An history of the wonderful things of nature set forth in ten severall classes wherein are contained I. The wonders of the heavens, II. Of the elements, III. Of meteors, IV. Of minerals, V. Of plants, VI. Of birds, VII. Of four-footed beasts, VIII. Of insects, and things wanting blood, IX. Of fishes, X. Of man / written by Johannes Jonstonus, and now rendred into English by a person of quality.

CHAP. 1. Of the Eagle.

THe Eagle challengeth the first place; nor that it is the best dish at the Table, for none will eat it; but because it is the King of Birds. It is of the kind of birds of prey. The right foot of it is greater than the left; the brain is so hot, that mingled with Hemlock juice, and drank in powder, it will make one mad. It drinks not, because it seems the blood of what it preys up∣on, sufficeth it. But in old age, when the Beak is crooked with dry∣nesse, it preserves it self by drinking, Aelian. They have been seen a cubit in largenesse, and some young one, whose wings stretched out would reach 7. els. The Claws were bigger than a great mans fingers, and the thighes greater than a Lyons. Gesner saith, that was seen at a place between Dreson ond Mysnia: when it lyeth down it takes a stone called Ae••ites, which because they grow so hot as if they boy∣led, doth temper their heat. When the young ones are hatcht, she holds them in her Talons against the Sun; and having proved them to be legitimate, she takes them on her wings and carries them; the

strongest of them, when she hath them aloft, she lets them fall, and then she flies and meets them, and takes them up again. When they are old enough, she drives them forth of her nest and quarter. The female is so falacious, that being trod 30 times in a day, if the male come to her again, she will run to him. It is so quick-sighted, that flying over the Sea, out of mans view, it will discern the smallest fish: And as for its smell, it will flie to carcases 500 miles distant. It roars like a Bull; but the young ones are mute, because their tongue is hindred by moisture. It is an enemy to the Cranes: there∣fore when they fly over Mount Taurus from Cilicia, they take stones in their mouthes, and stop their clarying, and flye over it in the night. When the sight, bill, and wings fail her, she flyes above the Clowds, and there by the Suns heat she recovers her sight. She when she is become extream hot, plunges into the water, then she flies to her nest, grows feavorish, casts her feathers, is fed by her young ones, and renews her self; but sooner, if she can find Serpents to feed on.