt the ha∣ving of your desires satisfied.

Having taken your Nightingales, (the times is in Ju∣ly or August) tye the ends of their Wings with some brown Thread, that so they may be disenabled to hurt themselves by beating their tender bodies against the top and Wyres of the Cage.

Let the Cage be covered above half with green Bays, and for four or five days let him be very little distur∣bed by company; but withal forget not to feed them half a dozen times every day with Sheeps-heart and Egg shred very fine, and mingle red Ants therewith, and a few red Earth-worms would not do amiss.

Here note, that no Nightingale at first taking will eat any other food than what is living, as Worms,

Ants, Flies, or Caterpillars; which through sullenness if he will not eat, then take him out, and upon the point of a Stick (first opening his Bill) give him four or five gobbets one after another; then turn him into the Cage, strowing the bottom thereof with Egg and minced Sheeps-heart mingled with some Pismires. These Nightingales that are taken at this time of the year, will not sing till the middle of October, and then they will hold in song till the middle of June: But the Nightingales that are taken from the first of April to the twentieth, are the best Birds for Song in the whole Universe; and these are taken with Trap-cages or Trap-nets, as the Branchers aforesaid, in June, July; and August. Here observe, that Nestlings nor Bran∣chers (except they have an old Bird to sing over them) have not the true Song for the first twelve months. When you have so tamed them that they begin to Cur and Sweet with chearfulness, and record softly to them∣selves, it is a certain signe that they eat, and then you need not trouble your self with feeding them; but if they sing before they feed, they commonly prove most excellent Birds: Those Birds that are long a feeding, and make no Curring nor Sweeting, are not worth the keeping. If you have a Bird that will flutter and bolt up his head in the night against the top of the Cage, keep him not, for he is not onely good for no∣thing, but his bad example will teach the best of your Birds to do the like.

Now to the intent you may not keep Hens instead of Cocks, and so not onely be at useless charge, but be frustrated of your expectation, you shall distinguish their Sexes by these observations. The Cock in the judgment of some is both longer and bigger: others say the Cock hath a greater Eye, a longer Bill, and a Tail more reddish: others pretend to know them by the Pinion of the Wing, and Feathers on the Head.

These Rules I look not upon as infallible, having found them contrary to truth by my own experience: Now to undeceive you, take these true Experimental Ob∣servations. First, take notice that if any of your Nest∣lings (before they can feed themselves) do Record a little to themselves, and in their Recording you per∣ceive their Throats to wag, you need not doubt that they are Cocks; but when they come to feed them∣selves, the Hen will Record as well as the Cock; there∣fore mark them when young, for it is very difficult to distinguish afterwards.

Branchers, whether Cocks or Hens (when taken and do feed themselves) will Record; but the Cock does it much longer, louder, and oftener.

The best sort of Nightingales frequent High-ways, Orchards, and sing close by houses: these when taken will feed soonest, being more acquainted with the com∣pany of people; and after their feeding will grow fa∣miliar, and sing speedily. Observe, not to untye too soon the Wings of your Nightingale; for if he be not very familiar and tame when he is untyed, he will be apt to beat himself against the Cage, and so spoil him∣self.

Now as to their Diseases and Cures, observe this, that at the latter end of August they grow very fat, either abroad or in a Cage: when it begins to abate when they do not sing, it is a dangerous signe; where∣fore to remedy this, keep them very warm, giving them Saffron in their meat or water: when you perceive the growth of their fat, purge them thrice a Week for a Month, either with a Worm which is found in Pi∣geon-houses, or with a speckled Spider, which you may find plentifully about Vines, Currans, or Goose-berry∣bushes in August, and at no time else. If they are me∣lancholy, put into their Drinking-pot some Liquorish with a little white Sugar-candy, giving them to feed

on Sheeps-heart shred small, some Meal-worms, and Eggs mingled with Pismires. It is strange that some of these Birds when fat will fast three weeks, which I have known; but it is better when they eat.

Nightingales kept in a Cage two or three years, are subject to the Gout: for their Cure, take fresh Butter and anoint their Feet four or five days, and they will be well again. Here note, that for want of keeping them clean, their Feet are clog'd, and then their Claws will rot off, and are subject to Gout and Cramp, and will take no delight in themselves; to prevent these mischiefs, put dry Sand into the bottom of their Cages.

They are likewise troubled with Aposthumes and breaking out about their Eyes and Neb; for which, use Gapons-grease. And thus much of the Diseases of the Nightingale.