The ornithology of Francis Willughby of Middleton in the county of Warwick Esq, fellow of the Royal Society in three books : wherein all the birds hitherto known, being reduced into a method sutable to their natures, are accurately described : the descriptions illustrated by most elegant figures, nearly resembling the live birds, engraven in LXXVII copper plates : translated into English, and enlarged with many additions throughout the whole work : to which are added, Three considerable discourses, I. of the art of fowling, with a description of several nets in two large copper plates, II. of the ordering of singing birds, III. of falconry / by John Ray ...

BOOK I. PART II. SECT. II. Of small Birds.

Of small Birds in general.

SMall Birds in general may be divided into slender-bill'd, which are for the most part Insectivorous; and such as have short and thick Bills, which are for the most part Phytivorous, living upon the fruits and seeds of Plants. The first kind are commonly called soft-beak'd, the second hard-beak'd birds.

Of both kinds there are many subalternate Species, viz. of slender-bill'd, Larks, whose characteristic notes are a very long heel; earthy coloured feathers, mounting up in the air, and singing as they fly; Swallows, whose marks are a short Bill, a wide Mouth, long Wings, a forked Tail, short and small Legs and Feet; swift, and almost continual flight: The Hedge-Sparrow, Redstart, Robin-red-breast, and many others, which we divide into two Classes or ranks. The first is of such whose Tail is only of one colour; the second of those whose Tails are particoloured; either all the feathers, or the outmost on each side being in part white.

Of thick-bill'd Birds the kinds are, the Sparrow, whose marks are an earthy or te∣staceous colour, a Bill a little crooked, feeding upon Corn, the Hawfinch, the Green∣finch, the Shel-apple or Sheld-dapple, the Linnet, the Chaff-finch, the Gold-finch, the Siskin, &c. whose characteristics we will give when we come to treat of them.

An Addition concerning singing birds in general.

AMerica (as Marggravius observes) breeds more fair-coloured birds, but fewer singing birds than Europe.

As we have distinguished small birds in general into soft and hard beak'd, so may we also distinguish singing birds. The soft-beak'd are, The Mavis or Song-Thrush; the Blackbird; the solitary Sparrow, which is a stranger to England; the Nightingale, esteemed the Prince of all singing birds, of the rearing and ordering of which we shall treat at large when we come to his History; the Skie-Lark; the Wood-Lark; the Tit-Lark; the Robin-red-breast; the Wren; the Black-cap; the Beccafigo; the Red∣start; and the Hedge-Sparrow.

The hard-beak'd are, The Canary bird; the Linnet; the Chaffinch; the Goldfinch; the Greenfinch; the Bulfinch; the Brambling; the Hortulane; the Siskin; the Citril, the Hirngril; the Yellow-hammer.

In all singing birds in general observe to keep them very neat and cleanly; and therefore often to shift the straw, moss, gravel, or whatever else you put in the bot∣toms of their Cages; and to give them fresh water, and meat often; for nothing offends them more than the stench of their own dung, or putrid meat and water. Be∣sides, if their Cages be foul, they will be apt to clog their Feet with their dung, which often rots off their toes, at least causes the Cramp, Gout, and other infirmities. Al∣drovandus advises to put in their Cages a piece of Pumice stone, or old rubbish, to cleanse and whet their Bills upon, which otherwise will be apt to grow blunt.

All Birds (saith he) are wont to swallow something out of the earth to cleanse their bodies; I rather think they use only to swallow some grit or gravel, to assist them in grinding their meat in their Gizzards; and therefore it is needful to put fine gravel in their Cages.

In the rearing of young ones from the Nest observe, 1. To feed them often, but to give them but little at a time, as the old ones do, for fear of over-charging their stomachs, and causing them to cast up their meat. 2. After they begin to feed themselves, give not over feeding them presently, lest they neglect and starve them∣selves.

Hard-beak'd birds are to be fed with seeds, and of all seeds Aldrovandus commends Canary-seed, as the most savoury, pleasant, and wholsom of all other, which makes them sing with greater alacrity, and also live long: For want of which you may (saith he) give them Millet, Panic, Spelt, Off-corn-wheat, Hemp-seed, and Lime∣seed; he might have added Rape-seed, Cole-seed, and many others.

Soft-beak'd birds are to be fed with heart of Veal or Weather, Worms, Flies, and such kind of Insects, as also that sort of paste the receipt whereof we shall give you in the History of the Nightingale.

In preparing their meat have a care to free it from all skin, fat, and Sinews, or strings, which will be apt to stick in their Throats, or twine about their Tongues, and cause them to fall off their meat, &c.

Aldrovands method to make birds sing in Autumn or Winter.

ABout the beginning of May purge them with Beet, first mingling the juyce of it with their water; then giving them no water at all, but only hanging up Beet∣leaves in their Cages, putting in also a handful of earth and rubbish. Then by degrees accustom them to darkness for ten days, putting them still in places darker and darker, and at last in a room perfectly dark, that hath not the least chink to let in light. Du∣ring all the time of their imprisonment in this dungeon, no body must come in there but their Keeper, and he with a Candle once in three days to give fresh water and meat, and to cleanse their Cages: [It would be convenient to have two Cages, and change them every twentieth day.] Every fourth day give them a Beet-leaf, and every tenth day juyce of Beet, else they will incur the danger of growing blind. In this manner they must be kept till about the tenth of August, and then new purged, after the manner we before prescribed; and then by degrees again accustomed to the light, but by no means exposed to the Sun-beams for fear of blinding them. This doing you shall be Master of your purpose.

Diseases incident to singing birds, and their remedies.

1. BLindness, which if radicated and confirmed is incurable; taken at first, when their Eyes begin to water, may be remedied by giving them Sugar dissolved in the juyce of Beet every other day for four days, and putting into their Cages a twig of Figtree to rub their Eyes against; which by the instinct of nature they will use to do.

2. The Falling sickness, which Aldrovand also accounts an incurable disease. If they escape the first fit he advises presently to cut their Claws to the quick, and sprinkle them with Wine, and to keep them from the heat of the Sun all Summer.

3. Fractures of the bones of their Legs or Wings: In which he advises by no means to splinter or bind up the part; but only to take away the Perches out of their Cages, and to set their meat and water in the bottom of their Cages; and keep them where no company comes to scare them.

4. Swellings and inflammations or impostumes.

5. An Hydropical distemper.

6. The Gout, known by roughness and swellings in their Legs and Feet, especially their Knees.

7. The Phthisic or subtile disease, in which their breast veins are distended, but the flesh fallen away, and their Bellies swelled as though they had the Dropsie. In all these distempers Aldrovand advises still to purge with Beet, as was before pre∣scribed.

8. Aphthae, or small Ulcers in their mouths, for the cure of which dissolve Pumpion seeds in water, and give it them for their drink for three or four days, and when you perceive them to mend, give them fine Loaf-Sugar in like manner dissolved in water.

9. The Pip, which may be known by the hardness of the end of their Tongue: Small birds (saith a late English Writer) that feed upon Seeds are very seldom subject

to this disease; but most commonly Throstles, Blackbirds, and Stares, which feed up∣on soft meat. I have also known Nightingales to be troubled with it, that have been fed too much with Eggs hard-boyled. For the remedy of this (for the bird will ne∣ver eat his meat kindly, nor sing with any stomach so long as he hath it) take the bird in your hand, and having opened his Bill, with a Needle take that hardness off from the top of his Tongue, and the sides of his Bill also; and give him as in the precedent disease.

10. The disease of the Rump, known by the birds growing melancholy, and ab∣staining from singing. The best remedy whereof is to cut off that sharp part that lies upon the top of the Rump, and give him some cleansing thing in his meat, and refreshing thing in his water.

11. The flux of the Belly or Scouring. For remedy whereof pluck off the Tail∣feathers, and the feathers about the Vent, and anoint the place with Oyl or Capons grease, and if they be hard-beak'd birds, instead of Hemp-seed, or Rape-seed, give them Pumpion seeds [or red Beet seeds] for two or three days; if soft-beak'd, give them nothing but the yolks of hard-boyl'd Eggs.

12. Moulting or casting their feathers is a kind of disease common to all birds. At that time they all grow melancholy, and cease to sing, and forsake their meat, and some of them will be very sick. For help of this Aldrovand advises to sprinkle them twice or thrice a Week with Wine not too strong, then setting them in the Sun till they be dry, and after putting some greens about their Cage.

To preserve birds of all kinds in health, Aldrovand saith, it would be useful to purge them once a month with Pumpion seeds decorticated, Lettuce, Succory, Beet, Pim∣pernel, or Mercury, which last herb is proper to the Linnet. Such birds as are used to dust themselves, it would without doubt be convenient to put sand or dust in their Cages; for this basking themselves in the dust rids them of Lice and Vermine: Likewise, such as are used to wash themselves ought to have water set them for that purpose.

It would also be of advantage, indeed it were necessary, to put a little fine gravel in their Cages, that they may pick up and swallow some grit or small stones, to help them in grinding their meat in their stomachs, as wild birds are used to do, in whose Gizzards you will never fail to find small stones and grit.

Olina advises in tumours or impostumes on the head, (which are most incident to birds of a hot complexion) to cauterize the place affected with a hot Iron, and then anoint it with black Sope dissolved, or Oyl and hot ashes. Some use to purge the birds, before they burn them, with juyce of Beet.

For the Aphthae he prescribes lightly to touch the Palate with a feather dipt in ho∣ney of Roses, which hath been sharpned with a little Oyl of Sulphur.

For the Asthma, or shortness of breath, he advises to drop two or three drops of Oxymel into their throats with a feather; mingling thereof also with their water for two or three days, or dissolve white Sugar-candy in their water.

Hoarseness and loss of voice he saith is remedied by giving them for their drink a decoction of Jujubes, dried Figs, and pounded, boil'd in common water, and that for two days, and the next two or three days juyce of Beet: And if it be in Summer time setting them all night in the open air, so as the dew may not fall upon them.

For a scouring he commends water in which Iron is quencht, or a light decoction of Services, or Cornelian Cherries.

For costiveness he advises to put a feather anointed with oyl into the Fundament once or twice a day for two days, giving them also the same days juyce of Beet.

For the Gout: Washing the Legs and Feet twice a day for four or five days with a decoction of the root of white Hellebore in common water, as hot as the Bird can endure it; and for want thereof bathing it with Brandy Wine, or Aqua Vitae.

To stir up and quicken birds to sing, give them somewhat that they are most greedy of, and most delighted in, or something that is heating. Some use to give them Lin∣seed mingled with Pine-kernels pounded; putting in their drinking Cup two or three Chives of Saffron, encompassing their Cages with some pleasing verdure, as of

Birds fed with Paste are wont to have their drinking Cup set without their Cages; Seed-birds within. Keep their Cages neat, and in the bottom put in Winter-time hay or straw broken, in Summer-time sand. So far Olina. I suppose it would be conve∣nient to give them a little gravel in their Cages all times of the year for the reason be∣fore intimated.

THE FIRST MEMBER OR SUBSECTION, Of small Birds with slender Birds.

OF these there are many sorts. All besides Swallows may conveniently enough be divided into such as have the feathers of their Tails all of one colour, and such as have a particoloured Tail. We will first treat of Larks and Swallows by themselves, then we will reduce the rest to the now mentioned heads.

CHAP. I. OF LARKS.

§. I. Of Larks in general.

A Lark, called by the Grecians 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, signifying a Hel∣met, by the Latines also Cassita and Galerita, from Cassis, and Galea, or Gale∣rus of like signification (which names do yet properly agree to the crested Lark) is distinguished from other sorts of Birds, 1. By its long Heel or Claw of the back-toe; which is the characteristic mark of this bird: 2. By the testaceous or earthy colour of its feathers: Which note is not common to all the Birds we compre∣hend under this title, nor proper to this kind, fith it agrees to Sparrows, and other Birds: 3. By its singing as it flies mounting up in the air. We have in England ob∣served four sorts of Larks: 1. The most common one: 2. The Wood-Lark: 3. The lesser crested Lark: 4. The Tit-Lark.

§. II. The common Skie-Lark. Alauda vulgaris.

IT is not much bigger than a House-Sparrow, yet longer bodied; of an ounce and half weight: from the tip of the Bill to the Claws or Tail-end, (for they are equally extended) six inches and a quarter. The ends of the great feathers in the Wings stretched out were ten inches and a quarter distant. The Bill, measuring from the tip to the angles of the Mouth, was three quarters of an inch long: The upper Mandible black or horn-coloured, the lower commonly whitish. The Tongue broad, cloven, hard: The Nosthrils round. It sometimes ruffles up the feathers of its head, almost in fashion of a Crest. A cinereous Ring or Crown compasses the hind part of the Head from Eye to Eye, but more sordid, and less conspicuous than in the Wood-Lark. The Head is of a testaceous or reddish ash-colour, the middle parts of the feathers being black. The Back is of the same colour with the Head: The Chin whitish: The Throat yellow, with brown spots: The sides of a reddish yellow. Each Wing hath eighteen quil-feathers. Of these all betwixt the sixth and seventeenth have blunt, indented, white tips. The edges of the four or five outmost are white, of those next the body cinereous, of the rest reddish.

The Tail is three inches long, consisting of twelve feathers, of which the outmost on each side hath both its upper half, and also the exteriour Vane of the lower white: The next to this hath only its outer Web white, the inner being black: The three following on each side are black. The two middlemost are sharp-pointed; of which that that lies undermost when the Tail is shut hath ash-coloured edges: That which covers it lying uppermost, towards the tip is cinereous, toward the bottom blackish. The Feet and Legs are dusky: The Claws black, with white tips. The outer toe grows to the middle below as in other small birds.

The Liver is divided into two Lobes, the left much less than the right, that there may be room for the Gizzard, which in this bird is fleshy, and great for the bigness of the bird. The flesh is very sweet and delicate. In mild Winters it feeds wondrous

fat: And there are then taken an innumerable number with us in England for the furnishing and adorning of our Tables, as Polydore Virgil truly writes. It builds upon the ground, and lays four or five Eggs at once: A late Writer saith three or four, and that to his knowledge he never found five in all his life.

This Bird builds (saith Olina) in plain, open ground, under some clod of Earth; others say in Corn, or thick high grass in Meadows: And though in Winter we see great flocks of them, yet we find the fewest of their Nests of any birds that are so plentiful. He makes his Nest of dried herbs and strings, and breeds thrice a year, in May, July, and August, rearing his young very suddenly: So that if you have a Nest, you must take them as soon as they are spoon-feathered, or else you run the risco of losing them, for they will get them gone of a sudden. This bird breeds much later than the Wood-Lark, by almost two months, for she seldom hath young ones before the middle of May.

Young Nestlings may be brought up almost with any meat, but if you give them sheeps Heart and Egg chopt together, till they are about three weeks old, it will not be amiss: And when they come to eat alone, give them Oatmeal, Hemp-seed and bread, mixed together with a little Egg. Olina saith, to save charges, you may feed them with Wheat, Oats, and Millet. These birds that are so young may be brought up to any thing, one bird learning another birds Song. You must always observe to give them sand at the bottom of the Cage, and let them have a new Turf every week placed in a dish of water in their Cage, (which must be as large as two of the Wood-Larks Cage.) They need have no Pearches in their Cages.

The Cock may be known from the Hen, according to Olina, by having his heel so long that it reaches beyond his knee; and having two black spots on his Neck, one on each side, somewhat in fashion of a Ring or Collar; his breast darker, and more speckled with black, and a grosser body. My English Author saith, that those you intend to keep for singing were best be taken in October or November, and then they will sing a little after Christmas; and advises to chuse the streightest, largest, and loftiest bird, and he that hath most white in his Tail, for these (saith he) are the usu∣al marks for a Cock. If you find him very wild and buckish, tie his Wings for two or three weeks, till he is become both acquainted and tame also, and then when you perceive him pretty orderly, untie his Wings, still letting him hang in the same place he did. You must feed this old bird with Hemp-seed, Bread, and a few white Oats, for he takes great delight to husk the Oats: And when he begins to sing, once in a week you may give him a hard Egg, or shred him a little boyled Mutton, or Veal, or Sheeps heart. You must observe in this bird, as in all others, that you give it no salt meat, nor bread that is any thing salt.

§. III. The Woodlark, called at Rome, Tottovilla.

THe Cock we made trial in weighed an ounce and a quarter: Its length from Bill to Tail was six inches and an half: The distance between the ends of the Wings spread twelve inches and an half.

It is lesser than the common Lark, and shorter bodied. Its Bill, as in the rest of this kind, streight, slender, sharp-pointed, above half an inch long, somewhat flat, of a dusky colour: Its Tongue broad, cloven: The Irides of its Eyes hazel-coloured: Its Nosthrils round. Its Feet of a pale yellow, inclining to flesh colour: Its Claws dusky; that of the back-toe longest. The outmost fore-toe sticks to the middle be∣low near the divarication.

The Breast and Belly are of a pale whitish yellow; the Throat deeper coloured; both spotted with black in the middle parts of the feathers. The Head and Back are par∣ticoloured of black and reddish yellow, the middle of each feather being spotted with black. The Neck is ash-coloured. A white line encompasseth the Head from Eye to Eye like a Crown, or Wreath. The Rump is of a yellowish red or tawny.

Each Wing hath eighteen prime feathers; the outmost being much shorter than the rest. The next five are half an inch longer than the rest, having their points sharp, and their outer edges white: The rest have blunt points, indented as it were in the middle, having yellow edges. The feathers of the bastard wing are dusky with clay-coloured tips, and at its root is a white spot. The small feathers on the ridge of the Wing are ash-coloured. The Tail was two inches long, consisting of the usual

number of feathers, viz. twelve, not forked; yet the middle feathers were some∣thing shorter than the rest, and ended in sharp points, being between green and a sordid red or fulvous colour. The four next on each side had blunt points, were whitish at tips, the outmost most, the rest in order less, else blackish.

It hath no Craw: In the Stomach we found Beetles, Caterpillars, Gromil-seed, &c. The stomach was provided with strong and thick muscles. The blind Guts in this kind, as in all other small birds, that we have observed, are very short: The Gut be∣low these appendants is larger.

These birds fly many together in company, singing as they fly with a note not much unlike a Blackbirds.

It is distinguished from the common Lark, by the following marks especially: 1. Whistling like a Blackbird. 2. A Circle of white feathers encompassing the Head from Eye to Eye like a Crown or Wreath. 3. The first or outmost feather of the Wing being much shorter than the second, whereas in the common Lark it is near equal. 4. The outmost feathers of the Tail having white tips. 5. That it sits upon trees. 6. It is lesser than the common Lark, but hath a shorter, and thicker, or roun∣der body for its bigness.

Aldrovandus makes no mention of this bird that I know of. Olina figures and de∣scribes it in his Uccelleria under the title of Tottovilla.

The Woodlark is comparable to the Nightingale for singing, and by some preferred before it. He will also emulate the Nightingale, and hath great variety of notes.

It is a very tender bird, and yet breeds the soonest of any in England. My Author saith, that he hath had a Nest of young birds ready to fly by the sixteenth of March: That it builds most commonly in lays, where the grass hath been pretty rank, and is grown russet, under some large Turf, to shelter its Nest from the wind and weather. He could never bring up a nest of young ones, because they either had the cramp, or fell into a scouring in less than a weeks time after he had taken them: Nor could he ever hear of any who had kept them so long as till they sung. So that they are never bred from the Nest.

The Seasons of taking Woodlarks, and which best to keep.

There are three seasons of taking Woodlarks; 1. The first is in June, July, and August, when the Branchers are taken, having not yet moulted. These birds sing presently, but continue their singing but little, for they soon fall a moulting. They are com∣monly very familiar birds as being taken young.

2. The next season for taking them is in the latter end of September, which my Au∣thor calls the general flight-time, when they rove from one Country to another. By this time they have all moulted their feathers, and you can hardly distinguish a young bird from an old. The birds taken at this season are brave, strong, and sprightful; and prove well at Spring if they be well kept all Winter; otherwise they will be lou∣sie, and quite spoiled. They usually begin not to sing till after Spring, and continue till July.

3. The third season is from the beginning of January to the latter end of February, when they are paired, and have parted with their last years Brood. These sing with∣in three or four days, or a week at furthest, (if they be well conditioned birds) and will soon become tame. For your fearful, wild, buckish birds seldom prove good: For upon every turn they bolt against the sides of the Cage, and bruise themselves, and so are apt to leave off singing. Therefore if you have a bird that is a good bird and wild, have a Net knit French Meash, and put it in the inside of the Cage, sowing it close to the sides and strait, that when he bolts or flirts he may take no harm. Birds taken at this season for the most part prove the best, they being in full stomach, and singing in a very short time after, and being also more perfect in their song than those taken at other seasons.

How to order a Woodlark when taken.

In the first place you must have a Cage with two pans; one for mixt meat, and another for Oatmeal and whole Hemp-seed. First, boil an Egg hard: Then take the crum of a half-peny white-loaf, and as much Hemp-seed as the bread: Chop your Egg very small, and crumble your bread and it together: Then bruise your Hemp-seed very small with a rolling pin, or pound it in a Mortar, mingle all together and

give it him. 2. You must put red gravel sifted fine at the bottom of his Cage; for he delights to bask himself in the sand, which if he doth not pretty often he proves lousie, and then seldom comes to any thing: If you leave gravel-stones in the sand, he will be apt to break his feathers in basking him. Shift this sand twice a week, otherwise he will be subject to clog his feet with his dung. 3. Be sure that his meat be not too stale, for he will never thrive upon it when dry or mouldy. 4. Have a great care to shift his water oft [thrice a week at least] for it stinks sooner than any birds water; because throwing about his meat some falls into it, which causes it im∣mediately to stink. 5. Line your Pearch in the Cage with some green bays, or else make a Pearch of a Mat; which I have found them very much to delight in.

Note 1. If your bird be very wild when he is taken, keep him three or four days from company, till he begins to eat his meat. Strew some of the Hemp-seed and Oat∣meal upon the sand, and some of his mixt meat also, because sometimes they find not the Pan till they be almost famished.

Note 2. If he be very poor, at the beginning of the Spring give him every two or three days a turf of three-leaved grass, and boil him a sheeps heart, and mince it small, and mingle it with his meat, and it will cause him to thrive exceedingly.

Note 3. If you would have your bird sing very lavish, feed him all the time of his song with some sheeps heart mixt with his Egg and bread and Hemp-seed; and put in his water two or three slices of Liquorice, and a little white Sugar-candy, with two or three blades of Saffron; do so once a week, and it will cause him to be long winded.

How to know a Cock from a Hen.

The surest way to know a Cock from a Hen is, 1. The largeness and length of his call. 2. The tall walking of the bird about the Cage. 3. At Evenings the doubling of his note, which we call Cudling, as if he were going to roost: But if you hear him sing strong you cannot be deceived, for Hen-birds will sing but little. The use of this is chiefly to know those birds that are taken at flight-time; because those taken at other seasons sing soon after they are taken, or not at all.

The Woodlarks Diseases, and their Cures.

Their diseases are, 1. The Cramp, caused by dung clogging and numbing their Feet, if their gravel be not often shifted; or by hanging them out abroad in the rain, so wetting the sand they sit upon. This is helpt by lining their Pearch, that they may delight to sit upon it, and giving them fresh sand, anointing them as the Nightin∣gale.

2. Giddiness in the Head occasioned by feeding upon much Hemp-seed, is helped by giving them some Gentles or Maggots, or else Hog-lice, or Ants and their Eggs: And putting three or four slices of Liquorice in their water.

3. Lousiness and Scurf: Cured by smoaking his feathers with Tobacco, and gi∣ving him fresh Gravel, and setting him in the Sun: For if he hath strength to bask in the sand he will immediately rid himself of the Vermine.

§. IV. The Tit-Lark, Alauda pratorum, Aldrov.

IT seemed to us less by half than the common Lark, weighing scarce an ounce; ha∣ving a long body, and a small head: A slender sharp Bill of half an inch long, the upper Mandible black, more flat and depressed toward the Head: The tip of the Tongue is jagged, the Circle about the Pupil hazel-coloured. The colour on the top of the Head, Shoulders, and middle of the Back various, of a yellowish green and black; the middle parts of the feathers being black, the outsides or edges of a yellowishgreen. The lower part of the Back or Rump is only green without any mixture of black. The upper side is of the fore-mentioned various colour, the sin∣gle colours being less conspicuous by reason of a small mixture of cinereous. As for the underside of the body, the Breast and sides under the Wings were of a sordid yel∣lowish white, spotted with black, the lower belly and Throat under the Chin white, without any black spots.

The quil-feathers of the Wings were dusky, their exteriour edges being of a yellowish green. The middle feathers of the first row of coverts have their tips and exteriour edges white; and the middlemost of the second row theirs still of a lighter white. The rest of the covert-feathers of the Wings are almost of the same colour with the scapular feathers. I suppose it is peculiar to this kind to have the four first quill-feathersequal.

The Tail is made up of twelve feathers, the two outmost of which on each side, are particoloured of white and brown: In the outmost feather about the one half, and that the uppermost, is white, the white dividing the feather obliquely. Of the next feather the tip only is white: The rest of the feathers are of a dark brown, ha∣ving their exteriour edges of a yellowish green. Of the two middlemost the edges round about are of the same yellowish green, not so even and trim as those of the other feathers, but as it were jagged or fringed. The Tail, when folded up, is a little forked, near three inches long.

The Feet are yellow: The Claw of the back-toe, as in the rest of this kind very long and dusky. The Gizzard not so musculous as in other Larks, wherein we found Beetles and Insects like to meal-worms. The blind Guts are something longer than in the common Lark. It hath also a Gall-bladder.

This bird sits also upon trees. In general it is less than the common Lark, greener, and not so finely coloured: In length from the point of the Bill to the end of the Claws or Tail (for they are equally extended) six inches: In breadth between the tips of the Wings spread out ten and a quarter.

Mr. Jessop suspects that there is yet another different sort of this bird, which may be called the lesser field-Lark which is 1. A little bigger than that here described; 2. Less green; 3. Having paler Feet; And 4. much shorter Spurs.

The Titlarks Nest I once saw in a Furze-bush not far from the ground: It was built outwardly of Moss, inwardly of straw, with a little horse-hair. She lays five or six Eggs.

In this kind the Cock is all over more yellow than the Hen, but especially under the Throat, on the Breast, Legs, and soals of the Feet.

The Titlark (saith a late English Writer) sings most like the Canary bird of any bird whatsoever; whisking, curring, and chewing: But his Song is short, and hath no variety in it: He comes with the Nightingale about the beginning of April, and goes about the beginning of September. The Young are to be fed, when first taken, after the same manner as the Nightingale: The old one (if taken) in like manner to be at first cram'd: When he will feed himself give him Woodlarks meat, or almost any other. Before his going away he is apt to grow fat like the Nightingale, but will eat though never so fat. He is a hardy bird, and long-lived, if preserved with care, not subject to colds or cramps.

§. V. The Titlark that sings like a Grashopper, Locustella, D. Johnson.

IT is lesser than the Rogulus non cristatus, hath a pretty long, streight Bill, yet ha∣ving a little declivity above, the upper Chap black, the nether of a horn colour. The upper side of the body is of a dusky yellow, besprinkled with blackish spots; the underside of a pale yellow. The Tail is of the longest, of a brown or dusky colour, when spread ending in a circular circumference. On the lower Belly, the Thighs, and under the Tail it hath brown spots tending downwards. It hath long, slender dusky-coloured Legs, crooked Claws, and a very long Spur or heel. It feeds upon flies: It hath a note like a Grashopper, but louder and shriller. When it sings it commonly sits upon a bush, with its mouth open, and streight up, and its Wings dis∣shevel'd.

§. VI. The Calandra, which perchance is no other than the Bunting.

THis bird Olina describes in this manner. It is a kind of Lark something bigger than the common, otherwise for shape of body not much unlike it: In respect of bigness comparable to a Thrush. Its head is greater than a Thrushes; its Bill shorter and thicker: Its Feet as in other Larks. The colour of its under or fore part is a light cinereous, with certain black spots on the Breast, after the manner of a Thrush. Of its upper or hind-part, viz. the Back, Wings, and Tail, &c. like that of Umber. About two inches below the Bill a circle of black feathers encompasses the Neck, in fashion of a Collar or Necklace.

This bird seems to be the same with our Bunting hereafter to be described. The figure of the Bill in Olina's Cut doth not agree to the Bunting, indeed answers not to his own description; it being drawn as slender and long as a Thrushes, whereas he de∣scribes it thicker and shorter. Bellonius his description of the Calandra agrees well enough to the Bunting; although he also describes the Bunting elsewhere, under the title of Cenchramus. Howbeit, that we may leave the Reader to the liberty of his judgment concerning these matters, we shall subjoyn Bellonius his description of Ca∣landra. Calandra (saith he) is a sort of Lark; which who so desires to know, let him fancy a crested Lark approaching to the bigness of a Starling. Wherefore he that shall call it a great Lark, may well seem not unfitly to denominate it. For both its voice, though higher, is altogether like the voice of a Lark, and also the colour of its feathers the same, its Head the same, its Wings the same, its Tail the same, and likewise its conditions the same: Its Legs, Feet, and Toes altogether alike, and in these the Spur or back-claw long, as in Larks. The Neck slender where it is joyned to the Head, as we observed also in the Peacock, and which is likewise common to Quails. But because it differs not from a common Lark save in bigness, and the crested Lark, as we said, is bigger than the common, and hath a tuft on his Head, which both the common Lark and the Calandra want; I can easily allow this sort of bird to be called a Lark, and to be comprehended under the Genus of Larks. The Calandra exceeds the rest of this kind in bigness, and therefore stands in need of a thicker Bill, that it might break the harder sorts of grains upon which it feeds, though those that are kept shut up in Cages are wont to be fed with Oats and crums of white bread. Thus far Bellonius.

§. VII. The crested Lark, called by the Germans, Kommanick, seen and described at Vienna in Austria. Alauda cristata, Galerita.

IT is bigger than the common Lark, hath a greater and longer Bill, almost an inch long, measuring from the point to the corner of the mouth: The upper Chap dusky, the lower whitish. The Tongue is broad, somewhat cloven; the Irides of the Eyes of a cinereous hazel colour. The Crest upon the crown of the Head con∣sists of seven or eight feathers [I counted ten or twelve.] These feathers are situate transversly, and may be erected or lowred, spread or contracted at pleasure, like the Tail. These feathers are blacker than the rest, and almost half an inch long. The Back is more cinereous, and less spotted than in the common Lark: The Rump almost wholly destitute of spots.

The prime feathers of the Wings are in number eighteen, besides the outmost very short and small one. The outer Vane of the first Pinion feather is of a dirty white, inclining to red or yellow: The rest are not so black as in the common Lark, and have some mixture of a pale red, even in their lower part. The Breast and Belly are white, with a dash of yellow: The Throat spotted, as in the common Lark: The Tail is 2⅛ inches long, composed of twelve feathers; the two outmost whereof on each side have their exteriour borders white, with a dash of red, being else black; the third and fourth are wholly black; the fifth and sixth of the same colour with the body. The Gall from green inclines to a dark blue. [I suppose this is accidental, and that the colour of the Gall varies in divers birds.] The blind Guts are very short.

This differs from the common Lark, 1. In bigness: 2. In the Crest: 3. In the co∣lour of the Back, which is less spotted, and not so beautiful: 4. In the measure of the Tail, which in this Bird is shorter: 5. In that it soars not so much in the air, and when it mounts up stays not so long there: 6. That it flies not in flocks, as they do. Last∣ly, (as Aldrovandus observes) it is frequently seen about the banks of Lakes and Rivers.

Dioscorides prescribes this bird to be eaten roasted, Galen in some places of his works roasted, in some places boiled, to asswage Colic pains. Marcellus Virgilius pre∣fers the powder of it, put in an earthen pot, and dried or burnt in an Oven, taken in water to the quantity of two or three spoonfuls, before all other medicines for the Colic.

§. VIII. The lesser crested Lark.

THis (as Aldrovandus describes it) is like the greater crested Larks, but much less, and hath a considerable long tuft on its Head for the smalness of its bo∣dy: Red Feet. The colour of its whole body seems to incline more to brown than that of the greater kind. I have observed them running in flocks abroad in the fields.

This Bird Mr. Johnson of Brigual hath observed in the North of England.

§. IX. The Giarola of Aldrovandus, having a long heel.

IT was of the bigness of a Lark. Its length from the tip of its Bill to the points of its Claws was two Palms: Its Bill brittle, red, withinside and about the corners of the Mouth yellow: It gapes wide. The colour of its Crown, Neck, Back, and Wings is various; so that therein it exactly resembles a Quail, and is also very like to a Woodcock. For all the feathers are of a dusky Chesnut-colour, only their edges are encompassed with a more dilute or whitish, or moderately reddish colour. The bottom of the Head, or beginning of the Neck is encircled with a border of whitish feathers, as it were a Wreath or Crown. The Tongue is cloven, the Belly white, the roots of the feathers cinereous. The Tail so short that scarce any thing of it ap∣pears, yet is it forked and particoloured; for the last or outmost feather on each side is all over white, the last save one partly white, partly chesnut. The whole Tail is scarcean inch long, and narrow, being made up of very narrow feathers. Its Legs and Feet are sufficiently large, and of a flesh colour or reddish white. In the Feet this is worthy the observation, that the back-toe is very long, and hath a Claw of equal length, so that both together make up an inch. This Claw is not, as in other birds for the most part, crooked from its rise, but first streight for a good way, and toward the tip moderately hooked. The Claws also are whitish.

§. X. The Bird called Spipoletta at Florence, Tordino at Venice: Perchance the Stopparola, or † Grisola, or Spipola secunda of Aldrovand.

IT is less than a Lark, about the bigness of a Beccafigo: From Bill point to Tail end 7⅛ inches long: Between the tips of the Wings extended eleven three quar∣ters broad. Its Bill is small, slender, about half an inch long, streight, sharp, and cole-black: Its Spur or back-claw very long, like a Larks.

Its colour on the top of the Head, Neck, Shoulders, and Back cinereous, with a dash of green. [Mr. Willughby makes the Back to be of an obscure or dusky yellow, the Head more cinereous.] The Breast and Belly are white: The Throat spotted. The Belly of the Hen-bird is yellowish. [The Throat, Breast, and Belly in some are white, in others of a lovely yellow: But in all generally the Breast is darker than the Throat or Belly, and spotted.] It hath in each Wing eighteen prime feathers, (I found not in this kind that small, short, outmost feather, which we have observed in the Wings of many small birds,) of a dark or dusky colour; excepting the outer

edges, which are either whitish, or yellowish. The feathers also of the second row are of the same colour with those of the first. The Tail is about three inches long, and consists of ten feathers, of which the two outmost on each side have their out∣ward Vanes and tops, in the whole, above their halves milk-white; all the rest are dark-coloured, and almost black, especially in the Males, excepting the two mid∣dlemost, which round the edges are either yellowish or white. [Mr. Willughby de∣scribes the Tail a little otherwise, and perchance more exactly, thus: The Tail is black, but the upper half of the outmost feather on each side, and the tip of the next are white; the two middlemost from dusky incline to an ash-colour.]

This bird is sufficiently distinguished by the length of its heel from other sorts of birds, by the black colour of its Wings and Tail, Bill and Feet from other Larks.

Concerning its manners, place, nest, breeding, &c. we have nothing further to add. We saw it at Venice and Florence in the hands of Country-men and Fowlers among other small birds to be sold in the Markets. At Florence they called it Spipo∣letta; whence, induced by the agreement of names, we guess it to be either the first or second Spipola of Aldrovandus. But yet seeing in the descriptions of these birds there is no mention made of the length of the heel, (which it is not likely so curi∣ous a spectatour as Aldrovand should either oversee, or through neglect and forget∣fulness omit) notwithstanding the convenience of names these may perchance be di∣stinct Species. And therefore that we may not give the Reader just occasion to to complain, that we have rashly omitted any thing in our Ornithology, we will annex to this Chapter Aldrovandus his descriptions of Spipolae, Stopparolae, and other small birds, to which we judge this to be the same, or very like.

The first Spipola of Aldrovandus.

The first Spipola, which is greater than the rest in this kind, hath an ash-coloured Head: Under the Bill a white spot in place of a beard. Its Breast is red: Its Belly particoloured of red and white: Its Tail black above, white underneath: Its Back ash-coloured. Its Wings particoloured of white, black and red: its Legs and Feet yellow; its Claws black: Its Bill long, slender, and dusky coloured. This bird, if it be exactly described, is to us as yet unknown.

The other Spipola of Aldrovandus.

This inclines more to an ash-colour than the precedent: But differs from it in that it hath not a red Brest, but marked with black spots drawn downwards. It is also more cinereous above than beneath: Moreover, the Belly is almost white. Behind the Eyes is a great spot approaching after a sort to a ferrugineous colour. The ma∣ster feathers of the Wings, and those which cover them, are black, their sides and ends being cinereous. The Legs and Feet are dusky: The Tail ash-coloured.

The third Spipola of Aldrovandus, described in the same Chapter.

This some call Boarina. It is a small bird, almost all over of a pale or whitish yel∣low, but deeper in the Wings than elsewhere. The Bill and Feet are dusky.

The Stopparola of Aldrovand, lib. 17. cap. 27.

The Fowlers (saith he) of our City call this bird Stopparola, a name I know not what it signifies, nor whence it is derived, unless perchance it be from Stubble, which our Country men call Stoppia. It is, if I be not mistaken, of the Genus of the † Muscicapae, hath the Breast and Belly for the most part white; the Head (which on the Crown is speckled with white spots) Neck, Back, and Tail brown; the quill∣feathers of the Wings black, as are also the coverts, but yellowish on the sides: The Legs and Feet slender, and black: The Bill indifferently long, sharp-pointed, and black.

A Bird like to Stopparola & Magnanina, Aldrov. in the same place.

It is of the bigness of a Wagtail; hath a long, streight, sharp Bill, yet above having a little declivity; black above, and of a horn colour underneath: The Neck, Breast, and Belly pale: The Eyes small and lively, having a black Pupil;

and a white circle, and a dusky spot hardly conspicuous about them; The Feet leaden∣coloured.

The Grisola of Aldrovandus.

There is a certain other small bird caught in our fields, which the Fowlers call Grisola, perchance from its grey or hoary colour, although it be not grey, but of a dusky ash-colour: Or perchance because it cries much, keeping alone; for we some∣times use the word gridare, to signifie lamenting. It feeds upon flies, and other such like Insects, as I gather from the figure and construction of its Bill; for it is slender, streight, and long. On the Neck and Breast it is distinguished with oblong, brown spots, tending downwards. The whole Belly is white. The Head, upper side of the Neck, Back, and Tail are dusky, as are also the Wings, the feathers whereof have their sides and ends of a pale ash-colour. The Legs and Feet are also dusky or blackish.

The Glareana or Grien Vogelin of Gesner.

Hither also for its spotted Breast we will refer the Glareana or Grien Vogelin of Gesner: which because the Author described from the inspection of a Picture sent him from Strasburgh, we suspect not to differ from the above described, although in some particulars it seems to vary. We refer the Reader, that desires more concerning it, to Gesner or Aldrovandus.

CHAP. II. Of the Swallow in general.

THe characteristic notes of Swallows are a great Head, a short Neck, a small, short Bill, a wide mouth, for the more easie catching of Flies, and other In∣sects, as they flie to and fro: Very long Wings; a swift and almost continual flight; a long and forked Tail for the more ready and speedy turning their body, and directing their flight: White Eggs, speckled with ferrugineous spots, as Aldrovandus truly observed. This bird is the Springs Herald, being not seen throughout all Eu∣rope in Winter-time: Whence that Greek Proverb, common to almost all Languages, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; One Swallow makes not a Spring.

We have observed four sorts of Swallows in England, and not more elsewhere. Those are, 1. The common or House-Swallow: 2. The Martin, or Martinet, or Martlet: 3. The Sand-Martin or Shore-bird: 4. The black Martin or Swift. Of this last we have seen a sort painted with the whole Belly white. And Julius Scaliger affirms, that he hath seen one of this kind as big as a Buzzard: No way differing in shape from the common one, save in the Legs and Talons, and hookedness of the Beak, all fitted for prey.

As for the Physical vertues and faculties of Swallows and their parts, Schroder hath thus briefly summed them up.

1. Swallows entire are a specific remedy for the Falling sickness, dimness of sight, blear eyes, (their ashes mingled with honey and so applied) they cure also the Squinancy, and inflammation of the Uvula, (being eaten, or their ashes taken inwardly.)

2. A Swallows heart is also said to be good for the Falling sickness, and to strengthen the memory. Some eat it against the Quartan Ague.

3. Some will have the bloud to be a specific for the Eyes: And they prefer that which is drawn from under the left Wing.

4. There is a Stone found sometimes (though seldom) in the stomach of some of the young Swallows, called Chelidonius, of the bigness of a Lentile or Pease. This they will have to help the Falling sickness in Children (bound to the arm, or hung about the neck.)

Note. They report this stone to be found especially in the increase of the Moon, and in the first hatch'd yong one. Others take it out in August about the Full of the Moon.

5. The Nest, outwardly applied gives relief in the Squinancy: Heals the redness of the Eyes, and is good for the biting of an Adder, or Viper.

6. The Dung heats very much, discusses, and is acrimonious. Its chief use is against the bitings of a mad dog, taken outwardly and inwardly; in Colic and Nephritic pains taken inwardly, put up it provokes excretion. Schrod.

An approved Medicine for the Falling sickness.

Take one hundred Swallows, [I suppose here is some mistake, and that one quar∣ter of this number may suffice] one ounce of Castoreum, one ounce of Peiony roots, so much White-Wine as shall suffice. Distill all together, and give the Patient to drink three drachms fasting every Morning. This will lessen every fit, and perfectly cure them. Purge often, as the strength of the Patient will bear, with Stibium.

CHAP. III. Of Swallows in particular.

§. I. The common or House-Swallow. Hirundo domestica.

THe Female weighed scarce an ounce: From the Bill to the end of the Tail be∣ing seven inches long, and measuring from tip to tip of the Wings extended, twelve and an half broad. Its Bill was short, black, flat, and depressed, very broad at the Head, but sharp-pointed; black also on the inside: But the Tongue and roof of the mouth yellow. The aperture of the mouth gaping very wide, for the conveniency of catching Flies and Gnats as she flies. The Tongue short, broad, and cloven: The Eyes great, and furnished with nictating membranes: The Irides hazel∣coloured. The Feet short and black; the outmost toe growing to the middlemost at bottom.

The Head, Neck, Back, and Rump are of a very lovely shining, but dark purplish blue colour. As well above as underneath the Bill, that is to say, in the Forehead and under the chin, is a deep sanguine spot: But that underneath is much the bigger. The Throat is of the same colour with the Neck. The Breast and belly white, with a dash of red; as are also the interiour covert-feathers of the Wings. The Tail is forked consisting of twelve feathers; the outmost of which are an inch longer than the next, and end in sharp points: Of the rest the interiour are also shorter in order than the exteriour, but the difference much less. All these feathers of the Tail, except the two middlemost, are black, and each adorned with a white spot: Which spots cross the Tail in a streight line. [The two middlemost want the white spot.] The Wings have eighteen quill-feathers, alike black: But all the covert feathers are of a deep shining blue.

In the Stomach of an old bird we found Beetles; in the stomachs of the young ma∣ny small, pellucid, unequal stones, tinctured with a fair Claret colour; not far from the Eggs small worms spirally rolled up, of three inches length. These birds build in Chimneys. About the end of September we saw great numbers of them to be sold in the Market at Valentia in Spain, when we travelled through that Country, Anno 1664.

What becomes of Swallows in Winter time, whether they fly into other Countries, or lie torpid in hollow trees, and the like places, neither are natural Historians agreed, nor indeed can we certainly determine. To us it seems more probable that they fly away into hot Countries, viz. Egypt, Aethiopia, &c. then that either they lurk in hol∣low trees, or holes of Rocks and ancient buildings, or lie in water under the Ice in Northern Countries, as Olaus Magnus reports. For as Herodotus witnesseth, they abide all the year in Egypt, understand it of those that are bred there (saith Aldrovan∣dus) for those that are bred with us only fly thither to winter. I am assured of my own knowledge (saith Peter Martyr) that Swallows, Kites, and other Fowl fly over Sea out of Europe to Alexandria to winter.

Swallows sometimes vary in colour, as do also many other birds; I have (saith Aldrovandus) often seen House Swallows all over white. If any one desires to have white Swallows, let him anoint their Eggs while they sit, with oyl-olive, Aldrov.

§. II. The Martin, or Martinet, or Martlet. Hirundo agrestis sive rustica Plinii.

THis being measured from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail was six inches long: The Wings being spread ten inches and an half broad. Its Head flat; Its Bill also very much depressed and flat, as in the House-Swallow; at its insertion into the Head ⅜ of an inch broad, but sharp at the point: From the tip to the angles of the Mouth but half an inch long; the upper Chap somewhat longer than the nether. The Mouth is yellow withinside: The Tongue cloven. The Circles encompassing the Pupils of the Eyes of a havel-colour. The Feet small, and Legs short. The soal of the foot bare; in which appear the bottoms of the exteriour Toes joyned by a membrane. The Claws are white: The Feet to the very Claws covered with a white Down: By which note it is easily distinguishable from all its fellows of the Swallow∣kind.

Its Head, Neck, Back, Tail and Wings are of the same colour with the House-Swallows, but sadder, and not so glossie: Its Rump, Breast, and Belly milk-white. Under the Chin the white is somewhat more sullen or obscure. Each Wing hath eighteen master-feathers: From the tenth the six or seven following have their tips broad and indented. The tips of the interiour quil-feathers are white. The Tail is less forked than in the House-Swallow. The feathers from the middle on each side are longer in order, the exteriour than the interiour, almost by an equal excess; other∣wise than in the House-Swallow, the outmost feathers of whose Tail (as we said before) exceed the next three times as much as they do the following, &c. The length of the outmost feathers is two inches and an half, of the middlemost one and three quarters.

In the stomachs of the Young of this kind we found no stones, but many Flies and Beetles. This bird builds a round Nest like the House-Swallow, and also of like mat∣ter, yet not in Chimneys, but in Windows, under Eves of Houses, &c. It differs moreover, in that the House-Swallows Nest is like those of other birds, semicircular, and all open above; but its Nest is covered above, a round hole only being left open in the side, by which the old one goes in and out.

§. III. The Sand-Martin, or Shore-bird. Hirundo riparia, Aldrov.

THis bird is the least that we know of the Swallow-kind; being from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail no more than five inches and a quarter long. Its Bill is small, sharp, flat, black, as in the rest of this kind, from the point to the angles of the Mouth half an inch long: Its Tongue cloven: Its Eyes great; its Feet dusky. At the rise of the back-toe a few small feathers grow; else the Legs are bare as far as the knees.

Its Head, Neck, and Back are of a dark dun, or Mouse colour: Its Chin, Breast, and Belly white. At the bottom of the Throat a Ring of the same Mouse-dun en∣compasses the Neck. The number of feathers in Wings and Tail is the same as in other Swallows. But the quil-feathers of the Wings are blacker than the feathers on the back; from the tenth to the last all of equal length; the six next to the tenth have their tips indented. The middle feathers of the Tail are an inch and three quarters long, the outmost an inch and half.

It builds in the holes of River-banks, lays five or six Eggs, makes its Nest of straws, bents, &c. within of feathers, on which it lays its Eggs.

It differs from the Common Martin in having no white upon the Rump, nor its feet feathered, as that hath.

Of this kind great numbers are brought to the Markets at Valentia in Spain to besold for the use of the Kitchin; where the Fowlers and Country people call them Papilion di Montagna. They are frequent also in Holland, and no less in England.

§. IV. The black Martin or Swift. Hirundo apus.

THis is the biggest of all Swallows we have hitherto seen. It hath a great Head, a huge wide mouth; but a very small, black Bill, (wherein it agrees with the Churn-Owl) towards the Nosthrils broad and depressed. Its Tongue is broad, and somewhat cloven: Its Nosthrils long, placed obliquely, obtuse toward the Head, acute toward the point of the Bill: Its Eyes great, and their Irides of a hazel colour.

It hath almost no variety or difference of colour in the whole body: For as well the upper as the lower side, and also the Wings and Tail are black, with an obscure tincture of green, or red: Only under the Chin is a notable spot of white or ash∣colour.

It hath in each Wing eighteen quil-feathers, all ending in sharp points, but especi∣ally the exteriour ones. The Tail is about an hand-breadth long, consisting of but ten feathers, from the middle to the outmost in order one longer than another, ending all in sharp points.

Its Legs are very short, but thick: Its Feet very small. All its Toes stand for∣wards; for the least, which in others is wont to stand backward, is in this placed the same way with the rest. The least Toe hath, as in other birds, one bone: The other three, contrary to the manner of all other that we know besides it, have all an equal number of bones or joynts, viz. only two, the one very short, the other longer. The Toes also are all divided from the very rise.

The Gall-bladder is little. The Stomach not very fleshy, out of which dislected we took Beetles and other Insects.

They say, that by reason of the length of its Wings, and shortness of its Legs, if it happens to alight or fall upon the ground, it cannot raise it self up again, but may easily be caught. Wherefore it doth either always fly, or sit upon the tops of Churches, Towers, or other ancient buildings.

Its weight was three quarters of an ounce: Its length from the tip of the Bill to the Claws five inches, to the end of the Tail seven and a quarter. The distance be∣tween the tips of the wings extended sixteen inches and an half.

Of this kind we have seen the Picture of one having its whole nether part, Throat, Breast, and Belly, white: And, as we said before, Scaliger mentions one of the bigness of a Buzzard.

§. V. * Aldrovandus his Sea-Swallow.

THis bird, in my judgment belongs not to this Family, but ought to be ranked with the lesser Lari or Sea-Gulls.

It is (saith Aldrovandus) much bigger than a Swallow, and hath longer legs. Its whole Belly up to the Breast is white; its Head, Wings, and Back duskish. Its Wings and Tail, as in Swallows, are very long, and of a blackish colour, but brown within∣side. Its Tail is forked. Its Bill strong, and black, as in a Gull. Its Mouth wide, and of a scarlet colour within. From the Bill through the Eyes, almost to the Breast, is extended a notable black line, which near the Breast makes as it were a Collar. The Feet are as black as Jet, and (as I said before) less than a Swallows. For its likeness it is called by Fowlers, The Sea Swallow.

§. VI. * The American Swallow, called by the Brasilians, Tapera, by the Portugues, Andorinha. Marggrav.

IT is like our Country Swallows, of the same bigness, and flying about after the same manner. It hath a short, broad, black Bill: A wide Mouth, which it can open beyond the region of the Eyes, like the greater Ibijan; elegant, black Eyes: Long Wings, reaching as far as the end of the Tail; which is of a good breadth. Its Legs and Feet like those of our Country Swallows. All the upper part of the

Head, the Neck, Back, Wings, and Tail feathers are of a brown colour mingled with grey. The Belly is white, as are also the feathers under the Tail: The Legs and Feet dusky.

This bird perchance may not differ specifically from our Europaean black Martin or Swift: For that, as we before observed, the Europaean Swift varies sometimes in co∣lour, being found with a white belly.

§. VII. * The Chinese Swallow of Bontius, whose Nest is edible.

IN the Sea-coast (saith he) of the Kingdom of China, a sort of small particoloured birds, of the shape of Swallows, at a certain season of the year, viz. their breed∣ing time, come out of the midland Country to the Rocks; and from the foam or froth of the Sea-water dashing and breaking against the bottom of the Rocks gather a certain clammy, glutinous matter, perchance the Sperm of Whales, or other fishes, of which they build their Nests, wherein they lay their Eggs, and hatch their Young. These Nests the Chinese pluck from the Rocks, and bring them in great numbers in∣to the East Indies to sell; which are esteemed by gluttons great delicacies, who dis∣solving them in Chicken or Mutton broth, are very fond of them, preferring them far before Oysters, Mushromes, or other dainty and licorish morsels which most gra∣tifie the Palate.

We have seen of this sort of Nests in the Cabinets of Athanasius Kircher the Je∣suite, and other Virtuosi. They are (as Olaus Wormius reports) of a Hemispherical figure, of the bigness of a Goose-Egg, of a substance resembling Ising-glass. Con∣cerning their faculties or vertues (saith John de Laet in his Epistle to Wormius) re∣ports vary, some attributing to them something Venereal, others not. But he writes, that he had been informed by those who commanded in chief in the East Indies, that the birds that build them were found upon that part of the Sea-coast that is com∣monly called Coromandel, and chiefly about Patane.

CHAP. IV. Slender-bill'd birds that have their Tails all of one colour.

The Hedge-Sparrow, Curruca Eliotae, An Magnanina Aldrov?

THis is almost as big as a Titlark or Robin-red-breast. Its Bill is slender, pret∣ty long, and black; the Tongue cloven, horny, and black at the tip: The Nosthrils of the figure of a Kidney-bean: The Irides of the Eyes hazel-co∣loured: The Ears great and wide.

The upper side of the body is particoloured of black and dirty-red, the middle parts of each feather about the shaft being black, the outsides or edges red. These colours are so dull and sullen, that the bird notwithstanding, look'd on at a distance, appears but of a brown or dirty colour. The Head and Back shew something of ci∣nereous, the middle spots being darker. The Rump is greenish, and void of spots. The prime feathers of the Wings dusky, with reddish edges. The interiour of the second row of Wing-feathers have whitish tips: The lesler covert-feathers of the Wings are of the same colour with those on the body. This hath that extreme short feather in each Wing, which some birds want. The Tail is about two inches long, made up of twelve feathers, all dusky, without any variety of colours. The nether part of the body is cinercous, yet the lower belly whitish, but in some birds darker, and of a lead-colour. The Legs and Feet are of a yellowish flesh-colour; the Claws dusky; the hind-claw greater and longer than any of the rest. The out∣most Toe, as in other small birds, at bottom grows to the middlemost.

The Cock had large Testicles: The blind Guts seemed to us in this to be more round and tumid than in other small birds. The stomach was not very fleshy. It builds in hedges, and lays commonly five Eggs; is foolish bird, and easily taken. Its Eggs are of a fine pale blue or Sea-green colour.

A late English Writer saith, that they are a very pleasant Song-bird, singing early in the Spring, and having great variety of notes: Old or young become tame very swiftly, and will sing in a short space after they are taken, if you take them in the latter end of January, or beginning of February.

Its weight was three quarters of an Ounce: Its measures were from the Bill to the Claws six inches; to the Tail end seven; from Tip to tip of the Wings spread eight and an half. Perchance this may be the Bird which Gesner makes his first Curruca, whose figure you have in Aldrovands Ornithology, lib. 17. cap. 34.

In the Nest of this bird the Cuckow is said to lay her Egg, which the foolish bird sits upon, hatches, and brings up the young one till it be fledg'd, and can shift for it self: Whence the word Curruca signifies as much in Latine as Cuckold with us in English, i. e. one that brings up another mans Child for his own. I suppose our word Cuckold came from Cuckow, but a man abused in that manner is very improperly so called, he that abuses him being indeed the Cuckow, that lays an Egg in his Nest. Whether or no this Bird doth hatch and bring up the young Cuckow I cannot say of my own experi∣ence, but I am sure this is not the only Cuckows-nurse, for I have known the Water∣wagtail, and other birds perform that office.

Aldrovandus describes his Magnanina in these words. It is a bird of the bigness of a Sparrow, having a slender, sharp, black Bill: On the nether side down to the Belly of a pale ash-colour, the belly being white. Behind the Eyes it hath a notable spot of almost a Chesnut colour, of which colour is also the crown of the head. The greater Wing-feathers are black; the Tail of a spadiceous, but paler than the Back. The Legs and Feet yellow, the Claws black. Some of our Fowlers call it Magnanina, as much to say, as a Smith or Carpenter-bird, perchance because it makes a loud knock∣ing or snapping with its Bill as it catches flies: Other call it, Passere matto, that is a foolish Sparrow, perhaps from its colour, which approaches to spadiceous, or rather because it easily yields it self to be taken.

CHAP. V. The Beccafigo or Fig-eater, perchance the fourth, or seventh Ficedula of Aldrovandus, to which are subjoyned the descriptions of other small Birds akin to this out of Aldrovand.

THis is a very small bird, scarce so big as the common Linnet, short bodied. The colour of its Head, Neck, Back, Wings, and Tail from ash-colour inclines to green, in some dusky, with a Tincture of green. It hath the same number of Wing and Tail-feathers with all other small birds. But the quills of the Wing are of a Mouse-dun, with black shafts, and green edges. The lesser rows of feathers that cover the underside of the Wings are yellow. The Tail is about two inches long, not forked, and all its feathers of a dusky colour.

The Belly of a white or silver colour: The Breast something darker, with a tin∣cture of yellow.

The Bill is short, the upper Mandible black, the lower bluish: The Mouth within∣side of a red or flesh-colour: The Legs short, the Feet bluish, and in some of a lead colour.

This bird is not remarkable for any variety of colours, so that it is very hard so to describe it, as by certain and characteristic notes to distinguish it from all others.

In its stomach dissected we found grape-stones, and other seeds.

Mr. Jessop shot this bird in Yorkshire, and sent it us by the name of Pettychaps.

The seventh Ficedula of Aldrovand, which he saith his Country-men the Bolognese call Scatarello, but the Genoese Beccafigo, is almost all over of a dusky ash-colour, especially on the back and upper-side, for the Breast is yellow: The Feet are black. Saving in the colour of the Feet it agrees with the Bird by us described in this Chapter.

Neither is the second Muscicapa of Aldrovand, or Chiuin of the Bolognese, called by the Genoese, Borin, much unlike to this. It is a little bigger than a Wren; its Bill slender, sharp, and very fit to strike flies. The upper part of its Head, as also its Neck and Back are of a pale ash-colour: its Head beneath, its Throat, Breast, and Belly are of a white, tending to yellow; but the Breast and Belly more dilute. The

Wings above dun, underneath also of the same colour, but paler. The Rump white. The Tail (which consists of twelve feathers) is three inches long, and of the same colour with the Wings. The Legs and Feet Spadiceous: The Claws long and slender.

Moreover, the Salicaria of Gesner is either the same with this, or certainly near akin to it. It is, saith he, a very small bird, of colour partly dusky, as on the upper side; partly yellowish, as on the nether; and partly whitish, as on the sides, and near the Neck, having reddish Legs. It feeds upon Flies, Spiders, and other Insects that it finds among Willows, which that it may enjoy alone, it drives away other small Birds. It hath a slender, streight Bill.

Aldrovandus describes another bird by the name of his first Muscicapa, or Flie∣catcher, which he saith from following and frequenting Kine, the Bolognese call Boa∣rola, or Boarina. It is is a long-bodied bird, and hath a pretty long Bill, of a dusky reddish colour. The Head and whole Back are of a colour mixt of plumbeous, cinereous, and yellowish. The Breast and all the belly white; but the Breast spotted with black. The Wings are particoloured, of black, yellowish, and white: The Tail long, black, and white on the sides: The Legs and Feet black.

CHAP. VI. A small bird without name like to the Stopparola of Aldrovand, perchance the Moucherolle of Bellonius.

FOr bigness and colour it is very like to a Hen-Sparrow, but of a longer and slen∣derer body. The Head, Neck, Back, and generally the whole upper side is of a dark cinereous or Mouse-dun: Yet the Wings and Tail darker than the mid∣dle of the Back: And on the top of the Head, to one who heedfully views it, appear certain black spots. All the nether side is white: But the shafts of the feathers in the Breast are black, and the Throat and Sides somewhat red. The Tail is two inches and a quarter long, all dusky, as are also the greater quil-feathers of the Wings, for the edges of the interiour are of a yellowish white. The outmost feather of the Wing is very short and little. [In some birds of this kind the tips of the interiour fea∣thers of the second row, as also of the bastard-wing feathers are of a yellowish white.]

The Bill is streight, black, broad, and depressed, or flat near the Head. The up∣per Chap rises up in an angle or ridge all along the middle, (whence the Bill seems to be triangular) and is a little longer than the nether, and sharp-pointed. The mouth gapes wide; and is yellow withinside. The Tongue cloven with a deep incision, rough on the sides. The Legs short and black: The Feet also small and short. The outer toe below sticks fast to the middle one, as in the rest of this kind.

The Gall is yellow: The Testicles small and black. In the Gizzard we found Bees, Flies, and other Insects. In summer-time it frequents gardens with us in England. In the young birds of this kind the Back is spotted with black and white.

This bird differs from the White-throat, in that its Tail is all of one colour; from the Beccafigo in the colour of its body, being of a dusky cinereous or Mouse-dun, whereas that is paler coloured, and tinctured with green; from both, in magnitude and in the figure of its Bill, which (as we said before) is broad, depressed, and triangular.

We have before in the Chapter of Larks presented the Reader with the descripti∣ons of the Stopparola and Stopparolae similis of Aldrovand. As for the Moucherolle, Bellonius describes it thus:

It is of the bigness of the Curruca, lives in woods, and feeds chiefly upon flies, whence also it is called * Moucherolle (Mouche in French signifying a fly.) It is so like a Sparrow, that unless by its conditions while it is living, and its Bill when dead, it can hardly be distinguished from it. It hath strong legs and feet: The feet also black. The Bill is slender and oblong, like a Robin-red-breasts: The Tail also long. In brief it is in all points like to the small Field-Sparrow that haunts Oaks, excepting the Bill, and its pleasant note. It lies much in Woods and Thickets, flying and hiding it self there. This description of Bellonius seems rather to agree to our Hedg-Sparrow than to the bird described in this Chapter.

* The Brasilian Tijeguacu of Marrgrave.

For the figure of its Bill alike depressed and triangular we have subjoyned this bird to the precedent, though otherwise not much resembling it. It is (saith Marg∣grave) of the bigness of a Sparrow, or a little bigger; hath a short, triangular, and somewhat broad, black Bill: Its Eyes of a Sapphire colour; its Legs and Feet of a waxen, with duskish Claws. Its Toes are disposed after the ordinary manner. The whole bird is as black as a Raven: But on the top of the Head it hath a shining san∣guine spot of the figure of a buckler. The feathers covering the whole back almost, and part of each Wing above, from black incline to blue. The Tail is short and black.

CHAP. VII. The Redstart, Ruticilla, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

THe Breast, Rump, and sides under the Wings are red: The lower Belly white: The Head, Neck, and Back of a lead-colour. The forehead marked with a white spot, separated from the Eyes and Bill by a black line, although it seems to be produced beyond the Eyes to the hinder part of the Head, and to en∣compass the crown of the head (which is, as we said, of a lead colour.) The Throat and Cheeks under the Eyes black, with a mixture of grey in the ends of the feathers. In the Female the Back is of a dusky ash-colour: The Throat of a paler cinereous: The Breast red; the Belly white.

The quill-feathers in each Wing eighteen, as in other small birds, all dusky: The upper covert-feathers black, the nether red. The Tail is made up of the usual num∣ber of twelve feathers, of which the five outmost on each side are red, the two mid∣dlemost dusky, two inches and an half long.

The Bill is black: The Legs also are black in the Cock; in the Hen both Bill and feet are paler. The lowest bone of the outer Toe is joyned to that of the middle Toe. The Tongue is cloven: The mouth within yellow: The Irides of the Eyes of a hazel colour. The Eyes are furnished with nictating membranes.

It feeds upon Beetles, and other Insects, and comes to us in Summer-time.

It weighs half an ounce, is five inches long, and nine broad.

This bird, saith a late English Writer, is of a very dogged sullen temper: For if taken old, and ordered as formerly directed in the Nightingale, he will be sometimes so dogged as in ten days time never to look toward the meat, and when he feeds him∣self to continue a whole month without singing. This is also the shiest of all birds, for if she perceive you to mind her when she is building, she will forsake what she hath begun, and if you touch an Egg she never comes to her Nest more: And if you touch her young ones, she will either starve them, or throw them out of the Nest and break their necks, as I found by experience more than once. The Young are to be taken at ten days old, and to be fed and ordered as the Nightingales. Keep them warm in Winter, and they will sing as well in the night as the day, and will learn to whistle and imitate other birds. Taken young, and brought up, they become gentle and very tame.

Besides this common Redstart, Gesner and Aldrovand describe several other kinds, as 1. That which Aldrovandus makes his third, which Gesner describes thus: Its fore∣head is marked with a white spot: The feathers under the Bill are black. The Head and Back are of a cinereous or dusky colour. The Wing-feathers are dusky, mo∣derately inclining to red. The Breast, Belly, and Tail are red; but the lower Belly whitish. The Tail consists of eight feathers. For bigness this bird is inferiour to the great Titmouse or Ox-eye, equal to the Robin-red-breast. Its Bill is black, slender, long and streight.

The fourth of Aldrovand is in all points like this, save that the white spot on the forehead is changed into a long line: The Breast also seems to be more cinereous, and the lower belly not white.

2. The Rotschwentzel of Gesner, so called from the redness of the Tail, the descripti∣on whereof he took from a Picture sent him from Strasburgh: Therefore we shall

add no more concerning it, esteeming such Pictures less exact, and not much to be relied upon, who will may see the description in Gesner, or Aldrovand out of him.

3. The Bird called Wegflecklin about Strasburgh, Gesn. Its Breast was blue, the part between the Breast and Belly of a pale or yellowish red; which colour also the up∣per side of the Tail feathers, but not to the end, and those about the Rump, were of. The Bill is short, the Belly cinereous, not white, as the Strasburgh Picture represents it; the Legs dusky, not red, as in that Picture; and the feathers under the Bill not blue, but dusky and particoloured. The German name is imposed upon it partly from the ways; for it is much conversant about high ways, roads, and fields, and thence (as we guess) picks up worms and seeds that it finds on the ground; partly from the blue spot on its Breast, as I conjecture.

The Redstart (saith Aldrovandus) abides with us all the Summer, but in the end of the Autumn it either flies away, or hides it self, and in the Spring-time returns to us again. It feeds upon the same things the Robin-red-breast doth, to wit, flies, crums of bread, Ants Eggs, and if I be not deceived, Spiders too. It builds its Nest in hol∣low trees.

CHAP. VIII. The Robin-red-breast or Ruddock, Rubecula sive Erithacus, Aldrov. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Christ.

THis bird denominated from its red breast, is so well known in almost all Coun∣tries, that it needs no long description. It weighs about half an ounce, being from Bill to Tail half a foot long; and between the tips of the Wings spread about nine inches broad. The Breast is of a red or deep Orange colour: which colour compasses also the Eyes and upper part of the Bill. The Belly is white; the Head, Neck, Back, and Tail of a dirty green or yellow, as in Thrushes [rather cinereous, with a tincture of green.] A line of blue divides between the red colour and the cinereous on the Head and Neck. Under the Wings is also seen something of Orange∣tawny.

The exteriour borders of the Wings are almost of the same colour with the back: the interiour are something yellow. The Tail is two inches and an half long, and made up of twelve feathers.

The Bill is slender, of a dusky colour, more than half an inch long: The Tongue cloven and jagged: The Irides of the Eyes of a hazel colour. The Legs, Feet, and Claws of a dusky or blackish. The outer foretoe joyned to the middlemost at bot∣tom, as in the rest of this kind.

In Winter-time to seek food it enters into houses with much confidence, being a very bold bird, sociable and familiar with man. In the Summer-time (as Turner saith) when there is plenty of food in the Woods, and it is not pinched with cold, it with∣draws it self with its Brood into the most desert places. It is a solitary bird, and feeds singly, whence the Proverb took its rise, Unum arbustum non alit duos Erithacos. Of the manner of building its Nest thus Turner from ocular inspection. It makes its Nest among the thickest thorns and shrubs in Spineys, where it finds many Oaken leaves, and when it is built covereth it with leaves, not leaving it open every way, but only one passage to it. On that side also where the entrance is, it builds a long porch of leaves before the aperture, the outmost end whereof when it goes forth to seek meat, it shuts or stops up with leaves. What I now write I observed when I was very young; howbeit I will not deny but it may build also after another manner. If any have observed another manner of building let them declare it, and they will very much gratifie such as are studious of these things, and my self especially. What I have seen I have candidly imparted. The Male (saith Olina) may be known and di∣stinguished from the Female, by the colour of his Legs, which are blacker, and by certain hairs or beards which grow on each side his Bill. It feeds upon Worms and other Insects, Ants Eggs, Crums of bread, &c. For a Song-bird it is by some esteemed little inferiour to the Nightingale.

They build commonly three times a year, in April, May, and June: Seldom have above five young ones, and not under four. You may take them at ten days old; if

you let them lie too long, they will be sullen. Feed them with sheeps heart and Egg minced small, in all points like the Nightingale; give them but little at once, and pretty often, for if you give them too much, they are apt to throw it up again. Be sure they lie warm, for they are tender birds. When they begin to be strong, cage them in a Cage, like the Nightingales, lined with bays, and having Moss at the bottom: And give them sheeps heart and Egg, or the Nightingales Paste, or Woodlarks meat. In a Trap-cage with a meal-worm you may take a dozen in a day. The Cock may be known by his Breast being of a deeper red, and the red going up further upon the Head. He is subject to the Cramp, and dizziness. For the first give him three or four Meal-worms and Spiders: For the latter six or seven Earwigs a week.

CHAP. IX. The Nightingale, Luscinia seu Philomela, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Graecis.

THe Nightingale, being the chief of all singing birds, is about the bigness of a Goldfinch or Redstard, long-bodied, of an ounce weight, from Bill-point to Tail-end seven inches long, and between the extremities of the Wings ex∣tended ten and an half broad. Its colour on the upper part, viz. Head, and back is a pale fulvous, with a certain mixture of green, like that of a Redwing. Its Tail is of a deeper fulvous or red, like a Redstarts. From its red colour it took its name Rossignuolo in Italian. Its Belly is white. The parts under the Wings, the Breast and Throat are of a darker colour, with a tincture of green. In each Wing it hath eigh∣teen quil-feathers, besides the outmost small one, the interiour Webs whereof are livid, the exteriour fulvous. The Tail, as we said, is red, not forked, two inches and an half long, compounded of twelve feathers. The Bill slender, streight, in∣different long, viz. measuring from the tip to the angles of the mouth, near an inch, of a dusky colour: The upper Chap a little longer and blacker than the nether, the nether paler, and flesh-coloured at the root or rise. The Bill for its figure resembles a Thrushes or Blackbirds. The Tongue is not very short, the mouth yellow within: The Irides of the Eyes hazel-coloured: The Ears great: The colour of the Feet and Claws a deep flesh. [Olina attributes to the Feet a pale flesh-colour approaching to white.] But the colour varies according to the age, for in young birds it is fainter, in old ones fuller. The outmost foretoes are very near of equal length one to ano∣ther, which the middlemost doth much exceed both in thickness and length. The Heel or Spur is strong, but not long as in Larks. The outmost Toe beneath is joyned to the middle one. The Guts are about ten inches long. The blind Guts very small.

This bird is not remarkable for any variety or beauty of colours, but well known from its singing by night. And now that mention hath been made of singing, I can∣not forbear to produce and insert the elegant words of that grave Naturalist Pliny, concerning the Nightingales admirable skill in singing, her study and contention, the sweetness of her accents, the great variety of her notes, the harmonious modulation and inflection of her voice; which because I cannot so render in English but that they must needs lose much of their native Emphasis and Elegancy, I shall put down in the Language the Author wrote them. Lusciniis (saith he) diebus ac noctibus continuis quindecim garrulus sine intermissu cantus, densante se frondium germine, non in novissi∣mum digna miratu ave. Primùm tanta vox tam parvo in corpusculo, tam pertinax spiritus. Deinde in una perfecta musicae scientia modulatus editur sonus: Et nunc continuo spiritu trahitur in longum, nunc variatur inflexo, nunc distinguitur conciso, copulatur intorto, promittitur revocato, infuscatur ex inopinato: Interdum & secum ipse murmurat; plenus, gravis, acutus, creber, extensus, ubi visum est vibrans, summus, medius, imus, breviterque omnia tam parvulis in faucibus, quae tot exquisitis tibiarum tormentis ars hominum excogi∣tavit: Ut non sit dubium hanc suavitatem praemonstratam. Ac nè quis dubitet artis esse, plures singulis sunt cantus, nec iidem omnibus, sed sui cuique. Certant inter se, palámque animosa contentio est. Victa morte finit saepe vitam, spiritu priùs deficiente quàm cantu. Meditantur aliae juniores, versúsque quos imitentur accipiunt. Audit discipula intentione magna & reddit, vicibúsque reticent. Intelligitur emendatae correctio, & in docente quae∣dam reprehensio. Thus Pliny.

The Rhetorical Harangues of Modern Writers in commendation of the Nightingale I studiously omit, sith almost all they have concerning it is owing to Pliny, being either repeated in the same words, or a few only changed; or else composed in imitation of what we have delivered out of him. These things, though with me they scarce ob∣tain belief, yet will they seem very credible, if compared with what Gesner, from the relation of a certain friend of his, delivers concerning the admirable faculty of these birds in imitating of humane speech. To these things (saith he) let me add a story which a friend of mine, a very learned and credible person, wrote to me.

Because you are writing of Birds, I will tell you something concerning Nightingales imitating mens voice, and repeating their discourses, which is indeed wonderful, and almost incredible, but yet most true, and which I my self heard with these Ears, and had experience of, this last Diet at Ratisbone in the year 1546. whilst I lodged there in a common Inn at the sign of the Golden Crown. Our Host had three Nightingales, placed separately, so that each was shut up singly by it self in a dark Cage. It hap∣ned that at that time, being the Spring of the year, when those birds are wont to sing indefatigably, and almost incessantly; I was so afflicted with the Stone, that I could sleep but very little all night. Then about and after Midnight, when there was no noise in the house, but all still, you might have heard strange janglings and emulati∣ons of two Nightingales, talking one with another, and plainly imitating mens dis∣courses. For my part I was almost astonished with wonder. For they in the night∣season, when all was whist and quiet, in conference together produced and repeated whatever they had heard in the day time from the Guests talking together, and had thought upon. Those two of them which were most notable, and masters of this Art, were scarce ten foot distant one from the other: The third hung more remote, so that I could not so well hear it as I lay in bed. But those two it is wonderful to tell, how they provoked one another, and by answering invited and drew one another to speak. Yet did they not confound their words, talking both together, but rather utter them alternately, or by course. But besides the daily discourse, which they had lately heard of the Guests, they did chant out especially two stories one to the other for a long time, even from Midnight till Morning, so long as there was no noise of men stirring, and that with that native modulation and various inflection of their notes, that no man, unless he were very attentive and heedful, would either have expected from those little Creatures, or easily observed. When I asked the Host, whether their Tongues had been slit, or they taught to speak any thing? He answered no; whether he had observed or did understand what they sung in the night? He likewise denied that. The same said the whole Family. But I who could not sleep whole nights together, did greedily and attentively hearken to the birds, great∣ly indeed admiring their industry and contention. One of the stories was concern∣ing the Tapster, or House-knight (as they call them) and his Wife, who refused to follow him going into the Wars, as he desired her. For the Husband endea∣voured to persuade his wife, as far as I understand by those birds, in hope of prey, that she would leave her service in that Inn, and go along with him into the Wars. But she, refusing to follow him, did resolve either to stay at Ratisbone, or go away to Nurenberg. For there had been an earnest and long contention between them about this matter, but (as far as I understood) no body being present besides, and without the privity of the Master of the House; and all this Dialogue the birds repeated. And if by chance in their wrangling they cast forth any unseemly words, and that ought rather to have been suppressed and kept secret, the Birds, as not knowing the diffe∣rence between modest and immodest, honest and filthy words, did out with them. This dispute and wrangling the Birds did often repeat in the night time, as which (as I guessed) did most firmly stick in their memories, and which they had well conned and thought upon. The other was a History or Prediction of the War of the Empe∣rour against the Protestants, which was then imminent. For as it were presaging or prophecying they seemed to chant forth the whole business as it afterwards fell out. They did also with that story mingle what had been done before against the Duke of Brunswick. But I suppose those Birds had all from the secret conferences of some Noblemen and Captains, which as being in a public Inn, might frequently have been had in that place where the Birds were kept. These things (as I said) they did in the night, especially after twelve of the clock, when there was a deep silence, repeat. But in the day-time for the most part they were silent, and seemed to do nothing but meditate upon, and revolve with themselves what the Guests conferred together about either at Table, or else as they walked. I verily had never believed our Pliny

writing so many wonderful things concerning these little Creatures, had I not my self seen with my Eyes, and heard them with my ears uttering such things as I have re∣lated. Neither yet can I of a sudden write all, or call to remembrance every parti∣cular that I have heard.

The Nightingale is very impatient of cold, and therefore in Winter-time either hides it self in some lurking place, or flies away into hot Countries. Ireland (as Bo∣terus relates) is altogether destitute of Nightingales; which whether it be true or not I cannot tell. In the South part of England in Summer time they are very frequent, but in the North more rare. Some build upon the ground at hedg-bottoms, others in thick green bushes and shrubs. They lay four or five Eggs.

It is called in Italian, Rossingnuolo, from its red or fulvous colour; or (as Aldrovan∣dus rather thinks) from the diminutive Latine word, Lusciniola.

In Italy among those little birds, which growing fat in the Autumn are sold in∣discriminately for Beccafico's, the Nightingale is one.

It breeds in the Spring-time about the month of May, building its Nest of the leaves of trees, straws and moss. It seldom sings near its Nest for fear of discovering it, but for the most part about a stones cast distant.

It is proper to this Bird at his first coming (saith Olina) to occupy or seize upon one place as its Freehold, into which it will not admit any other Nightingale but its Mate.

It haunts for the most part in cool or shady places, where are little Rivulets of wa∣ter, such as are Quick-set hedges, small groves, and bushes, where are no very high trees, for it delights in no high trees except the Oak.

Additions to the History of the Nightingale out of Olina, and others.

§. 1. The choice of the Nestlings, and how to take and order them for singing.

MAke choice of such to bring up for singing as are bred earliest in the Spring; because, 1. They prove the best singers, as having more time to con and practise their notes before Winter. 2. They are easiest rear'd, and be∣come strong to endure the cold, having mued their feathers before Autumn, whereas the second brood, muing them later, are subject to be over-run with Vermine, and often surprized and killed by the cold, while they are bare of feathers. 3. Such con∣sequently prove more healthful and long-lived.

The young Nightingales (saith Olina) must be taken when they are well feathered; [saith a late English Author, when they are indifferently well feathered, not too little, nor too much: if too much, they will be sullen; and if too little, if you keep them not very warm, they will die with cold, and then also they will be much longer in bringing up;] and together with the Nest put in the bottom of a little basket made of straw, covering the Nest so that they cannot get out, not tangle or double their Legs; keeping them at first in a quiet place where few people resort, feeding them eight or ten times a day with heart of a Veal or Weather raw, well cleansed and freed from skin, films, sinews, and fat, cut into small pieces of the bigness of a writing Pen. [Our English Author mingles a like quantity of white bread, soaked in water, and a little squeezed, with the flesh, chopping both small as if it were for minc'd meat,] giving to each bird upon a sticks end two or three small pieces [of the quanti∣ty of a grey Pease] at a time. Make them drink two or three times a day, by put∣ting to them a little Cotton-wool dipt in water, on the end of a stick: Keeping them in this manner covered, till they begin to find their feet, and leap out of the Nest: Then put them in a Cage with fresh straw, fine moss or hay at the bottom, [lining the Pearches with green bays, for they are very subject to the cramp at the first] feeding and ordering them as before, till you see they begin to feed themselves, which you shall perceive by observing them pick the meat from the stick; then take of the heart some pieces of the bigness of a nut, and fasten them to the Cage sides. When they are come to feed themselves, give them four or five times a day a gobbet or two. Let them have a cup of water very clean and bright, changing the water in Summer-time twice a day, doing the same by the flesh, that it grow not sower nor stink. When they

are fully grown, put into little boxes with stone bottoms, on one side of the Cage crums of Paste, such as we shall anon describe, and on the other side Sheeps heart, such as was before mentioned. When they begin to moult (saith our English Author) give them half an Egg hard boiled, and the other half sheeps heart, with a little Saffron mixt in the water, for you must not make it too stiff, nor too limber. Give them no Duck-eggs: For I had six Nightingales killed one night with a Duck-egg.

Among these Nestlings the Cock may be known from the Hen by this token: After he hath eaten he will get up the Perch, and begin to tune or record to himself, which you shall perceive by the motion of his Throat, whereas the Hen at first re∣cords little, or not at all. Moreover, the Cock is wont to stand sometimes for a good space upon one foot; otherwhiles to leap or run furiously to and fro in the Cage, and to draw out his warbling Notes with a long continuance. Some are of opinion that these Nestlings sing not comparably to the wild Nightingales, because they want the teaching of their Dams. Wherefore to make them prove good, it is convenient to place them near one that hath the right wild note. But experience confutes this observation, these proving as well as those: Nature without any other teacher instructing them to utter the notes proper to their own kind. Herein I must crave leave to dissent from Olina, for Authors generally agree, and experience confirms it, that old Nightingales do teach their Young their Airs and that of all birds Nightingales emulate one another, and other birds, yea, and men too, in singing most.

For finding the Nest where the Cock sings, and if so be he sings long in a place; then the Hen sits not far off; but if he hath young ones he will now and then be mis∣sing, and then the Hen when you come near her Nest will sweet and cur: And if you have searched long and cannot find it, stick a meal-worm or two upon a thorn, and observe which way the Cock carries them, and stand still, or lie down, and you will hear the Young when the old one feeds them, (for they make a great noise for so small a bird.) When you have found the Nest if they be not fledg'd enough, touch them not, for if you do they will never tarry in the Nest.

These Nestlings sing for the most part in the Autumn, and sometimes in the Win∣ter, if they be kept in a warm Chamber, or in a place where the air is temperate. Olina.

§. II. How to take Branchers, and old Nightingales, and to order them when taken.

WHen you have found the birds haunts, they may be taken by a Trap-cage, or Net-trap; described in Olina, and in the forementioned English Author; baited with a meal-worm, or other worms or Maggots. So soon as you have taken the Nightingale, tie the tips of his wings with some brown thread, not straining it too hard, that he may not have strength to beat himself against the top and wires of the Cage, for by this order he will grow tame sooner, and be more apt to eat his meat. You shall shut him up in a Cage covered above half with green Bays, or brown paper, [Olina saith, covered with paper, and for a while without Perches] or else turn the Cage from the light in some private place, that at first he be not disturbed, to make him wilder than he would be. Feed him five or six times at the least every day with sheeps heart and Egg shred small and fine, mingling amongst the same some red Ants, and three or four red Earth-worms. And because no Nightingale will at first eat any sheeps heart or Paste, or hard Egg, but live meat, as Worms, Ants, Caterpillars, or Flies; therefore taking him out in your hand, you must open his Bill with a stick made thin at one end, and holding it open, give him a gobbet about the bigness of a grey pease: Then when he hath swallowed that, open his Bill and give him ano∣ther, till he hath had four or five such bits: Then set him some meat mingled with store of Ants, that when he goes to pick up the Ants he may eat some of the sheeps heart and Eggs with it. At the first you may shred three or four meal-worms in his meat, the better to entice him, that so he may therewith eat some of the sheeps heart by little and little; at last when you perceive him to eat, give him the less Ants in his meat, and at last nothing but sheeps heart and Eggs. [Olina makes no mention of forcing meat down his throat, but only laying it by him in the Cage, and advises to tie or fasten some of heart to Maggots and Caterpillars, to inure the bird to eat flesh.] Our Author also, if the bird besullen, advises to get some Gentles or Maggots, and take your paste and roll it up in pieces like to little worms about half an inch long,

and put amongst them some Ants, and put your Maggots at the bottom of your pan, then put your paste rolled like worms upon the Maggots, and they stirring at the bot∣tom will make the paste move as if it were alive; which will cause the Nightingale to eat it more readily; and when he hath tasted the meat made of sheeps heart, and paste two or three times, he then is not apt to forsake it. But whereas he saith, that Nightin∣gales feeding only upon live meat do not know that any thing is for food but what stirs, he is surely therein mistaken, for (as Olina observes) they feed upon Figs, and some sorts of berries, when wild, as well as upon Insects. Such birds as you take in April our Author advises when you go a taking to carry a bottom bag with you, and some meat in a Gally-pot to feed them abroad, for if they be over-fasted they seldom live, they re∣quiring to be fed every hour: Also to put or cut their feathers from their vent, other∣wise they will be subject to clog and bake up their vent, which is sudden death. Birds, that are long a feeding, and make no curring or sweeting for eight or ten days, seldom prove good; but on the contrary, they give great hopes of proving well when they take their meat kindly, and are familiar, and not buckish, and sing quickly, and learn to eat of themselves without much trouble. This is a sure token of their pro∣ving excellent birds: For I have had some birds feed in twelve hours after taking of them, and sing in two or three days, and those never proved bad. When you shall find that the Nightingale eats well by himself, and sings often without seeming to be disturbed at every little noise, you shall by little and little put back the green Bays or Paper wherewith the Cage was covered, putting some Greens in the opened part.

Now to know the Cocks from the Hens among the wild ones, Olina gives us these marks of the Cock, That it hath a bigger Eye, and rounder and greater Head, a lon∣ger Bill, thicker Legs, a longer Tail, and of something a brighter red. Our English Author will not allow these for sufficient notes of distinction; and yet afterward he dare not deny but all taken together may be sufficient. He adds, that Nightingales taken in August are most certainly to be discerned by the singing: And as for those that are taken in April, your knowledge, saith he, resteth in these observations: First, when you think you have taken the bird you heard sing, call again, and if the Cock answers and sings again, then you have taken the Hen, and not the Cock; but if you find the Cock not to sing, then be assured you have taken him. Also you may know him by the lower parts of the Sex, which the Cock puts forth, but the Hen doth not. If you take a bird about the middle of May, or beginning of June, the Breast of the Hen will be bare with sitting, and all full of scurf, whereas the Cocks Breast is all well∣feathered, without any bareness or scurf.

This Author saith, that he hath often proved, that old Nightingales are far per∣fecter, and far excellenter in their songs than any Nestling or Brancher whatsoever, and will come to sing as lavish and as often, and with care and a little trouble will know you, and be as familiar also.

Branchers (saith Olina) are better than Nestlings, and will come to be as familiar, and very often sing all Winter. [Understand it in Italy where their Winters are short and mild.]

§. III. What Cages are best for Nightingales.

THe most convenient Cages for Nightingales are those which have the Wires only afore, and all the other parts made up, and the top lined with Bays, [the sides also against Winter] partly for warmth, the Nightingale being a very tender bird, and partly also because being buckish he is apt to mount up and strike his head against the top-wires or wood, and endanger the dashing out his brains.

§. IV. How to make a Paste to feed Nightingales, being also good for the Wren, Robin-red-breast, Woodlark, Skie-lark, Throstle, and other birds.

TAke of the flower of Chiches [or horse-beans] finely sifted two or three pounds, according to the number of birds you keep: Of sweet Almonds blanch'd and beaten fine half a pound, of fresh Butter [without any salt in it] four ounces, three or four Yolks of Eggs boiled hard and pounded. Put these ingredients

in a Pan of the fashion of that they make Confects in. Set the Pan on a Trevet over a fire of Charcoal, taking care that it be not smoaked, and stirring it con∣stantly with a wooden stick or Spathule, that it burn not to the bottom till it be sufficiently boiled. Then take a pound of Honey, and three ounces of Butter, and melt it in any little Vessel, still scumming of it; and when it is well melted and boiled, let your assistant, with a Ladle having a hole or two in the bottom, take it up, and pour it upon the Paste, gently moving his Ladle up and down, you in the mean while continuing to stir your Paste till it be well incorporated and grained. This Paste serves for the Summer: For the Winter, take a pretty quantity of Saffron and mingle with the Paste, for it is hot and opening, and will maintain the bird more chearful and lively. Then take it from the fire, and pass it through a Sieve or Co∣lander with round holes of the bigness of an ordinary Tare. That which will not pass through of it self force through with your hand. Then spread it upon a Table, covered with a white clean cloth, to dry; and when it is sufficiently dry, put it up in a Pot. If it be too dry, you may moisten and mollifie it with a little honey. This Paste will last three or four, and sometimes six months, and serves for all sorts of small soft∣beaked birds.

Many other sorts of Paste may be made like this of less charge; as instead of Al∣monds to use Walnuts, &c. These Pastes are best kept in earthen Vessels of white ware, covered close with Parchment, and set in a place rather moist than dry.

§. V. The Nightingales diseases, and their cures.

FIrst, note that the principal thing which causes most diseases, not only in Nightin∣gales, but in other birds kept for singing, is want of keeping them clean and neat, whereby they clog their feet, which causes the Claws of several to rot off, and breeds the Cramp and Gout in others, and makes them never thrive, nor delight in themselves. No birds can be kept too clean and neat. Therefore be sure to let them have twice a week gravel at the bottom of the Cage, and let it be very dry when you put it in, for then it will not be subject to clog.

The Nightingale in Autumn is apt to grow extraordinary fat and foggy; [I have had several when fat to be three weeks and not eat one bit of meat] to remedy which during that time give him two or three times in a week worms taken out of a Pigeon∣house, two or three at a time, or two or three field-Spiders a day, which will purge and cleanse them extraordinarily. Upon the falling of his fat he must be kept warm, and have some Saffron given him in his meat or water. To raise them when they are very lean and poor, give them new figs chopt small among their meat, continuing no longer than till they have recovered their flesh.

Nightingales that have been kept two or three years in a Cage are very subject to the Gout: Which when you shall perceive, take them out of their Cage, and anoint their feet with fresh Butter or Capons grease: Do so three or four days together and it is a certain cure for them.

Another thing that Nightingales are subject to, is breakings out about their Eyes and Neb; for which likewise use your fresh Butter or Capons grease.

There also hapneth unto the Nightingale a straitness or strangling of the breast; which comes very often for want of care in making of their meat, by mincing fat therewith; and you may perceive it by the beating pain not afore accustomed that he abideth in this place, and also by his often gaping: Other whiles this disease hapneth by reason of some sinew or thread of the sheeps heart (for want of well shredding) hang∣ing in his throat, or clasping about his Tongue, which causeth him to forsake his meat, and grow very poor in a short time, especially if it be in the Spring time, or when he is in song. When you shall perceive it by his gaping, &c. take him gently out of his Cage, and open his bill with a quill or pin, and unloosen any string or piece of flesh that may hang about his tongue or throat: After you have taken it a way, give him some white Sugar-candy in his water, or else dissolve it, and moisten his meat, which is a present remedy to any thing that is amiss.

If they grow melancholy, put into their water some white Sugar-candy; and if that will not do, about six or eight Chives of Saffron, continuing withal to give them the Paste and sheeps heart shred very fine, and also three or four meal-worms a day, and a few Ants and Ants Eggs: Also boil a new-laid Egg, and chop it small, and strew it among the Ants and their Eggs.

§. VI. How to provoke a Nightingale to sing.

TO make Nightingales sing more than ordinarily, or at such times as they are not wont, give them in Winter-time Paste of Pine kernels pounded, and in their drinking-cup a chive or two of Saffron: For those two things by heating them, render them chearful and brisk, without inducing any noxious alteration, and so excite them to sing. That sympathy also which this bird hath with Music both vocal and instru∣mental is of exceeding force to this purpose. And therefore if in the Chamber where she is kept there be a consort of sweet sounds or voices, she is marvelously pro∣voked to sing. Many stories we have of Nightingales emulating and striving to out∣vie one another, and other birds, yea, and men too in singing: Nay, that sometimes a bird will strain her note so to exceed that of her Antagonist, that she will fall down dead upon the spot with contending and over-straining her self.

Olina hath the receit of an odoriferous unguent to stir up a Nightingale to sing.

Take of Civet not sophisticate twenty grains, Benjamin and Storax calamitae, of each three grains, mingle these together in a Mortar in the form of a soft ointment; Then diligently observe the bush and particular branch, on which the Nightingale is wont to sit and sing, and there making as it were a little shelf of the leaves and boughs, lay thereon some meal-worms, and anoint the branch next to your shelf with this Un∣guent. The Nightingale when he returns from feeding, will presently fly up to his bough, and finding there the meal-worms will fall a eating of them, and senting the odour of the Ointment will begin to sing, and being as it were intoxicated with the perfume, will not give over, nor stir from the place though you take the boughs from about him. For as the Nightingale exceeds all other birds in singing, so doth he also in the exquisiteness of his sent: Wherefore also when wild he doth most willingly haunt where sweet herbs grow: And is particularly delighted in Musk, so that a grain or two of true Musk put in Cotton, and that in a small Reed serving for him to pearch on in his Cage, will provoke him to sing.

CHAP. X. The Black-cap: Atricapilla seu Ficedula, Aldrov. called by the Greeks, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, by the Italians, Capo Negro.

THis is a very small bird, not weighing above half an ounce: Its length from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail is six inches; its breadth between the ends of the Wings stretcht out nine. The top of the Head is black, whence it took its name: The Neck cinereous; the whole back of a dark green. The quill-feathers in each Wing eighteen in number, of a dusky colour, save that their edges are a little green. The Tail hath twelve feathers, two inches and an half long, and almost equal, sharp-pointed, of a dusky colour, with a little tincture of green. The nether part of the Neck, the Throat, and upper part of the Breast are of a pale ash-colour: The lower Belly white, tinctured with yellow. The Bill streight, slen∣der, black, longer, and lesser than in the Titmice: The Tongue cloven and rough: The Feet of a lead colour, the Claws black. The outmost Toe below is fastned to the middlemost. The head of the Female is of a brown or chesnut colour rather than black.

This bird is frequent in Italy, it is also found in England, but more rarely, Turner in vain contradicting.

Gesner saith, that the first Summer the head of these birds is red, and afterward grows black, and that in the Cocks only, for in the Hens it continues always red. The Ancients report, that the Black-caps [Atricapillae] in the beginning of Autumn are changed into Ficedulae, or Beccafigos by the mutation of their voice and colour; from whom, till I be assured by experience, I must crave leave to dissent.

* The fourth Beccafigo of Aldrovand.

The Beccafico described by Aldrovand in the fourth and fifth place in his Chapter of Ficedulae may perchance differ specifically from our Black-cap. On the upper side, Head, Back, Wings, and Tail it is of a brown colour, inclining to a chesnut. The Fe∣male on the nether side is all white; the Male from white declines to cinereous. The quil-feathers of the Wings in the Male are black, with some white ones intermixt: In the Female they incline to a chesnut colour, as doth also the Tail, which in the Cock is black. Contrariwise, the Feet in the Cock incline to a chesnut colour, in the Hen are black.

Beccasigo's abound in Candy, as Bellonius witnesses, and also in the Island of Cyprus, where they are salted up in great numbers, and transported into other Countries. With us in England they are called by a general name, Cyprus-birds, and are in no less esteem with our Merchants for the delicacy of their taste, than they were of old with the Italians: And that deservedly, (saith Aldrovandus) for feeding upon two of the choicest fruits, viz. Figs and Grapes, they must needs become a more wholsom food than other birds, yielding a better nourishment, and of more easie concoction. Bec∣cafigo's are accounted best and most in season in the Autumn, as being then fattest by reason of the plenty of meat that season affords them. At which time they are highly prized and coveted by the Italians even now adays.

CHAP. XI. The gloden-crown'd Wren: Regulus cristatus, Aldrov. lib. 17. cap. 1. The Trochilus of Pliny and Aristotle, who also calls it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Others call it by a diminutive word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In Tuscany it is called Fior Rancio, that is, the Marigold Flower, from the colour of its Crest.

THis is the least of all birds found with us in England, weighing not more than one single drachm. Its length from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Claws is four inches and an half, to the end of the Tail four and a quarter. The breadth of the Wings extended six and three quarters. The top of the Head is adorned with a most beautiful bright spot, (which they call a crest) of a deep Saffron or pale Scarlet colour. Hence it got those ambitious titles of Regulus and Tyrannus. This Crest or Crown (if you please so to call it) it can when it lists, by corrugating its forehead, and drawing the sides of the spot together, wholly conceal and render invisible. It is of an oblong figure, and extended directly through the middle of the Head from the Bill towards the Neck. The edges of it on both sides are yellow; the whole is environed with a black line. The sides of the Neck are of a lovely shining yellowish green colour. The Eyes are encompassed with white. The Neck and all the Back from a dark green incline to yellow. The Breast is of a sordid white. [In the bird that I J. R. described the Breast and Belly were dashed with a faint green.] The Wings were concave, not much unlike to a Chassinches Wings. The quil-fea∣thers of the Wings, as in almost all small birds, were eighteen, all of a dusky colour, only their exteriour edges yellowish, and their interiour whitish. The tips also of the three next to the body were white. But what was most especially notable in the Wings of this bird was, that the middle quill-feathers, or indeed all excluding the five outmost, and the three inmost, had their exteriour Webs, as far as they appear above the covert feathers, to a considerable breadth black, so that when the Wings are shut they make a black spot of a good bigness about the middle of each Wing. The outmost quil-feather was very short and little. The covert-feathers of the first row have white tips, all together making a white line across the Wing. Above also to∣wards the ridge of the Wing is a white spot.

The Tail is made up of twelve sharp-pointed feathers, an inch and half long, not forcipate, of a dusky colour, only the exteriour borders of the feathers are of a yel∣lowish green.

The Bill is slender, streight, black, half an inch long. The feet yellowish, and the Claws of a not much different colour. The Tongue long, sharp, and cloven. The Irides of the Eyes of a hazel colour.

The stomach small, musculous, and full of Insects; whence it is manifest (as Ari∣stotle rightly saith) that it is a vermivorousbird. The Female, as in most other birds, hath not so fair colours.

We saw of these birds first to be sold in the Market at Nurenberg: Afterwards our worthy Friend Mr. Fr. Jessop of Broomhall in Sheffield Parish, whom we have occasion often to mention in this Work, sent us of them, which he had found and caught in the Mountainous Woods about Highloe, near Hathersedge in the Peak of Derbyshire. The same also found them here in Middleton Park in Warwickshire, where he shot them and brought them to us. They abide and haunt for the most part on the tops of trees, especially Oaks.

What is spoken of the antipathy and feud between this bird and the Eagle we look upon as an Old Wives Fable. Aldrovandus writes, that she lays six or seven Eggs to∣gether before she sits, not bigger than Pease.

CHAP. XII. A little yellowish Bird without name, called by Aldrovandus Regulus non cristatus, perchance the Asilus of Bellonius, or the Luteola of Turner.

THis is equal to, or somewhat bigger than the crested Wren, weighs two drachms, being in length from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail, or, which is all one, the end of the Claws five inches, in breadth between the extremities of the Wings extended seven.

All its upper side, save the Wings and Tail, is of a dusky or cinereous colour, tin∣ctured with green. The Rump is greener than the rest of the Back. A yellowish line is produced from the Nosthrils above the Eyes almost to the hinder part of the Head. The nether side, viz. the Throat, Breast, and Belly is white with a dash of green, and sometimes yellow. The Wing and Tail-feathers are dusky, having their outer edges green. The feathers under the bastard-wing, and the coverts of the underside of the Wings, from green decline to a lovely yellow. Each Wing hath eighteen prime fea∣thers, the outmost of which is very short and small. The Tail is two inches long, not forked, made up of twelve sharp-pointed feathers.

Its Bill is slender, streight, sharp, half an inch long, the upper Mandible being dusky on the outside; but the angles of the Mouth are yellowish: The mouth with∣in yellow. The Nosthrils are large: The Legs and Feet small, of a dusky Amber co∣lour. The outmost fore-toe at bottom grows to the middle one. Its Gizzard is small. It sings like a Grashopper, and doth much frequent Willow-trees. It is much in motion, continually creeping up and down trees and shrubs, and sings with a que∣rulous note. It builds its Nest of moss, and straws, and a few feathers and hairs with∣in. It lays five Eggs all over besprinkled with red specks.

The birds of this kind vary in colour, some being of a paler, some of a deeper green or yellow: in some the Belly is white, without any tincture of green.

Mr. Jessop set us a bird in all points exactly like that here described, and whose note also resembled the noise of a Grashopper, but twice as big.

Now that the Reader may judge whether the Asilus of Bellonius be the same with this bird, as we suppose, we will subjoyn Bellonius his description thereof.

The Asilus, saith he, is of all birds the least, except the Regulus and Tyrannus (that is, according to him, the common Wren, and the crested Wren) at least there is none less than it. It is almost always singing. It would be like to the crested Wren, were not the crest on its Head yellow. And yet it is yellow in the folds of its Wings, and in their extremities, as also upon the Back, and about the Tail. The Legs, Feet, Claws, and Bill are black; but both the extremities of the Bill have something of yellow. It is long, weak, and fit to catch Insects, upon which it feeds, refusing grain, and lives in the shady places of Woods. Aristotle mentions a little bird by the name of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Gaza renders it Asilus, thought to be so called because it is not much bigger than the Insect Oestrus.

CHAP. XIII. The Wren, Passer troglodites of Aldrovand, by Turner and Bellonius called falsly Regulus.

IT weighs three drachms, being extended from the point of the Bill to the end of the Tail four inches and an half: The Wings stretcht out equal to six inches and an half. The Head, Neck, and Back are of a dark spadiceous colour, especial∣ly the Rump and Tail. The Back, Wings, and Tail are varied with cross black lines. The Throat is of a pale yellow, the middle of the Breast whiter: Below it hath black transverse lines, as have also the sides. The lower Belly is of a dusky red. The tips of the second row of Wing-feathers are marked with three or four small white spots. The tips of the covert-feathers of the Tail are alike spotted. The number of quil-feathers in each Wing is eighteen. The Tail, which for the most part it holds erect, is made up of twelve feathers.

The Bill is half an inch long, slender, yellowish beneath, dusky above: the Mouth withinside yellow: The Irides of the Eyes hazel-coloured. The outer Toes are fast∣ned to the middle one as far as the first joynt. It creeps about hedges and holes, whence it is not undeservedly called Troglodites. It makes but short flights, and if it be driven from the hedges, may easily be tired and run down.

It builds its Nest sometimes by the Walls of houses, in the back-sides of Stables, or other Out-houses covered with straw, but more commonly in Woods and Hedges, without, of Moss, within, of hairs and feathers. This Nest is of the figure of an Egg, erect upon one end, and hath in the middle of the side a door or aperture, by which it goes in and out. Being kept tame it sings very sweetly, and with a higher and louder voice than one would think for its strength and bigness; and that especi∣ally in the Month of May, for then it builds and breeds. It lays nine or ten, and some∣times more Eggs at a sitting.

A late English Writer tells us, that he hath had eighteen Eggs out of one Nest, and sixteen young ones out of another. It is strange to admiration that so small a bodied bird should cover so great a number of Eggs, and more strange, that it should feed such a company of young, and not miss one bird, and that in the dark also. They breed twice a year, about the latter end of April, and beginning of June, or middle of it. The Young are to be fed and rear'd like the young Nightingales, giving them often, and but one or two morsels at a time. Give them once in two or three days a Spider or two.

It perfectly cures the Stone of the Kidneys or Bladder (as Aetius writes) being salted and eaten raw; or being burnt in a pot close-covered, and the ashes of one whole bird taken at once, either by it self, or with a little Phyllon and Pepper; or lastly, being roasted whole, only the feathers pluckt off and cast away.

All the Modern Writers of the History of birds before Gesner take this bird to be the Regulus of the Ancients.

CHAP. XIV. The Humming Bird, Guainumbi of Marggrave, and Johnston in his Natural History of Birds: Guaiminibique of Jo. de Laet in his Description of the West Indies, Book 15. Chap. 7. Gonambuch, or Gouambuch of Lerius in the eleventh Chapter of his American History, and of Thevet in his 48. Chapter of the singularities of Antartic France; Tomineio of Josephus à Costa in Book 4. Chap. 37. of his Natural and Moral History of the West Indies, so called perchance because it is so light, that it weighs only one Spanish Tomino, that is, twelve grains. Ourissia, (that is, a Sun-beam) or Tomineio of Clusius in Book 5. of his Exotics, Chap. 7. Passer Mosquitus of Oviedo in his Summary, Chap. 48. Hoitzitzil of Fr. Hernandez in Book 9. Chap. 11. Rerum medicarum Novae Hispaniae. Gomarae in Historia de Mexicanae urbis expugnatione, Vicicilin.

THis kind of bird, whose Synonyma we have given, is the least of all birds. It comprehends under it many Species, or differences of which in general these things are delivered by those who have written of it.

1. That it moves the Wings with that swiftness, as not to be discerned by the Eye, so that it seems rather to want Wings; and that as it flies it makes a humming noise like a Hornet or Bee; insomuch that one who should see it flying by, would take it rather to be a Hornet than a Bee: Hence it took its name in English of humming bird. It will also so poise it self by the help of its Wings for a long space of time, as if it rested and stirred not, and so, being on the Wing, suck the flowers with its Bill, for it lights not upon them. But when it moves from one place to another, it is carried with that ve∣locity like a bullet through the air, that very oft it cannot be seen or discerned as it flies along.

2. That it is fed and nourished with honey, dew, and the juice of flowers, which it sucks out of them with its Bill, or rather its very long Tongue, provided and fitted by nature for that use; so that, being taken alive, they cannot be kept for want of food, but die in a shorttime.

3. That it lies torpid or sleeps in Winter [hanging by the feet on a bough in some open place, according to Franc. Lopez: The Bill being fastned to the trunks of Pines or other trees, according to Hernandes and Recchus] and in the Spring revives or awakens, whence also these birds are called Renati by the Inhabitants of the Caribbce Islands, viz. so long, say they, it continues alive, as the honey-bearing flowers en∣dure, and when they wither and fail it becomes torpid, and continues without sense or motion for full six months space until new flowers come. Neither (saith Her∣nandez) is this an idle tale, or such a thing whereof one may well doubt: For this bird hath been more than once kept in a Chamber fastned to the stock of a tree, and when it had hung as it were dead for six months, at what time Nature had appointed, it revived, and being let go flew away into the neighbouring fields. Believe it who will, I am not wont rashly or hastily to give credit to such relations: Though I know it is taken generally for an undoubted truth, and I find our Mr. Josseline in his New Englands rarities to report it for such. And truly if it lives only upon what it sucks out of flowers, in the Northern parts of America, when flowers fail, it must either lie torpid, or fly into the hotter Countries. But in the more Southern parts of America (as in Bra∣sil) Marggravius writes, that these birds are found all the year long in the Woods in great numbers.

4. Of the feathers of these and other birds of beautiful colours the Indians make the likenesses (for Pictures we must not call them) of Saints, and other things so dextrously, and artificially, and to the life that one would think they were drawn with a Pencil in colours, of which we have seen many in the Cabinets of the Vir∣tuosi.

5. Although almost all the Spaniards who have written of the West India matters, have made mention of this bird, yet (which is strange) do they take no notice at all of its singing: Only Lerius and Thevetus, both Frenchmen, do attribute to it so high and sweet a note, that it gives not place to our Nightingale, which no man, who

should not hear and see it, could easily be perswaded, could possibly proceed from so small a body. Marggravius affirms, that they do not sing, but cry, Screp, screp, screp, with one tone, and that almost continually, like Sparrows.

Marggravius describes nine sorts of this bird in the fifth Book of his Natural History of Brasil, Chap. 4.

1. The length of the whole body of this first kind from the beginning of the Head (where the Bill is inserted) to the rise of the Tail is two inches. The Head, toge∣ther with the feathers, is of the bigness of a mean-sized sweet Cherry: The Neck is three quarters of an inch long; the body an inch and a quarter. The body, toge∣ther with the feathers, is scarce equal in bigness to a Spanish Olive. It hath a slender, and very sharp, round, even, streight Bill, yet toward the end a little inclining downward, an inch and half long. The colour of this Bill is black, excepting the lower Chap toward the rise, where it is reddish. It hath a double or cloven Tongue, very small or slender, like a fine silken thread, white, long, so that it can thrust it forth far beyond the Bill: Small black Eyes; very small and short Legs and Feet, of a black colour: Four Toes in each foot, three standing forward, and one backward, armed with long semilunar, very sharp, black Claws. It hath a streight Tail, an inch long, consisting for the most part of four feathers. The Wings, which are of two inches length, reach almost to the end of the Tail. Nature hath shewn a singular Art in the composure of the Wing-feathers. From the rise of the Wings for about three quarters of an inch there is a double row of feathers one longer than the other, and the feathers are put one upon another, as it were short wings upon long ones. Then after these feathers come the Wing-feathers (which are about ten) the subsequent interiour being still longer than the precedent exteriour, so that the in∣most, determining the end of the Wing, is the longest of all. These Wings being spread it can fly a long time, and rest in the same place, as it were hanging in the air. As it flies it makes a noise like a Bruchus, or more truly, like a linnen Spinning-wheel, Hur, hur, hur. The feathers of the Wings spread appear very thin and transparent. The colour of the feathers of the whole Head, the upper side of the Neck, the sides, the whole Back, and the beginning of the Wings is wonderfully resplendent, so that it cannot be well represented by any Painter, for with a green, such as is seen in the Necks of Peacocks and Mallards, a golden, flame-colour, and yellow are strangely mixt, so that being exposed to the Sun-beams it shines admirably. In the Throat, the lower side of the Neck, the breast, and all the lower Belly, and the upper Legs are white feathers, wherewith underneath the Neck are feathers of an excellent colour, dispersedly intermixt. In the Belly beneath the white feathers lie black ones. The beginning of the Wings was, as I said, of an admirable rare colour, all the rest of the Wing brown, and of a shining spadiceous. The Tail consists of feathers of a blue colour, like polished Steel. They make their Nests in the boughs of trees, of the bigness of a Holland Schilling. They lay very white Eggs, two for the most part, of an oval figure, not bigger than a Pease.

2. The second sort is more beautiful than the first, of the same bigness and figure. Yet is its Bill shorter, viz. ⅔ of an inch long, of the same colour and figure with that of the former. The Tongue is the same, as also the Eyes, Legs, Feet, and figure of the Wings and Tail. The colour of the feathers in the Head, upper side of the Neck, Back, Wings, and Tail like to that of the former: But in the Throat or underside of the Neck, the whole Breast, and lower Belly, to the very end of the body of so ele∣gant and shining a green, with a golden colour, enterchangeably mixt, that they gli∣ster wonderfully. Near the Vent is a spot of a good bigness, in respect of the bulk of the bird, consisting of pure white feathers.

3. The third is lesser than all the rest. From the beginning of the Head, or inser∣tion of the Bill to the rise of the Tail two inches and an half long: The Neck is almost one inch long: The Head not great: The Body an inch and half long. The Bill a little more than an inch long, black, round, sharp, and almost streight. The Legs and Feet like those of the rest. The feathers also of the Body and Wings are alike disposed, but differently coloured. It hath a Tail longer than any of the rest, some∣what more than three inches, consisting of feathers, of which that which is nearer to its rise is shorter, the second always longer: The Tail also is forked, and the bird flying spreads it into two large horns, so that the tips of the horns are an inch and half distant one from the other. The whole Head and Neck of this bird is of a shining silken black colour, inclining to, or interchanging with blue, as in the Necks of Mal∣lards. The whole Back and Breast are green, shining enterchangeably with golden

and Sea-green, as in the second kind; and near the vent is also the like spot of white feathers. The Wings are of a liver-colour. The Tail is of a blackish blue, shining like polished Steel blued over.

4. The fourth is a little lesser than the third. The shape of the body and dispo∣sition of the feathers the same, but it is of another colour, and differs also in the Bill and colour of the Legs. The Bill is an inch and half long, bowed downward like a Polonian Sword, round, every where of equal thickness, and sharp-pointed. The upper part thereof is black, the under yellow, excepting the tip, which is also black. The top of the Head, the upper side of the Neck, as also the Wings, are of like co∣lour with those of the first kind. The Throat, the lower side of the Neck, the whole Breast, and lower Belly, from white incline to a red colour. It hath a Tail an inch long, ending with the Wings, consisting of feathers which from black incline to green, having white tips: The Toes so disposed as the other Species, yet not black, but white or yellowish, with like semilunar, sharp, and black Claws.

5. The fifth is in bigness equal to the third kind; having a black Bill, a little more than an inch long, and a little bending downward, black Eyes, as also Legs and Feet. The Throat, lower side of the Neck, and all the Belly are covered with black Vel∣vet feathers, having as it were a gloss of shining blue. Near the Vent is a spot of white feathers. But the black ends of the feathers on the sides of the Neck, Breast, and Belly shine wonderfully with a rare mixture of Sea-water colour, golden and green. All the upper side of the Head and Neck, and the whole Back are adorned with feathers mixt with golden, fire-colour, and green, as is also the beginning of the Wings. The rest of the Wings is of an iron or dusky colour. The Tail is a little more than an inch long, consisting of feathers of an elegant brown, with a gloss of blue. About the edges these feathers are of the colour of polished Steel blued.

6. The sixth is in bigness equal to the fifth; hath a Bill of an inch long, a little bending, white underneath, black above. The whole Head, Neck, Back, and Belly, and the beginning of the Wings are covered with feathers of an excellent shining co∣lour, consisting as it were of a mixture of much gold, half fire-colour, and a little green: In brief, shining like the Sun. In the Belly are a few white feathers mixt. The Legs are black: The Wings blackish: The Tail almost an inch and half long, handsom and broad, consisting of some feathers of the same rare colour with the rest of the body, some of a mixt colour of green and golden, and white about the edges, some half white, half green, shining with golden, that is, on one side the shaft white, on the other green.

7. The seventh is a little less than the fifth and sixth kind; hath a Bill not altoge∣ther an inch long, being of an ash-colour all over the body, almost like a Sparrow, which here and there shineth rarely with a mixture of red like a Rubine.

8. The eighth is the most elegant of all, hath a streight, black Bill half an inch long; a long, double [or cloven] Tongue. Its bigness and shape agrees with that of the second kind. The whole Head above and upper part of the Neck shine with an ad∣mirable Rubine-colour, as if a Rubine were illustrated by the Sun-beams: But the Throat and under-side of the Neck do resemble pure, polished, Hungarian gold, shone upon by the Sun-beams: So that it is impossible in words perfectly to set forth the likeness of these colours, much less for a Painter to represent or imitate them. The be∣ginning of the Back is covered with a Velvet black, the rest with dusky feathers, with which is mixt something of a dark green. The whole lower Belly is invested with feathers of the same colour with the back, the Wings with a dusky, as in other kinds. Near the Vent it hath a white spot. The Legs are slender and black: The Tail little more than an inch long, consisting of feathers of a feuillemort colour, which at the ends are dusky about the edges. The Tail is broad, which it spreads very wide in flying. The Wings end with the Tail.

9. The ninth is for figure and bigness like the first. Its Bill is black above, and red underneath. Its whole body shines with that bright green colour mixt with golden, that the Belly of the second sort is of. The Wings are dusky: The Tail an inch long, pretty broad, consisting of feathers of the colour of polished blue steel.

This Bird is by the Brasilians called by many other names besides Guainumbi, as Aratica, and Aratarataguacu, as Marggrave tells us, and Guaracyaba, that is, A Sun∣beam, and Guaracigaba, that is, the hair of the Sun, according to de Laet. It is com∣mon in almost all the hotter Countries of America. It is reported (saith Nierember∣gius) that the powder of this Bird, taken inwardly, cures the Falling sickness. What I find in Marggravius concerning the Tail of the first Species, viz. that it consists

of four feathers, I vehemently suspect to be a mistake either of the Printer, or of the Author; for in the Tail of one that I examined I found the usual number of twelve feathers.

CHAP. XV. Slender-billed Birds, whose Tail is particoloured.

§. I. The Fallow-Smich, in Sussex the Wheat-ear, because the time of Wheat-harvest they wax very fat; called by the Italians, Culo Bianco, and by us also in some places, White-tail, from the colour of its Rump. Oenanthe sive Vitiflora of Aldrovandus.

IN bigness it exceeds the House-Sparrow. The colour of its Head and Back is cine∣reous, with a certain mixture of red, like to that which is seen in the Back of the Hawsinch. [The Back of a Female Bird which I described at Florence was cine∣reous, with a certain mixture of green and red.] The Rump in most is white, whence also it took its name; in some it is of the same colour with the Back, or more red. The whole Belly is white, lightly dashed with red. The Breast and Throat have a deeper tincture of red. The Belly in the Cocks is sometimes yellowish. Above the Eyes is a white line continued to the hinder part of the Head. Below the Eyes a black stroak is extended from the corners of the mouth to the ears. [I found not this black line in the Females.]

Both the quil-feathers and covert-feathers of the Wings are all black besides the fringes or extreme edges, which are white, tinctured with a sordid red. The Tail is two inches and a quarter long, made up of twelve feathers, of which the two mid∣dlemost have their upper half white, the rest their lower, the other half being black. Moreover, the tips and edges of them all are white. [In the Hen the white takes up but a quarter of the feathers.]

The Bill is slender, streight, black, more than half an inch long: The mouth is black within, the Tongue black and cloven: The aperture of the Mouth great: The Irides of the Eyes hazel-coloured. The back-toe is armed with a great Claw.

The Stomach is not very musculous; out of which dissected we took Beetles, and other Insects. It breeds in forsaken Coney-burroughs.

The Sussex Shepherds, to catch these Birds, use this Art. They dig long turves of earth, and lay them across the holes whereout they were digged, and about the mid∣dle of them hang snares made of horse-hair. The Birds, being naturally very timo∣rous, if a Hawk happen to appear, or but a cloud pass over and intercept the Sun∣beams, hastily run to hide themselves in the holes under the Turves, and so are caught by the Neck in the snares.

Upon the Downs of Sussex, which are a ridge of Mountains running all along by the Sea-coast for thirty or forty miles in length, they are taken yearly in great numbers, in Harvest-time, or the beginning of Autumn, where for their fatness and delicate relish they are highly prized.

Aldrovandus hath another Oenanthe, which is a little less than the former, but yet bigger than a Sparrow, on the Head, Neck, Back, and lesser Wing-feathers of a reddish yellow, deeper on the Back, lighter on the Breast, having black Eyes, behind which is also a long black spot, of a semilunar figure: A long, slender, black Bill; black Wing-feathers, whose ends are yellow, as are also those of the Tail-feathers.

There is also a Bird called Strapazino by our Fowlers (saith Aldrovand) in the Bo∣nonian Territory, whose Rump underneath, and almost the whole Tail are likewise white: The Head and Back of a rusty yellow: The Wing-feathers half black and half yellow; the Bill indifferent long, of a dusky colour. The Throat, Breast, and Belly are white, lightly dashed with yellow. The Tail toward the Rump is yellow, else black.

§. II. The Whin-chat, under which also we treat of the Anthus or Florus of Aldrovand.

IN bigness it scarce exceeds a Wagtail. The upper side of the body, viz. The Back, Head, and covert-feathers of the Wings are of a pale feuille-mort colour, varie∣gated with black spots, placed in rows. If you heed each single feather, the middle part of it about the shaft is black, the sides of a feuille-mort, or dusky yellow. The Belly is white, with a tincture of red. The sides and upper part of the Breast from red incline to yellow. The Breast in some is variegated with black spots. From the Nosthrils above the Eyes to the hinder part of the Head is drawn a pale whitish line: Under the Bill also on each side is a white line. The intermediate space between these lines in some birds is black. [In one Bird of this kind I observed a white spot behind each Eye.] The quil-feathers of the Wings are brown, with yellowish edges [or of a feuille-mort colour.] From the ninth the tips of the eight following are white. The covert-feathers next above the quils are black, with red edges. In which two white spots do mark or characterize each Wing, one under the bastard Wing, the other at the first joynt, by which note this Bird may be easily distinguished from all others of its kind. The middle quil-feathers towards the bottom are white. The Tail is two inches and an half long, consisting of twelve feathers, of all which, ex∣cepting the two middlemost, the lower half is white, the upper black, the utmost edges being red. The two middlemost in some birds are wholly black, in all for the greater part; having red or feuille-mort edges. They all end in sharp points. The feathers next to the incumbent on the Tail both above and beneath reach further than its middle, so that they wholly hide its white part.

Its Bill is slender, streight, short, black, not only without, but also within: The Irides of the Eyes hazel-coloured. The Legs slender: The Feet, Toes, and Claws black: The lower joynt of the outmost Toe sticks fast to that of the middle one.

In the Female those white spots of the Wing scarce appear, and the whole body is of a duller colour. It frequents banks and ditches, feeding upon Beetles, and other Insects.

Nature sometimes sports her self in the colours of this Bird: For in some birds the two middle feathers of the Tail are wholly black excepting the edges, which are red∣dish; in others their bottoms are white, &c.

It differs from the following bird chiefly by these notes, 1. That the upper side of the body is more beautifully coloured, the feathers having their middle parts about the shaft black, and their borders red. 2. That in each Wing they have two white spots. 3. That the lower part of their Tails is white. 4. That the feathers imme∣diately incumbent on the Tail both above and beneath run out as far and further than the middle of the tail, so that they wholly hide the white part thereof. 5. In the white lines reaching from the Bill to the back of the Head.

The Bird which Aldrovand saith is called commonly Spipola, which perchance may be the Anthus or Florus of Aristotle, is near of kin to, if not the same with this. It is of near the same bigness: Lives about Rivers and Fens, especially in moist meadows; and if it be driven away by Horses feeding there, it flies away with a certain chat∣tering, wherein it seems after a fashion to imitate the neighing of a horse. Whether it be dim-sighted or no I know not, but I hear that it flies with difficulty. As for its colour, that is rather to be called beautiful than otherwise; on the upper side through∣out the Neck, Back, and Wings being of a dusky red, and varied with semilunar spots. The Head above is of the same colour, but hath not those spots. The prime-fea∣thers of the Wings, and those that cover them are black, having their sides and tips yellowish. The Bill is sit to catch Insects, being neither slender, nor thick, of a white colour tinctured with yellow. The nether side from the Bill to the Tail is of the same colour, but variegated with spots, some long, some round, and some of another fi∣gure. Its Feet are black. This differs from our Whin-chat in the colour of its Bill, and in the place where it lives; sith our Chat abides especially in heaths, and among Furze-bushes.

§. III. The Stone-smich, or Stone-chatter, or Moor-titling. Oenanthus nostra tertia: Muscicapa tertia, Aldrov. The Rubetra of Bellonius as we judge, which Gesner makes the same with his Todtenvogel, or Flugenstecherlin.

IT is of the bigness of a Linnet, or thereabouts: Of half an ounce weight: From Bill-point to Tail-end five inches long. Its Bill is slender, streight, black as well within as without. The upper Chap a thought longer than the nether, and a little crooked: The Tongue cloven: the Irides of the Eyes hazel-coloured: The Legs, Feet, and Claws black; the outer Toe grows to the middle one below, as in other small birds. The Head is great, in the Cock almost wholly black, as is also the Throat under the Bill: In the Hen it is particoloured of black and a dirty red. The upper part of the Neck is black; on each side it is marked with a white spot, so that the bird seems to have a ring of white about its Neck. The middle of the Back is black, on∣ly the outmost edges of the feathers fulvous. Above the Rump is a white spot. The Breast is fulvous, or of a yellowish red colour: The Belly white, with a dash of red.

[In the Female the feathers of the Head, Neck, and Back from red inclining to green, having their middle parts black; the Rump is red; the Chin of a pale ash∣colour. It hath a whitish spot on each side the Neck: The Breast is of a deeper, but the belly of like colour with the Cocks.]

The prime feathers of the Wings are all dusky, excepting the two next to the body, which have a white spot at bottom. The edges of all are red. All the covert fea∣thers of the Wings have also red edges. The Wings in both Sexes are adorned with a white spot in the feathers next the Back. The Tail is near two inches long, and con∣sists of twelve feathers, not forked, and black. [The tip and exteriour Web of the outmost feather on each side are white.]

It hath a Gall-bladder; a Stomach not very fleshy, in which dissected we found Beetles, and other Insects; short, round, tumid blind Guts.

That which I [J. R.] described at Florence differed somewhat in colours, and other accidents; thus: It was of the bigness of a lesser Titmouse: Its Body short and round: Its Head, for the proportion of its body, great. The top of the Head, the Neck, and Back particoloured of black and a dirty red, the middle part of each fea∣ther being black, and the edges red. The quil-feathers are eighteen, all dusky, their exteriour edges being of a feuille-mort colour. Of the feathers of the second row those five on the middle joynt are black, with feuille-mort edges, the rest are of the same colour with the quil-feathers. The lesser rows are of like colour with the foresaid five middle feathers, The Tail-feathers are all black, only their edges are paler. The Cock is black about both Eyes, and under the Throat, the tips of the feathers being white. The Breast and parts under the Wings in both Sexes are ful∣vous or red; the middle of the Belly being whiter. The feathers of this bird are soft, and stand ruffling out, as in a Jay. In all other points it agrees with the above described, so that I doubt not but it is the same.

The third and fourth Muscicapae of Aldrovand differ not, I think, from this, nor from one another otherwise than in colour.

It is found for the most part in Heaths, and is very querulous.

§. IV. * The Brasilian Guiraru Nheengeta of Marggrave, which may be called, The American Chat.

IT is as big, or a little bigger than a Water-Blackbird, or Crake; hath a streight, com∣pressed, black Bill, more than half an inch long: Sapphire-coloured Eyes, with a black Pupil. The upper Legs are covered with ash-coloured feathers: The lower with a black skin, as are also the Feet, which have four Toes standing after the usual manner, with sharp, black Claws. The whole Head, Neck, Breast, and lower Belly are cloathed with white feathers approaching to a dilute grey; but the Back with cinereous. From the Bill on each side through the Eyes to the end of the sides of the Head is a long black spot extended. The Wings are black, but not of a deep colour.

The Tail hath very black feathers, which yet have white tips; and above also are covered with white ones. This for its bigness ought rather to have been referred to the Thrush-kind.

§. V. A Bird called Coldfinch by the Germans.

THis Bird was shot by Mr. Jessop in the Mountains of the Peak in Derbyshire, and sent us by him. Its Belly is white; its Breast of a dusky yellow: The Head and Back of a dusky or greenish ash-colour: The covert-feathers of the Tail black. The quil-feathers of the Wings likewise black; but from the fifth they are all white toward the bottoms, whence arises a whitespot or stroak cross the Wing, from a nar∣row beginning widening by degrees, so that in the last feathers it takes up all the ex∣teriour Vanes; but where it is broader, it is gradually tinctured with yellow. The second row of Wing-feathers is black, with whitish tips: The edges of the rest of the coverts are green. The Tail is two inches and a quarter long. Its outmost feathers have their exteriour Webs almost wholly white; in the next to them the white part is narrower: All the rest are black, but the middlemost deeper.

Its Bill is black, compressed, and almost triangular. The Tongue cloven and rough: The Irides of the Eyes of a hazel-colour. The Feet black; The outmost Toe joyned to the middlemost, as in other small birds. The Testicles small and round. In the Stomach we found Insects.

This excellent person sent us also out of the Peak of Derbyshire the third Beccafigo of Aldrovand, which I suppose differs only in age or Sex from the precedent. The Throat, Breast, and Belly are much whiter than in that. All the exteriour Webs of the outmost feathers of the Tail are white, of those next to them the lower half. This hath a great white spot in each Wing, altogether like the precedent: Above the Bill also it hath a white spot: The Back else is cole-black. In its fashion, bigness, Bill, and Tail it agrees with the Coldfinch.

CHAP. XVI. The White-throat. An Spipola prima Aldrov?

THe body of this Bird seems to be something longer than that of the Beccafigo before described; but of almost the same magnitude. From the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail, or of the Feet, (for they are equally extended) it hath six inches and a quarter of length: Between the extreme points of the Wings spread eight and an half of breadth. The upper Bill is black, the lower white. The Tongue slit with a deep incision. The Mouth within yellow: The Irides of the Eyes hazel-coloured. The Feet are of a dusky yellow or Amber-colour: The back∣toe great; the exteriour foretoes equal, and less than in other small birds, joyned at bottom to the middlemost, the interiour by an intervening membrane, which we have not observed in other Birds of this kind. The upper surface of the body from red inclines to an ash-colour. The Head more cinereous: The Chin white, the rest of the Throat white, with a tincture of red. The Breast also and lower Belly are something red. [In the Hen the Breast is white, without any mixture of red.]

The outmost edge of the first or outmost quil-feather is white: The exteriour edges of those next the body are red. The extreme feathers of the Tail on each side have all their exteriour Webs, and half their interiour white: Of the next to these the tips only are white. All the rest are black, only the extreme borders or edges, espe∣cially of the two middlemost, incline to cinereous.

It frequents Gardens, and feeds upon Beetles, Flies, and other Insects: Creeping and hopping up and down in bushes, like the Hedg-Sparrow. It builds also in bushes not far from the ground. The outer part of the Nest is made of the tender stalks of herbs and dry straws; the middlemost of fine bents and soft grass; the inner, on which the Eggs lie, of horse-hair, or other long hair. It lays about five Eggs, ob∣long, of a dusky colour, mingled of white and green, besprinkled over with black specks.

This Bird is very like the Ficedula above described, yet differs in some particulars, especially that the outmost feathers of the Tail in this are white; whereas in that the Tail is all of one colour.

Among the doubtful birds of this kind, at least to us not sufficiently known, we reckon, 1. The small Nightingale, Lusciniola or Roussette of Bellonius, which you may find in Aldrovand, tom. 2. pag. 767. perchance the same with the Giarola of Al∣drovand, having a red Bill, and the colour of the body like a Quail. 2. Oenanthe congener, Aldrov. tom. 2. p. 764. 3. The other Spipola of Aldrovand. tom. 2. p. 731. the description whereof we have already set down, p. 153. which perchance may be the same with our Spipoletta, or with our Whin-chat, p. 168. 4. Spipola tertia or Boarina of Aldrovand, p. 732. which we have already entred the description of, p. 153. 5. The Stoparola of Aldrovand, p. 732, which you may find also in pag. 153. of this work. 6. Boarina of Aldrovand, p. 733. whose description we have subjoyned to the Ficedula, p. 158. 7. Grisola, which we have annexed to our Spipoletta, pag. 153. 8. Anthos or Florus, which we have remembred in our Chapter of Oenanthe, pag. 169.

These, and some other birds, comprehended by Aldrovandus in three Chapters, viz. twenty sixth, twenty seventh, and twenty eighth of the seventeenth Book, under the titles of Spipolae, Stoparolae, and Muscicapae, seem to us reducible to three or four Species, viz. to the White-throat, or Moucherolle or Passer rubi, (for Bellonius his Mou∣cherolle is perchance another sort of bird) and the Beccasigo or Black-cap.

CHAP. XVII. The Water-Wagtail; Motacilla, in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

§. I. The white Wagtail: Motacilla alba.

THis Bird is every where so well known, that it may seem enough to name it, not needing any description. It weighs six drachms, being in length from the point of the Bill to the end of the Tail seven inches three quarters; in breadth between the extremities of the Wings stretcht out eleven. The Bill is slen∣der, not an inch long, sharp-pointed, and black. The Tongue cloven, and as it were torn: The Mouth within black: The Irides of the Eyes hazel-coloured: The Feet, Toes, and Claws long, and of a dark blackish colour. The back-claw very long, as in Larks. The outer Toe at its rise sticks fast to the middle one. White feathers encompass the upper Chap of the Bill, then the Eyes, being produced on both sides almost to the Wings. The Crown of the Head, upper and lower side of the Neck, as far as the Breast, and the Back are black: The Breast and Belly white. The middle of the Back from black inclines to cinereous: The Rump is black. [In another Bird, below the Throat I observed a semicircular black spot like a Crescent, the horns being produced almost as far as the Jaws.] The Wings spread are of a se∣micircular figure; the quil-feathers in each eighteen in number, of which the three outmost end in sharp points: The tips of the middle ones are blunt and indented; the inmost are adorned with white lines. The covert feathers of the first row are black, having their tips and edges white: Those of the second row have only white tips. Its Tail is very long, of about three inches and an half, which it almost continually wags up and down, whence also it took its name. The Tail hath twelve feathers, of which the two middlemost are longer than the rest, and sharp-pointed; the others all of equal length: The outmost are almost wholly white, the rest black. The co∣lour of the Plumage in this kind in several birds varies not a little, being in some more cinereous, in some blacker. The Liver is of a pale colour.

It is much conversant about the brinks of Rivers, and Pools, and other watry places, where it catches Flies, and water Insects: Moreover it follows the Plough, to gather up the Worms, which together with the earth it turns up: As I find in Aldro∣vandus, and our Husbandmen have told me of their own observation; who therefore call it the Seed-bird, as Mr. Johnson informed me.

In the Northern part of England it appears not in the Winter, and is also then more

rare in the Sòuthern: Either because it is impatient of cold, or for want of meat; Flies, and other winged Insects, on which it chiefly feeds, being not to be found in Winter-time. In the Gizzard of one dissected we found Insects like to Meal-worms. Gesner writes, that the Fowlers in his Country have observed the Cuckow-chicken hatch'd and brought up by this bird: The same, Albertus, and our experience also con∣firms, as we have elsewhere shewn.

One or two ounces of the powder of this Bird put in a Pot close-stopt and bak'd in an Oven together with the feathers, taken in Saxisrage water, or strong White∣wine is said to be good against the Stone, especially that of the Kidneys. But Alex∣ander Benedictus thinks, that the modern Physicians, who commend this Medicine through mistake, mean the Wren when they name the Wagtail: As if the Wagtail were of no force in breaking the Stone. Gesner (to whom also we readily assent) thinks that it matters not much what bird be burnt, sith the vertue of the ashes of almost all birds seem to be the same. Yet (saith he) if there be any difference, I would prefer those sorts of birds which feed upon Insects, as Flies, Ants, and the like.

§. II. The yellow Water-Wagtail: Motacilla flava.

IN bigness and shape of body it agrees with the white. It weighs five drachms; from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail being almost seven inches long; to the end of the Claws six. The under part of the Body is yellow, the Breast being darker than the rest. The upper part is of a dark green, the middle of the Back be∣ing black. The crown of the Head is of a yellowish green. Above the Eyes is a yel∣low line reaching to the hinder part of the Head.

The Tail is two inches three quarters long, consisting of twelve feathers, the mid∣dle two whereof are sharper than the rest. The outmost on each side are above half white, the intermediate eight black: All of equal length. The figure of the Wings is the same with that of the precedent. The quil-feathers in number eighteen; of which the sixteenth is longer than those next it, and hath the outward limb white. The tips of the middle covert-feathers are of a greenish white; else the Wings are all over dusky. The Bill is black: The Tongue cloven, but not hairy. The Irides of the Eyes from cinereous incline to a hazel-colour. The Feet are black: The outer fore∣toe is joyned to the middle one at bottom. The Spur or Claw of the back-toe is long as in a Larks: The blind guts short. Some birds in this kind are much yellower or greener than others.

It builds upon the ground among the Corn; making its Nest of bents and the stalks of herbs, spreading hairs within under the Eggs. It lays at one time four or five Eggs, varied with dusky spots and lines drawn without any order.

§. III. The grey Wagtail. Motacilla cinerea, an flava altera Aldrov?

IT is of the bigness of the common or white Wagtail. Its note is shriller and louder: Its Bill black, streight, slender, and sharp-pointed: Its Eyes grey: Both upper and lower Eye-lid white. Moreover, above the Eyes a whitish line is all along ex∣tended. The upper surface of the body is grey. The Head (which in proporti∣on to the body is small and compressed) is something dusky. The Wings are blackish, crossed in the middle by a whitish, yet not very conspicuous line. The Chin and Throat are particoloured of white and grey: The Breast and Belly white, dashed with yellow: The Rump round about of a deeper yellow. The Tail made up of twelve feathers, longer than the whole body; its outmost feather on each side is all over white; the two next white on the inside, blackish on the out; the six middle∣most all over blackish. The Legs (which are long) and the Feet (which are rugged or rough) are of a pale colour, but duskish. The Claws crooked, and the back∣claw longer than the rest.

The bird here described was a Hen, as we learned by its Vitellary or bunch of Eggs, wherein more than forty Eggs were very conspicuous and easie to be discerned. The Cock differs little, save that under his Chin he hath a black spot. They frequent stony Rivers, and feed upon water-Insects.

The description of this Bird was communicated to us by Mr. Johnson of Brignal near Greta Bridge in Yorkshire.

CHAP. XVIII. * The Brasilian Jamacaii of Marggrave.

IT is a small Bird, of the bigness of a Lark. Its Body is three inches long, its Neck more than an inch, its Legs two inches: Its Tail almost four. It hath a small Head; a Bill an inch long, streight, only a little bending downward, sharp∣pointed, black, but below near its rise a little bluish. The Head is covered with black feathers, as is also the Neck below, but above with yellow: The whole Back, Breast, and lower Belly likewise with yellow. The Wings are black, having in their middle some white feathers, which make white spots, in each Wing one. At the rise of the Wings is a black spot crossing the back. The Tail is also black: The Legs and Feet dusky. It is an elegant bird.

For the length of the Tail and colours of the feathers not much different, we have subjoyned this to the Wagtails, although Marggrave makes no mention of the man∣ner of its feeding, or the places it frequents: Or whether it moves its Tail or not.

CHAP. XIX. * The Brasilian Guira guacuberaba of Marggrave

IS a Bird of the bigness of a Goldfinch. The lower part of the Neck, the Back, and end of the Belly are of a yellow or gold colour. The upper part of the Head and Neck, the fore-half of the Back, the Wings, and Tail are of a pale green. In the ends of the Wings are some dusky feathers intermixed. Under the Throat up to the Eyes it hath a great black spot. It hath a streight, sharp, yellow Bill, a little black on the upper part. The Legs and Feet are of a dusky colour.

CHAP. XX. * The Brasilian Guira coereba of Marggrave

IS a Bird of the bigness of a Chaffinch. It hath a black Bill, three quarters of an inch long, sharp, and a little bending downward: Black Eyes: A Tongue slit into many filaments, on the top of the Head a cop or tuft of Sea-green feathers. The rest of the Head, the Throat, and all the lower Neck, the Breast, and whole Belly, with the hinder half of the Back are covered with blue, but pale feathers: And from the Breast through the beginnings of the Wings to the Back, where the blue colour begins, passes a broad blue line cross through the rise of the Wings. All the upper side of the Neck, with the fore-half of the Back is covered with fine Velvet feathers of a deep black. The Tail is an inch and half long, and black. The Wings are great, and yellow about the middle. But the yellow part is covered, and cannot be seen when the Wings are closed, and the Bird sits still, but when she flies the Wings appear elegantly straked with black and yellow: Within side the Wings are almost wholly yellow. The upper Legs or Thighs are feathered with black, and in a man∣ner blue feathers: The lower are naked, and of a Vermilion colour, together with the Feet; the Claws black. The Feet have four Toes disposed after the usual manner.

CHAP. XXI. * The Brasilian Japacani of Marggrave,

IS a Bird of the bigness of the Bemtere or Schanepue: Hath a black, oblong, sharp∣pointed Bill, bending a little downward: Golden Eyes, with a black Pupil. The Head is covered with black feathers. The Neck above, the Back and Wings with feathers of a colour mixt of black and Umber. The Tail above is black, under∣neath spotted with white. The Breast, all the lower Belly and Thighs have their Plumage mixt of white and yellow, interwoven with transverse black lines or strakes. The Legs are dusky. Four Toes in each placed after the usual manner, furnished with sharp, black Claws.

CHAP. XXII. Of Titmice: De Paris.

§. I. Of Titmice in general.

TItmice are a sort of small birds, that are found for the most part about trees, and live chiefly upon Insects which they find there. Turner writes, that they feed not only upon Worms, but also Hemp-seed and Nuts, which they per∣forate with their sharp Bills. Some of these build in holes of trees: Others make Nests of an Oval figure, with a hole left open in the side to go in and out at. They are restless birds, never sitting long still in a place, but flitting from bough to bough, and from tree to tree. They have short Bills, but bigger for the bulk of their bodies than the precedent small birds: Small bodies; and long Tails. The most of them are ca∣norous: But all of them multiparous, laying many Eggs ere they sit. Titmice are called by Aristotle, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Germans, as well as we English, call them Mice, either because like Mice they creep into the holes of trees, or because (as Gesner writes) they will feed upon flaid Mice offered them: Which to us seems not likely. Of these we have observed in England five kinds, viz. 1. The great Titmouse, or Oxe-eye. 2. The Colemouse. 3. The Marsh-Titmouse or Black-cap. 4. The blue Titmouse or Nun. 5. The long-tail'd-Titmouse. The crested Titmouse and Wood Titmouse of Gesner, we have not yet found in England.

§. II. The great Titmouse or Ox-eye: Fringillago seu parus major: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of Aristotle.

IT is well nigh as big as a Chaffinch: Of scarce an ounce weight: From tip of Bill to end of Tail half a foot long; from tip to tip of the Wings expanded nine inches broad. Its Bill is streight, black, half an inch long, and of a moderate thickness. Both Mandibles of equal length. The Tongue broad, ending in four filaments. The Feet of a lead or blue colour. The outmost Toes below for some space joyned to the middlemost.

The Head and Chin are black. From the corner of the mouth on each side below the Eyes a broad white line or spot passing backward takes up the cheeks. This white is encompassed with black. In the hinder part of the Head is another white spot, terminated on one side with the black of the Head, on the other with the yellow of the Neck. [In the Bird that I (J. R.) described I observed not this spot, and perchance in several birds the colours may vary somewhat.] The Neck, Shoulders, and middle of the Back are of a yellowish green. The Rump is blue: The Breast, Belly, and Thighs are yellow: Yet the lower or hindmost part of the Belly white. A broad, black line reaching from the Throat to the Vent divides the Breast and Belly in

twain. The quil-feathers of the Wings, in number eighteen, beside the outmost little one, are dusky, with white tips, or tips partly white, partly blue. The outer edges of those three next the body are green. Of the covert feathers of the first row, those that are about the middle of the Wing, with their white tips make a transverse white line. The smaller covert-feathers of the Wings are blue. The Tail is about two inches and an half long, compounded of twelve feathers: The exteriour Vanes of all which, except the outmost, are blue or ash-coloured, the interiour black. The outmost have their exteriour Vanes and their tips white. The Tail appears not forked, no not when it is closed.

§. III. * The Brasilian Guiraienoia, akin to the Fringillago.

THis small bird is of the bigness of a Chaffinch: Hath a Bill scarce half an inch long, and blackish; black Eyes. The whole head, lower side of the Neck, Breast, and lower Belly, and utmost half of the Back are cloathed with blue fea∣thers: The upper side of the Neck, and fore-half of the Back are covered with black. The Wings also are black, but in their beginning have some blue feathers interspersed: The rest of the feathers are black, yet have blue edges. The Tail is almost an inch and half long, and also black, and the Wings end a little beyond the beginning of the Tail. The Legs are dusky, and each foot hath four toes placed after the usual manner.

§. IV. The Cole-mouse: Parus ater Gesneri, pag. 616.

THe Head is by Gesner rightly described to be black, with a white spot in the hinder part. The Back is of a greenish ash-colour: The Rump greener: The Wings and Tail dusky. The exteriour edges of the prime Wing-feathers green. The interiour covert-feathers of the Wings have white tips. The Tail, when shut, appears something forked, from dusky inclining to green. The Bill is streight, round, black. The Legs, Feet, and Claws bluish, or of a lead-co∣lour. This is the least of all this kind. By its smalness were other notes wanting, it is abundantly distinguished from the great Titmouse.

It weighs two drachms, being from Bill-point to Tail-end four inches three quar∣ters long, and between the extremities of the Wings extended seven inches broad. The number of quil-feathers in each Wing is eighteen. The Tail is an inch and three quarters long, and composed of twelve feathers.

§. V. The Marsh Titmouse or Black-cap: Parus palustris Gesneri.

THe Head of this is black: The cheeks white; the back greenish: The Feet of a Lead-colour. It differs from that next above described, 1. In that it is bigger. 2. That it hath a larger Tail. 3. That it wants the white spot on the back of the Head. 4. That its under side is whiter. 5. That it hath less black under the Chin. 6. That it wants those white spots in the tips of the covert-feathers of the Wings.

It weighs more than three drachms. From the point of the Bill to the end of the Claws it is by measure four inches and an half long. The distance between the ex∣treme tips of the Wings extended is eight inches. The number of Wing and Tail∣feathers is the same as in other small birds. The Tail is more than two inches long, composed of feathers of equal length.

Gesner makes the Back of this bird dusky inclining to cinereous.

§. VI. The blue Titmouse or Nun: Parus caeruleus.

THe Bill of this Bird is pretty short, thick, sharp, and of a dusky blackish co∣lour: The Tongue broad, ending in four filaments: The Legs of a lead-co∣lour: The outmost Toes at bottom are fastned to the middle ones.

The Head being of an azure colour is encompassed with a circle of white as it were a Wreath or Coronet. To the white circle succeeds another particoloured, encom∣passing the Throat and hinder part of the Head, above being almost of the same co∣lour with the Head, towards the Throat and under the Throat black. Below this circle on the Neck is a white spot. From the Bill a black line passes through the Eyes to the hinder part of the Head. The Cheeks are white: The Back is of a yellowish green. The sides, Breast, and Belly yellow; save that a whitish line produced as far as the Vent divides the Breast in two. In the Cock-bird the Head is more blue, in the Hen and young ones less.

The tips of the quil-feathers next the body are white, as also the outer edges of the foremost from the middle part upward. The covert-feathers of the Wings are blue, the innermost of which with their white tips make a white line cross the Wing. The Tail is two inches long, of a blue colour, only the edges of the outmost feathers are a little white.

Its weight is three drachms: Its length from Bill-point to Tail-end four inches and an half, to the Claws four: Its breadth, the Wings extended, eight inches. The quil-feathers in each Wing eighteen, besides the outmost short one: The Tail-fea∣thers twelve.

§. VII. The crested Titmouse; Parus cristatus Aldrov.

THis hath a pretty short big Bill, of a blackish colour. Its Tongue is broad, and divided into four filaments. Its Feet of a lead-colour. The outer Toes for some space from their divarication joyned to the middle one. The crown of the Head black, the edges of the feathers being white. At the hinder part of the Head begins a black line, which like a Wreath or Collar encompasses the Neck. From the lower Mandible of the Bill to this Collar is a black line produced. To the Collar and Chin is another bed or border of white contiguous. But beyond the Ears is a spot of black. The middle of the Breast is white; the sides something red. The Wings and Tail are dusky, only the exteriour edges of the feathers somewhat green. The Back from red inclining to green.

It weighs two drachms and an half: Is from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail five inches long: From tip to tip of the Wings extended eight inches and a quar∣ter broad. The quil-feathers of the Wings are eighteen in number, the Tail-fea∣thers twelve. The Tail two inches long. The Bill from the tip to the corners of the mouth half an inch.

§. VIII. The long-tail'd Titmouse. Parus caudatus.

THe crown of this Bird is white: The Neck black. From the Bill above the Eyes on each side to the hinder-part of the Head is a broad black line pro∣duced. The Jaws and Throat are white. The Breast white, varied with small dusky spots. The Belly and sides of a dilute Chesnut colour: Of which, but mixt with black, both the Back and also the Rump partake.

The quil-feathers of the Wings are of an obscure dusky colour, the outer edges of the interiour of these are white. The singular structure or conformation of the feathers of the Tail difference this Bird from all other small birds of what kind so∣ever. For the outmost feathers are the shortest, the rest in order longer to the mid∣dlemost, which are the longest, and that by a notable difference or excess, as in the Magpie. Of the outmost feather on each side the top and outer half from the shaft is

white: The next hath less white; of the third, only the outer part of the tip is white. All the rest are wholly black. [In respect of these colours there may possibly be some variety in several birds.]

The Bill is short, strong, black: The Tongue broad, cloven, and divided into sila∣ments: The Eyes bigger than in other small birds; their Irides hazel-coloured: The edges of the eye-lids yellow: The Nosthrils covered with small feathers. The Feet black, as are also the Claws, but deeper. The Claw of the back-toe biggest of all, as is usual in most birds both great and small. With us it frequents gardens rather than mountainous places. It builds like the Wren, or more artificially, making an arch over the Nest of the same matter and contexture with the rest of the Nest; so that the Nest resembles an Egg erected upon one end, a small hole being left in the side, whereat the bird goes in and out. By this means both Eggs and Young are secured from all injuries of the Air, Wind, Rain, Cold, &c. And that they may lie soft she lines the Nest within with store of feathers and down. Without she builds the sides and roof of it of Moss and Wool curiously interwoven.

Aldrovand in the seventeenth Book, and sixteenth Chapter of his Ornithology doth accurately describe the Nest of this bird, such as we have more than once seen, in these words. It was of an oblong figure like a Pine-apple, of two Palms length, and one broad, round, built of sundry materials, viz. both tree and earth-moss, Cater∣pillars Webs, and other like woolly matter, and Hens feathers, with that order and art, that the chief and middle strength of the work, or texture of the Walls was of that yellowish green Moss, the common hairy Moss, that silk-like matter, and tough threads resembling those filaments suspended in the Air, and flying up and down like Spiders Webs, which are accounted signs of fair weather, connected and interwoven, or rather entangled so firmly together, that they can hardly be plucked asunder. Of the interiour capacity all the sides, it seemed, as well as the bottom, were covered and lined with feathers, for the more soft and warm lying of the Young. The out∣most superficies round about was fenced and strengthened with fragments of that lea∣vy Moss, which every where grows on trees, firmly bound together. In the forepart respecting the Sun-rise, and that above (where an arched roof of the same uniform matter and texture with the sides and bottom covered the Nest) was seen a little hole, scarce big enough one would think to admit the old one. We found in it nine Young, &c.

§. IX. The Wood Titmouse of Gesner. Parus Sylvaticus, Aldrov. t. 2. p. 724.

THis Titmouse is also very little, remarkable for a red spot through the midst of its Crown; the parts on each side being black; the Legs dusky; the Wings black, and also the end of the Tail: The rest of the body green; the Belly paler. Our people from the Woods, in which it lives, especially about Fir-trees and Junipers, call it, Waldmeiszle and Thannenmeiszle, others from its note Zilzilperle, for it sings Zul, zil, zalp.

Mr. Willughby was apt to think that the bird described by Gesner is no other than the Regulus cristatus.

CHAP. XXIII.

§. I. * The Brasilian Tangara of Marggrave.

IT is an elegant bird, of the bigness of a Chaffinch. It hath a streight, pretty thick, black Bill: Black Eyes: Legs and Feet from cinereous inclining to dusky. On the forehead above the rise of the Bill it hath a spot of black feathers. The whole Head and Neck are covered with feathers of a shining Sea-green. A circle or border of black feathers encompasles the beginning of the back like a Collar. But below the Wings to the rise of the Tail the Back is covered with yellow feathers. The whole lower Belly is of a rare blue. The Wings are black, and their lateral ex∣tremities blue, so that when closed they appear wholly blue, and their whole ends, outsides, or borders [tota extremitas] seem black. The beginning of the Wings

also externally shines with Sea-green feathers; and in the ridge or upper lateral extremity of each Wing are yellow feathers intermixt. It hath a Tail about an inch and half long, of black feathers, but whose lateral extremities or borders are blue: The end of the Tail is black. It is kept shut up in Cages, and cries, Zip, zip, like the Rubrica, called by the Germans Gympel. It is fed with meal and bread.

This description is conceived in such obscure words, that I do not well understand the meaning of the Author; and therefore the learned Reader would do well to consult the Latine.

§. II. The second kind of Tangara.

IT is of the shape and bigness of our common Sparrow: Hath a Bill from yellow inclining to dusky, somewhat broad, sharp-pointed, the nether Chap much shor∣ter than the upper: Black Eyes: The whole Head is covered with feathers of a rare † scarlet colour: All the rest of the body, with the Wings and Tail, of a shining black. The Thighs are covered with white feathers, and in their exteriour sides have an ob∣long scarlet spot, as if they were stained with bloud. The Legs and Feet are ash∣coloured; and have four Toes disposed after the usual manner. The Tail is short, of an inch length, and the Wings end near its rise; i. e. when withdrawn or closed reach no further than the rise of the Tail.

BOOK II. PART II. SECT. II. MEMB. II. Small Birds with thick short strong Bills, commonly called Hard-bill'd Birds.

CHAP. I. Of the Gros-beak or Haw-finch, called by Gesner, Coccothraustes.

§. 1. The common Gros-beak: Coccothraustes vulgaris.

THis Bird for the bigness of its body, but especially of its Bill, in which it exceeds all others of this kind, doth justly challenge the first and chief place among thick-billed birds. The French from the bigness of its Bill do fitly call it Grosbec; the Italians, Frisone or Frosone. Hesychius and Varinus of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 write only, that it is the name of a bird, but what manner of bird they do not explain. Gesner observing that name exactly to fit this bird, imposed it upon it.

It is bigger than a Chaffinch by about one third part; short-bodied: Its Head bigger than for the proportion of the body. Its Bill very great, hard, from a broad base ending in a sharp point, of the figure of a Cone or Funnel, half an inch long, having a large cavity within, of a whitish flesh-colour, almost like that of the interiour sur∣face of the mother of Pearl shell, only the tip blackish. The Eyes are grey or ash∣coloured, as in Jackdaws. The Tongue seems as it were cut off, as in the Chaffinch. The Feet are of a pale red: The Claws great, especially those of the middle and back-toes. The middle Toe is the longest; the outer fore-toe and the back-toe are equal one to the other.

At the base of the Bill grow Orange-coloured feathers, between the Bill and the Eyes black. The lower Chap in the Males is compassed with a border of black fea∣thers. The head is of a yellowish red, or rusty colour: The Neck cinereous. The Back red, the middle parts of the feathers being whitish. The Rump from yellow

inclines to cinereous. The sides and Breast, but especially the sides, are of a mixt colour of red and cinereous. Under the Tail, and in the middle of the Belly the Plumage is whiter. [In another bird the Back was of a grey or ash-colour, tinctured with red: The Head and Throat greenish: The sides and Breast painted with trans∣verse black lines.]

The quil-feathers in each Wing are eighteen in number, of which the nine or ten foremost for half way from the shaft inward are white. The white part from the first inward being dilated. Of the subsequent one half is white, but not so far as the shaft: The three inmost or next the body are red. The tips of all from the second to the tenth shine with a changeable colour of purplish and blue, like the Necks of Pigeons. From the tenth the exteriour borders of the sixth or seventh succeeding are grey, else they are all dusky. The Tail is but short, of about two inches length, composed of twelve feathers, spotted at the top on their interiour Vanes with white, on their exteriour in the middle feathers with red, in the outer with black. [In ano∣ther bird the middle feathers of the Tail were greenish]

About Frankefort on the Main, and elsewhere in Germany, and in Italy, it is com∣mon. In Summer time it lives in the Woods and Mountains; in the Winter it comes down into the Plains. It seldom comes over to us in England, viz. only in hard Win∣ters. It breaks the stones of Cherries, and even of Olives with expedition, the Ker∣nels whereof it is very greedy of. The Stomach of one we dissected in the Month of December was full of the stones of Holly-berries. It feeds also upon Hemp-seed, Pa∣nic, &c. and moreover upon the buds of trees, like the Bulfinch.

It is said to build in the holes of trees, and to lay five or six Eggs. It weighs an ounce and three quarters: Is in length from Bill to Claws seven inches and an half; in breadth between the tips of the Wings extended twelve and an half.

§. II. The Virginian Nightingale: Coccothraustes Indica cristata.

IT is as big as a Blackbird, or something less. A black border compasses the Eyes and Bill; which is like to that of the common Hawfinch, or a little shorter. The Head is adorned with a towring crest, which it often moves as well toward the Bill, as toward the Tail. The colour of the whole is a lovely Scarlet, in the Head and Tail more dilute. It is brought into England out of Virginia; whence, and from its rare singing, it is called, The Virginian Nightingale.

Of this Bird Aldrovandus writes thus: In its native Soil, viz. in the Islands of Capo Verde, it is commonly called Fruso, a name very like to our Italian Frisone, [i. e. Coc∣cothrausti vulgari] to which also it is very like in the Bill. Moreover, a black line or border encompasses its Bill; and it is (as Hieronymus Mercurialis witnesses) of the bigness of a Thrush. Wherefore also we thought fit to call it Coccothraustes Indica. It greedily devours Almonds, in which also it agrees with the Grosbeak, which with its Bill cracks such kind of fruits, and other Grains or stones; whence it is called Nuci∣sraga or Nut-cracker. And that this Bird doth the like it is very probable, seeing it is likewise armed with a very thick and strong Bill. Mercurialis affirms, that by the Portugues it is commonly called, The Cardinal bird, because it is of a scarlet [purpu∣rei] colour, and seems to wear on its Head a red hat. Of the nature and qualities of this Bird Fr. Malochius, Praefect of the Physic-garden at Pisa, gave me this account. It imitates the notes of birds, especially the Nightingale: it is greedy of Panic and Almonds, devours Chickweed; seeing its Image in a glass it hath many strange gesticu∣lations, making a hissing noise, lowring its crest, setting up its Tail after the manner of the Peacock, shaking its Wings, in fine striking at the Looking-glass with its Bill. The temper of its body is very hot, which thence appears that it often immerses it self in water. It is of a very gentle nature, and will take meat out of ones hand. Its shape is as followeth. It hath a tuft on its Head of a triangular figure, and scarlet co∣lour, with which colour also the Neck, Breast, and Belly are adorned. The ends of the Wings are not of so deep a scarlet, as neither the Tail, which for the proportion of the body is pretty long, of about a Palm, something erected, as broad as ones little singer. The Legs are short and whitish: The Claws strong, and something crooked. The whole bird measured from Head to Tail is full two Palms long.

CHAP. II. The Green-finch: Chloris, Aldrov. Ornithol. lib. 18. cap. 18.

IT is bigger than a House-Sparrow; of an ounce and ⅛ weight; of six inches and an half length, measuring from Bill-point to the Feet or Tails end: of ten inches and an half breadth between the extreme terms of the Wings expanded. It is called by some the Green Linnet.

Its Bill is like that of the Grosbeak, but much less, of half an inch length, sharp∣pointed, and not crooked: The upper Mandible dusky, the nether all whitish. The Tongue is sharp, and as it were cut off, ending in filaments: The Eyes furnished with nictating membranes: The Nosthrils round, situate in the upper part of the Bill next the Head: The Feet of a flesh-colour; the Claws dusky. The outer Toe at bottom sticks fast to the middle one.

The Head and Back are green, the edges of the feathers being grey. The middle of the Back hath something of a Chesnut colour intermingled. The Rump is of a deeper green or yellow: The Belly white: The Breast of a yellowish green: The Throat of the same colour with the Neck: The feathers contiguous to the Bill are of a deep yellowish green.

The borders of the outmost quil-feathers of the Wings are yellow, of the middle∣most green, of the inmost grey. The inner feathers of the second row are grey, the outer green. All the rest of the covert-feathers of the Wings are green. The fea∣thers along the base or (if you please) ridge of the Wing are of a lovely yellow. The coverts also of the undersides of the Wings are yellow. The Tail is two inches and a quarter long, made up of twelve feathers; of which the two middlemost are all over black, those next have their outer edges yellow: The remaining four on each side from the middle outwardly are black, but all their inner Webs from top to bot∣tom yellow.

The Liver is divided into two Lobes, and hath a Gall-bladder annexed. The bird we dissected had a large Craw, a musculous stomach, filled with seeds of Plants.

It builds in hedges: The outmost part of its Nest is made of hay, grass, or stubble; the middle of Moss; the inmost, on which the Eggs lie, of feathers, wool, and hair. In this Nest it lays five or six Eggs, near an inch long, of a pale green colour, sprinkled with sanguine spots, especially at the blunt end.

The colours of the Hen are more languid, not so bright and lively: And on the Breast and Back it hath oblong dusky spots.

The Chloris of Aldrovandus, according to his description, seems to be less green than ours. It feeds upon the seed of Rape, Thistles, Docks, and most willingly Canary∣grass, as do other birds of this kind.

The Anthus or Florus of Bellonius, called in French, Bruant, is of kin to this. He describes it thus: Le Bruant in French hath its name from its voice: For when it sings it expresses the word Bruire. As it flies it makes a noise. Aristotle calls it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which word the Latines render Florus. The modern Greeks, I know not from what ancient name, call it also Florus. It is a little bigger than a Chaffinch: The Cocks are for the most part yellow: Yet some part of the Wings and Tail inclines to cinereous, but their greater feathers are of a more elegant yellow. The extremities of the Tail-feathers are also altogether yellow; but within of another colour. The Bill is great and sharp, of a pale colour: The Legs and Feet are something red. They are kept in Cages for the sweetness of their singing. They feed for the most part upon Hemp∣seed, and keep much about tall trees, far remote from Meadows. It hatches at least five young ones.

CHAP. III.

§. I. The Bulfinch, Alp or Nope. Rubicilla seu Pyrrhula.

THis Bird hath a black, short, strong Bill, in figure and structure like that of the Grosbeak, but less. [In the elder birds it is something crooked.] The Tongue is as it were cut off: Its Eyes are hazel-coloured: Its Claws black: Its Legs dusky. The lower joynt of the outmost Toe sticks fast to the middle Toe.

The Head for the proportion of the body is great. In the Male a lovely scarlet or crimson colour illustrates the Breast, Throat, and Jaws, as far as the Eyes. The fea∣thers on the crown of the Head above the Eyes, and those that compass the Bill, are black: The Rump and Belly white: The Neck and Back grey, with a certain tincture of red. [The Neck, Back, and Shoulders seemed to me blue or ash-coloured.] The quil-feathers of the Wings are in number eighteen; the last or inmost of which on the outer half from the shaft is red, on the inner black and glossie. Of the rest the inte∣riour [i. e. those next the body] are black, with a gloss of blue; the exteriour dus∣ky or black. Of the first or outmost five the exteriour edges in the upper half of the feathers are somewhat white. The tips of the lower covert-feathers are cinereous, in the interiour more, in the exteriour less. The next to these are of the same colour with the Back. The Tail is two inches long, black, and shining, made up of twelve feathers.

The Cock is of equal bigness to the Hen, but hath a flatter crown, and excels her in the beauty of his colours.

They feed most willingly upon those buds of trees which break forth before, in∣deed are pregnant with, the leaves and flowers, especially those of the Apple-tree, Pear-tree, Peach-tree, and other Garden-trees; and by that means bring no small de∣triment to the Gardeners, who therefore hate and destroy them as a great Pest of their Gardens, intercepting their hopes of Fruit.

Turner writes, that they are very docile birds, and will nearly imitate the sound of a Pipe [or the Whistle of a man] with their voice. They are much esteemed for their singing with us in England, and deservedly in my judgment. For therein they excel all small birds, if perchance you except the Linnet. I hear (saith Aldrovandus) that the Hen in this kind sings as well as the Cock, contrary to what is usual in most other sorts of birds.

§. II. * The American Bulfinch or Guiratirica of Marggrave.

IT is of the bigness of a Lark: Hath a thick, streight Bill, dusky above, under∣neath white, and a little incarnate. Its Legs are cinereous, with four toes stand∣ing after the usual manner. The whole Head, with the Throat, and the lower and middle part of the Neck are of a rare sanguine colour. The Eyes blue: The Ear∣holes large. The sides of the Neck, the whole Breast and lower Belly are covered with white feathers. The upper side of the Neck hath black ones, with which a few white are mixt. The Back is grey (with a few black feathers interspersed) as are also the beginnings of the Wings: The rest of the Wings is black, as is the Tail, which is about three inches long. The lateral borders of the Wings are white.

CHAP. IV. The Shell-apple or Cross-bill, called by the Germans Krutzvogel. Loxia, Gesn. Aldrov. An Tragon Plinii?

IN shape of body it is not much unlike the Green-finch: It weighs an ounce and half, and from tip of Bill to Tail end is six inches three quarters long.

Its Bill is thick, hard, strong, black, and contrary to the manner of all other birds, crooked both ways, the Mandibles near their tips crossing one another: For the lower, being drawn out into a sharp point, turns upward, the upper bends down∣ward. Neither do they always observe the same side; for in some birds the upper Chap hangs down on the right side, the nether rises up on the left; in others contra∣riwise, the lower takes the right side, the upper the left. The lower Chap is like the Chafinches, neither is the Tongue different. The Nosthrils are round: The Ears great and wide: The Irides of the Eyes from grey tend to a hazel-colour: The Feet dusky, the Claws black. The lowest joynt of the outmost toe sticks to that of the middlemost.

The middle parts of the Back and Head feathers are black, the edges green. In the Head there is something of cinereous mixt with the other colours. The Rump is green: The Chin ash-coloured: The Breast green: The Belly white, only under the Tail the middle parts of the feathers are black or dusky.

Each Wing hath eighteen quil-feathers, all blackish, only the outer edges of the foremost are green. The Tail consists of twelve feathers, two inches and a quarter long, and black, with green edges. The Guts have many spiral convolutions. The blind guts are very short.

This bird was described in the Autumn: He that sold it told us that it changed co∣lours thrice in a year, being green in the Autumn, yellow in the Winter, and red in the Spring. Gesner also saith, that they are first of all red on the Breast, Neck, and Belly; that then they grow yellow: And that they change colour especially in Win∣ter. Some affirm, that it changes colour every year, so that it sometimes declines more to yellow, sometimes to green, red, or ash-colour. That it changes its colour with age, or according to the different seasons of the year, we cannot but think probable, be∣ing so well attested. Perchance also in the same age and season of the year the colour in divers birds may be different. For we saw and bought at Nurenberg in Germany two of this sort of birds brought up together in one Cage, of which one was green, the other red, when the Summer was almost spent, and Autumn coming on. But however the colours may differ, this bird is sufficiently characterized by the make of it Bill. Kept in Cages they climb up and down the sides with the Bills and Feet, after the manner of Parrots.

It is a most voracious bird; much delighted and feeding very fat with Hemp-seed. It also loves Fir-kernels, and in the Months of January and February builds its Nest in those, or the like trees. They say, that with one stroak of its bill, it will in a trice divide an Apple in halves, that it may feed upon the Kernels, by that means doing a great deal of mischief in Orchards.

In some parts of Germany, Bavaria, Suevia, Noricum, they are found in great num∣bers all the year round. Sometimes they come over to us, and in the Western part of England, especially Worcestershire, make bad work, spoiling a great deal of fruit in our Orchards.

One thing also more (saith Aldrovandus) seemeth to me strange and unusual in the Cross-bill; that in the Winter-time, when all things shrink with cold, and other birds are mute, she sings; and in Summer, when other birds sing, she is silent. Which whe∣ther it be true or no let those observe among whom such birds are common. It sings, they say, very sweetly.

CHAP. V. Of Sparrows.

THese Birds feed upon grains of Corn, Crums of bread, worms, and divers Seeds. Their Bills are short, thick, and something crooked: Their co∣lour testaceous or earthy. They are very salacious, and therefore held to be short-lived.

§. I. The House-Sparrow. Passer domesticus, Aldrov.

THe weight of this well known, and every where obvious bird is 1⅛ ounce: Its length from the beginning of the Bill to the end of the Tail six inches and an half.

The Bill is thick, in the Cock black, at the corners of the Mouth between the Eyes yellowish, in the Hen dusky, scarce half an inch long: The Eyes hazel-colou∣red: The Legs and Feet of a dusky flesh-colour: The Claws black. The lower joynt of the outmost Toe, as in other small birds, grows to that of the middle Toe.

The Head is of a dusky blue, or ash-colour; the Chin black. Above the Eyes are two small white spots. From the Eyes a broad line of a spadiceous colour. The fea∣thers growing about the Ears are ash-coloured. The Throat [below the black spot] of a white ash-colour. Under the Ears on each side is a great white spot. The lower Breast and Belly are white. The feathers dividing between the Back and Neck, on the outside the shaft are red, on the inside black, but toward their bottoms some∣thing of white terminates the red. The rest of the Back and Rump are of the same colour with Thrushes. made up as it were of a mixture of green, dusky, and ash-colour.

The Hen-bird wants that black spot under the Throat, as also the white spots on the Neck, and above the Eyes: Its Head and Neck being also of the same colour with the Rump: The nether side of the body of a sordid white. Instead of a white line cross the Wings it hath black feathers with pale reddish tips. In general the co∣lours all the body over are not so fair and lively.

Each Wing hath eighteen quil-feathers, dusky, with reddish edges. From the ba∣stard Wing a broad white line is extended to the next joynt. Above this line the co∣vert-feathers of the Wings are of a spadiceous colour; beneath they have their middle parts black, their exteriour edges red. The Tail hath twelve feathers, and is two inches and a quarter long, the middlemost feathers being something shorter than the rest: All of a dusky blackish colour, with reddish edges.

Its Testicles are great, as being a very salacious bird. Its Guts nine inches long: The blind Guts very short. Its Stomach musculous, it feeding upon Wheat, Barley, and other Grain. The Womb of the Female is great. It hath a Gall-bladder.

Whether or no it be so short-lived as is reported, I think there is some reason to doubt.

This kind of bird doth sometimes vary in colour: Aldrovandus setting forth a white and a yellow Sparrow: The figures and descriptions whereof may be seen in the fif∣teenth Book of his Ornithology, Chap. 11, 12.

§. II. * The foolish Bononian Sparrow of Aldrovand.

IT is in bigness equal to the common Sparrow. The colour of its whole body is yellowish, spotted every where with oblong rusty, or rather red spots, which on the Back are longer and bigger than elsewhere, all over tending downwards. The Bill is red, thick, and short: The Eyes great, their Pupils encompassed with a yellow circle, The Tail and Wings incline to black; but the ends of the lesser feathers in the Wings are white.

§. III. * A small bird akin to the Sparrow: Aldrov. Book 15. Chap. 17.

THis small bird, although it have not a black Chin, nor any footstep of it, (as we have observed in some Hen-Sparrows) yet by the whole fashion and make of its body it discovers and warrants it self to be of the Sparrow-kind. Its Bill is whitish, as in the House-Sparrow. It is painted all over the body with oblong reddish spots tending downward: But those on the underside of the Neck, and on the Breast are more manifest, because those parts are white, whereas the upper, viz. the Back, the upper side of the Neck, and the crown of the Head are red; as are also the whole Tail and the Wings: but most of the feathers of these have white ends: The Belly also and the Thighs are white: The Legs and Feet yellowish: The Claws long and black.

§. IV. * The spotted, or three-coloured Sparrow of Aldrovand. Book 15. Chap. 13.

HE calls it three-coloured, for that whereas it consists only of three colours, viz. white, black, and yellowish, no one of them can be said to excell an∣other. The whole Head and Neck are white, varied with yellowish spots. The Wings are adorned with the three forenamed colours, but the white and black are in them predominant. The Bill, as in Sparrows, thick, sharp pointed, the upper Chap yellowish, the nether altogether yellow. The Iris of the Eye is white; the Pupil black. The Chin, Breast and Belly, Thighs, Legs, Feet, and Tail underneath are of a yellowish white; else the Tail is almost yellow.

§. V. * The white-tail'd Sparrow of Aldrovand. Book 15. Chap. 14.

THe Tail of this, although it be not altogether white, yet is of a pale, whitish ash-colour, whereas otherwise for colour it is almost like the House-Sparrow, but hath not that black spot under the Chin. The Bill, as in that, is white: The Eyes black: The Head, and all the lower parts from white incline to yellow. Large spots of almost a ferrugineous colour, beautified with very small milk-white lines, are dispersed all over the Back. All the feathers of the Wings are of a chesnut-colour, round about yellow. The Legs and Feet are dusky.

§. VI. * The Dalmatic Sparrow of Aldrovand. Lib. 15. Cap. 21.

THis bird Aldrovand saw only the Picture of at Tartaglinus's a Citizen of Venice. It is (saith he) bigger than our common Sparrow, but for colour almost like it. Underneath also it is absolutely white, but above of a pale red, no other colour in∣terceding. The Eyes and Bill for the proportion of the body are great; and this last whitish. The Tail is forked; the Feet yellowish, adorned with transverse lines al∣most of a flesh-colour. The Claws black, pretty long and sharp.

§. VII. * The Ring-Sparrow of Bellonius, and the small Sparrow living about Walnut-trees of the same Author.

THe first of these differs from the common Sparrow, as well in that it is of a di∣verse colour, as because the spot, which in that is black, in this is yellow. He calls it Torquatus, because a white ring or wreath encompasses the Eyes under the Eye-brows. Moreover, it is more cinereous than the common Sparrow, hath a greater voice, and exceeds it in the bigness of the Body and Bill. It abides in Woods, building in the hollows of trees.

The other, called Friguet by the French, is least of all, having a very short, thick, black Bill; its Feet, Legs, Head, and Wings, like those of the Wall-Sparrow. It builds in Trees.

§. VIII. * The tailed purple and black Indian Sparrow of Aldrov. Book 15. Chap. 28.

IT hath a Tail five inches long, made up of ten very black feathers. The quil-fea∣thers of the Wings are also cole-black. The Head, Neck, and Rump are of a deep purple colour, yet the roots or bottoms of the feathers yellow. The Bill is pretty thick, somewhat hooked and sharp, something resembling that of the Butcher∣bird, black above, beneath where it grows to the Head white. The colour of the Legs I know not, for they were wanting in the case communicated to me, but it is likely that it hath black ones.

§. IX. * The Tijepiranga of Brasil or American Sparrow, Marggrave.

IT is a little bigger than a Lark, and sings like our common Sparrow. Its whole Body, Neck, and Head are of a delicate red or sanguine colour: But the Wings and Tail of a shining black, saving that in the beginning of the Wings there is some∣thing of red mixt therewith. The Legs are black, below the Knees bare of feathers, above covered with black feathers. The Bill like a Sparrows, the upper Chap black, the nether black also toward the point, but white toward the Head. The feathers on the Head black, which she is sometimes wont to ruffle up after the manner of Spar∣rows. All the feathers of the whole body are black within, red without, yet so com∣plicated, that outwardly they appear wholly red. The Tail is almost three inches long. Each foot hath four Toes, and so disposed as in most other birds.

There is found another sort of this bird, of the bigness of a Sparrow, whose whole body is covered with bluish ash-coloured feathers: But the Wings approach some∣thing to a Sea-green. In the Belly and lower part of the Neck or Throat it is white, or rather of a shining silver colour. The Legs are ash-coloured, as is also the Bill, which is like a Chaffinches. Each foot divided into four Toes, and those situate as is usual in birds.

§. X. * The long-tail'd Indian Sparrow with a scarlet Bill of Aldrovand.

IT is of equal bigness to our House-Sparrows, if you except the longer feathers of the Tail. It hath a short thick Bill of a scarlet colour. Its Head is flat, elevated near the Neck, blackish, with a mixture of a greenish colour inclining to blue; which also is seen running downward through the Back and upper part of the Wings. The Wings are of three colours chiefly; first, that now mentioned; secondly, a white, as appears in the figure; thirdly, a black: To which succeeds fourthly, a yellowish co∣lour, next which are the quil-feathers again black, but cinereous within. The Throat, lower side of the Neck, the Breast and Belly are white. The Tail is double, as in the Peacock, and also of two colours: The lesser which sustains the greater, being as it were its prop, is white; the greater, consisting of four very narrow feathers of nine inches long, is of a deep black. The Legs and Feet are spotted of black and white; the Talons black, and as in birds of prey very sharp and hooked.

§. XI. * Another Indian long-tail'd Sparrow of Aldrovand, Book 15. Chap. 23.

THis is an exceeding beautiful bird, even fairer than the former: Of the same bigness. Its Bill is blue: Its Head also, as in that, flat; but more elevated in the Neck; all black; its Eyes also black, encompassed with a white circle, and having a yellow Iris: Its Neck and Breast are of a scarlet colour; its Belly and Thighs

white: Its Wings, Back, and Tail black: But a certain paleness is mingled with the quil-feathers of the Wings. The longer feathers of the Tail, (which are two exceed∣ing long ones, viz. five Palms, and very broad; and a third first also broad, but end∣ing in very slender filaments) are supported by other smaller ones. The Legs and Feet are white: The Claws black, and, as in the precedent, notably sharp and hooked.

§. XII. * A short-tail'd Indian Sparrow of Aldrovand, Book 15. Chap. 24.

THis Bird is lesser than the two former, all over black: Which colour yet hath I know not what kind of blue and violet gloss; as is usually seen to happen in deep blacks. The Bill and Feet are of a flesh-colour; the Claws black. The Eyes also black, but encompassed with a white circle.

§. XIII. * The short-tail'd Italian Sparrow of Aldrovand.

THe Bird (saith he) which you see here delineated, having a very short Tail, cal∣led Passerino, that is a little Sparrow, is sometimes taken in the Country about Bologna. Its whole body is of one colour, viz. yellowish: Yet its Breast and Belly are whiter than the other parts. Its Bill is of a deeper yellow.

§. XIV. * The rumpless black and red Indian Sparrow of Aldrovand.

THe whole body, both above and underneath, as also the beginnings of the Wings are of a most lovely shining scarlet colour: The rest of the Wings is black: But yet, if their feathers are spread out, something of white appears in their sides. The Feet also are black: Moreover, it hath along the Back two oblong, black spots, almost contiguous. The Bill for the proportion of the body small, (for it is a thick-bodied bird for its bigness) and less also than in the common Sparrow, white where it is joyned to the head, else black, sharp, and slender. It altogether wants a Rump.

§. XV. * The rumpless blue, red, and black Indian Sparrow of Aldrovand.

THis Bird is longer than the former, but less corpulent, and of three colours, espe∣cially, viz. red, blue, and black. The Head, Neck, and Breast, and all the lower parts are of a deep red colour. On the sides of the Neck are two large contigu∣ous spots of a semilunar figure and scarlet colour. The Wings are very long, black and blue about the sides. The Legs short and black. The Bill a little crooked, black, but white near the forehead.

All these Indian Sparrows are to us unknown: Aldrovandus also himself saw only the pictures of them, not the birds themselves. But Pictures of them (as Pliny rightly saith) fallacious, these descriptions cannot be thought to come near the exactness of such as are taken from the birds themselves.

§. XVI. The Mountain Sparrow, frequent in Stiria and Carinthia.

FRom the tip of the Bill to the end of the Claws it was by measure six inches long. Its Tongue was something cloven: The Irides of its Eyes between grey and ha∣zel-coloured. Its Chin was black: It had also on both sides a black spot about the Ears. A border of white compasses the Neck almost half way, and the spots about the ears. The Head of a dusky red. The outer Webs of the feathers on the middle of the Back are red, the inner black. The Rump is of a yellowish ash-colour. The

Breast and Belly of a sordid white. Of the second and third row of Wing-feathers all but the eighth or tenth outmost have white tips. The small feathers on the base or ridge of the Wing are red, as are also the outmost edges of the rest. The number of quil-feathers is eighteen. The Tail is two inches and a quarter long, made up of twelve feathers, of almost equal length. The Bill is black, more than half an inch long; at the corners of the Mouth and lower Chap yellow. It had a large Craw, full of seeds: The muscles of the Gizzard were not very thick. The Testicles great and white.

The description of the Mountain Sparrow in Aldrovand agrees indifferently well with ours, save that he attributes to it two black spots beside the Eyes; one of which is wanting in our bird; at least Mr. Willughby mentions only one.

We saw abundance of these birds in the mountainous Countries of Stiria and Carin∣thia, as we travelled from Vienna to Venice.

§. XVII. * The Wood-Sparrow of Aldrovand, Book 15. Chap. 16.

IN bigness it exactly corresponds with the common Sparrows. Its Bill from yellow inclines to white; and is (as I may so say) exactly Sparrow-like. The crown of its head, as in the precedent Mountain Sparrow, is of a rusty colour, inclining to Ver∣milion. The circumference of the Eyes white, the Iris yellowish, the Pupil black. From Chin to Tail it is of an ash-colour, but the extremities of the feathers incline to red. The Chin and underside of the Neck are crossed with continuous, transverse, blackish lines; whereas in all other Cock-Sparrows we suspect, nay, we positively affirm, that they are wholly black. The Back, Tail, and Feet are of a dusky ferru∣gineous, save that the tips or ends of the feathers are altogether yellow. The Wings are of the same colour, but the first feathers, which cover their ridges end in a nota∣ble white.

§. XVIII. * The Brasilian Sparrow, called Guiranheemgatu by Marggrave.

IT is of the bigness of a Sparrow. The Head above is of a pale yellow, as is the Throat: The Neck, Breast, and lower Belly of a deeper yellow. The Wings are mixt of green and yellow, and distinguished with dusky, as is also the Tail. The Eyes and Bill black: The Legs dusky. The Cock of this kind sings rarely well, like a Finch. The Hen is of the same bigness, covered with Sparrow-like feathers, sings not, but cries Tschrip, tschrip like a Sparrow.

CHAP. VI.

§. I. The Chaffinch: Fringilla, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Aristotelis.

IT is something less than a House-Sparrow, weighing not a full ounce. Its Bill is sharp, strong, white underneath, above and toward the tip dusky: The lower Chap equal to the upper: The Tongue cloven and rough: The Irides of the Eyes hazel-coloured: The Ears great.

The Head in the Cock is blue, but the feathers contiguous to the Nosthrils black. The Back is reddish with a mixture of ash-colour or green: The Breast red; the Belly under the Tail white.

The colours of the Hen are not so bright and lively. But its Rump is green: Its Back not so red: The Belly from red inclines to a dirty kind of green. The Breast also is of a duller colour.

The Quil-feathers in each Wing, in number eighteen, all but the three first, or out∣most have their bottoms and interiour Webs white; their exteriour edges yellowish, or rather green. In the Cock the small feathers investing the ridge or basis of the Wing are blue. Above in each Wing is a remarkable white spot: Then after an in∣terstice of black succeeds a long white fillet, beginning from the fourth quill, and

after the tenth continued through the tops of the covert-feathers. That part of this white fillet which passes through the tips of the coverts is tinctured with yellow.

The Tail is two inches and an half long, and made up of twelve feathers, of which the outmost on each side have their bottoms, and also their tops on the outside the shaft black, their middle part white. The next to these have less white, viz. only near the top, and on the outside the shaft: The three subsequent on both sides are black: the two middlemost cinereous with greenish edges.

The Liver is divided into two Lobes, the right being the biggest. The Stomach not very fleshy. The outmost Toe in each foot, as in other small birds, grows to the middlemost at bottom.

This bird sometimes varies in the colour of its feathers. For Gesner affirms, that himself had seen a Chaffinch all over white: And Aldrovandus describes two others, one whose whole body from white declined to yellow: Another that was partly yel∣lowish, and partly blackish.

They are (saith Aldrovandus) birds of passage: They love moderate cold, but are offended by immoderate. But with us in England they fear no cold, abiding here all Winter, be the weather never so sharp: Neither is there any Bird more frequent in all parts of this Land, excepting perchance the Lark, the Sparrow, and the Yellow∣hammer.

§. II. The Bramble or Brambling: Fringilla montana seu Montifringilla, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Arist.

IN weight and bigness it agrees with the precedent. Its Bill is thick, strong, streigt, from a broad base diminishing into a sharp point, almost like a Cone or Funnel; in some birds wholly black, in others black at point, and yellow at bottom. Its Tongue like the Chaffinches; the upper Chap of equal length with the lower, its sides strong and thin'd into sharp edges. [The Bill of the Female hath no part yellow.] Its Feet of a pale dusky colour: The outer Toe joyned to the middle below, as in other small birds. From the head to the middle of the Back the colour in the Cock is like that of a Starling, a shining black, the edges of the feathers being of a reddish ash-colour. The lower part of the Back is white. The Throat is of a yellowish red; the Breast white; the feathers behind the Vent reddish.

In the Female the Head from red or dusky inclines to cinereous: The Neck is ash-coloured: The feathers of the Back have their middle parts black, their borders of that same reddish ash-colour. The Throat is not so red as in the Cock. Within the ridge of the Wing it hath less yellow, and without no Orange colour. In brief it is every where more discoloured.

The interiour quil-feathers of the Wings are red, the inmost of all black, with red edges. Beginning from the fourth, seventh, or eighth of the subsequent feathers have a white spot on the outside their shafts, by the tips of the feathers of the second row. Underneath also their exteriour edges are whitish; else the quil-feathers are all black. The Plumage near the base of the Wing underneath is of a lovely yellow, above of an Orange colour.

The Tail is four inches ⅛ long, compounded of twelve feathers, of a black colour, but the exteriour Web of the outmost feather on both sides is white, and sometimes also the interiour. The tips and edges of the two middle feathers are of a reddish ash-colour.

At Venice we found great numbers of these birds in the Poulterers shops in Winter time; whence we infer that they are common in the Country thereabouts at least in that season of the year. They are found also in England, but more rarely.

These birds also sometimes vary in their colours. Hence in Aldrovandus we have three figures and descriptions of Montifringillae: Of which that in the second place is of a paler colour, and hath its head wholly white. The third is altogether like the first, save that under the Bill it hath no black: And besides that second yellow stroak which is in others, in this was far more conspicuous.

§. III. The great pied Mountain-Finch or Bramlin: Montifringilla calcaribus Alaudae seu major.

IT is equal in bigness to the common Lark, from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail being five inches and a quarter long; and between the extremes of the Wings stretched out twelve and three quarters broad. Its Bill is half an inch long, of a yellow colour, with a black tip. The end of the Tongue is divided into filaments. The top of the Head of a fulvous red, darker toward the Bill. [Mr. Johnson attri∣butes to the Head and upper part of the Neck a dusky red or chesnut colour.] The upper side of the Neck, the Rump and sides are also red: So is the Breast, but paler, the rest of the under side, Throat, Belly, Wings, &c. is white. The underside of the Neck, the Back and scapular feathers are elegantly variegated with black and a reddish ash-colour; the middle part of each feather being black, and the outsides red. The black spots appear of a triangular figure. In the upper part of the Wings and bottom of the Back there is more of red.

Each wing hath eighteen prime feathers, of which the eight outmost or longest are black; yet their bottoms, as far as they are hidden by the second row, except the outer edge of the outmost feather are white: Moreover, the very tips, or rather edges of the tips of all excepting the two outmost, are white. The seven next, which take up the middle part of the Wing, are wholly white, save that near the tip on the outside each feather hath an oblong black spot. The remaining three or four next the body are black, having their uppermost edges red. All the covert-feathers of the Wings, excepting those next the body, and two or three, which make up the bastard Wing, are white; those excepted being black. But Nature (as I see) observes not an exact rule in the colours of this birds Wings: For in the bird described by Mr. Wil∣lughby the covert-feathers of the black quils were for the most part black, of the white ones white: Yet in general in all birds that we have seen there were large white spaces in each Wing. The Tail is somewhat forked, two inches and an half long, made up of twelve feathers, the two outmost whereof on each side being wholly white, save a very little of the outer edge toward the tip, which is black, more in the outmost, less in the next. The outward Web of the third on each side almost from the top quite down to the bottom is white: The remaining six are black, having only their edges about their tips white. The Legs, Feet, and Claws are cole-black. The back-Claw or Spur is longer than the rest, as in Larks, of about half an inch. The outmost Toe for a good space from the divarication is joyned to the middle one, as in most small birds.

This Bird Mr. Willughby found and killed in Lincolnshire. Mr. Johnson sent us the Bird it self, and the description of it out of the Northern part of Yorkshire.

The same Mr. Johnson sent also the description of another bird of this kind by the name of The lesser Mountain-Finch or Bramlin, together with the case of the Bird; which by the case I took to be only the Female of the precedent, he from its difference in bigness, place, and other accidents rather judges it a distinct species. I shall therefore present the Reader with his description of it.

It is of the bigness of a yellow Finch, hath a thick, short, strong Neb, black at the very point, and the rest yellow. All the forehead of a dark chesnut, almost black, growing lighter backwards, about and under either Eye lighter chesnut: The back of the Neck ash-coloured, which goes down the Back to the Tail, but there more spot∣ted with black. Under the Throat white, but Breast and Belly dasht or waved with flame-colour; at the setting on of the Wing grey. The first five feathers blackish brown, all the rest white, save a little dash of brown near the point of each feather. The Tail consists of twelve feathers, the three outmost on either side white, save a little small dash of dark brown: The rest dark brown. The Feet perfectly black. The hind-claw as long again as any of the rest.

CHAP. VII. * The Brasilian Sayacu of Marggrave.

TO what tribe of small birds this is to be referred we do not certainly know: But because the Author saith it is of the bigness of a Chaffinch, we have placed it here. The whole body is covered with feathers of a colour mingled of cinereous and Sea-green: But in the Wings and Back the Sea-green is so mixt that, exposed to the Sun, they shine marvellously. The Bill is black; The Eyes also wholly black.

CHAP. VIII. * The Brasilian Tijeguacuparoara of Marggrave.

IT is of the bigness of a Lark; hath a short, thick Neb, dusky above, white un∣derneath. The top and sides of the Head, the Throat, and lower side of the Neck are covered with yellow feathers, spotted with sanguine. [This Bird was a Female, for in the Male the Plumage of these parts is wholly sanguine.] The upper side of the Neck and whole Back with ash-coloured ones, somewhat shaded: The Wing-feathers are dusky, with white borders: As also the Tail: But the covert-fea∣thers of the Wings are cineous. The Back for the most part, excepting the ends of the feathers, the sides of the Neck, the Breast, and whole Belly, with the Thighs are covered with white feathers. The Legs and Feet are dusky: Four Toes in each placed after the usual manner. It hath black Eyes.

CHAP. IX. * The Brasilian Guiraperea of Marggrave.

THis is also of the bigness of a Lark: Hath a short, thick, black Bill. The up∣per part of the Head and Neck, the whole Back, and lower Belly have fea∣thers of a dark yellow colour, like yellow Wax: The lower side of the Head and Neck, the Throat and Breast black ones: Of which colour there are also a few in the Belly intermingled with the yellow. The Tail is two inches long, and reaches further than the Wings. Both Tail and Wings are made up of dusky and blackish feathers, every one of which hath its side-edges of a Sea-green, so that the Wings appear brown, straked with green: And in like manner the Tail. The Thighs are of a Wax-colour: The Legs and Feet of a dark grey or ash-colour. It hath four Toes disposed according to the usual manner, armed with black Claws.

CHAP. X.

§. I. The Goldfinch, or Thistle-finch; Carduelis.

THis Bird, in the opinion of Aldrovandus and Bellonius is the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of Ari∣stotle, by the later Greeks called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. It is less than the House-Sparrow; of an ounce and half weight; five inches and an half length from Bill-point to Tail end; nine and a quarter breadth between the utmost tips of the Wings spread out. Its Head for the bulk of the body is of the biggest: Its Neck short; Bill white, but in some birds black at the very point, little more than half an inch long, thick at the head, ending in a sharp point, of a Conical figure: Its Tongue sharp: Eyes ha∣zel-coloured. A ring of scarlet-coloured feathers encompasses the basis of the Bill. From the Eyes to the Bill on each side is drawn a black line. The Jaws are white:

The top of the Head black, from which a broad black line, produced on both sides almost to the Neck, terminates the white. The hinder part of the Head is white. The Neck and forepart of the Back are of a fulvous or reddish ash-colour. The Rump, Breast, and sides are of the same colour, but paler. The Belly white. The Wings and Tail black; Yet the tips of the principal feathers in both are white. Be∣sides, the Wings are adorned with a most beautiful transverse stroak of yellow. If you exactly view each quil-feather, you will find the first or outmost wholly black; all the rest tipt with white; and besides the lower half of the outward Web of eve∣ry feather from the second to the eleventh inclusively of an elegant yellow, which to∣gether make that yellow bed across the Wing we now mentioned; whence this bird is supposed to be called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The interiour covert-feathers of the Wings are also yellow. The Tail is two inches long, composed of twelve black feathers, of which the two outmost have a great white spot on their tips; the next a lesser; The third none; the fourth again a little one, and the fifth a greater.

The Legs are short; the Back Toe strong, armed, with a Claw longer than the rest. The lower of the outer foretoe grows fast to that of the middle toe. The blind Guts, as in other small birds, are very short and little. It hath also a Gall-bladder.

The Hen-bird hath a smaller note than the Cock, and sings not so much, and the feathers on the ridge of the Wing are dusky or cinereous, whereas in the Cocks they are cole-black: and these (saith Aldrovandus) are constant and infallible marks by which the Sexes may be distinguished.

Goldfinches are gregarious birds, for the elegancy of their colours and sweetness of their singing every where well known and highly esteemed. They are of a mild and gentle nature, as may even thence appear, that presently after they are caught, with∣out using any art or care, they will fall to their meat and drink; nor are they so sca∣red and affrighted at the presence of a man, as to strike their Bills and Wings against the sides of the Cage, as most other birds are wont to do. Nor are they very much troubled at their captivity and imprisonment in a Cage: Nay, if they have continued there a good while, they like it so well, that though you let them loose, they will not fly away, as (saith Aldrovand) I my self have observed, to whom I refer the Reader. They feed upon the seeds of Thistles in Winter times, from whence they took their name, and not of Thistles only, but of Teasel, and Hemp, and Dock, and Poppy, as Albertus tells us. The Goldfinch kept in a Cage will with its Bill draw up a little pot of water hanging upon a string, and putting its foot sometimes under the string when it can reach the Pot, will drink out of it, and quench its thirst, which other small birds also will learn to do. Besides that little Thistle-finch (saith Turner) adorned with a golden fillet, I know another spinivorous bird of a green colour, which, in like manner as the Goldfinch, out of two pots, one going up, the other mean time go∣ing down, will take meat out of the one, and drink out of the other. The same doth also the Millet-bird, which our Country men call a Linnet. The same likewise will imi∣tate any tune you whistle to it. So then not only that bird which is in Greek called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and in Latine by Gaza rendred Carduelis, will do what you bid it, and use its Bill and Feet for a hand, but many others also. All which things (saith Aldrovan∣dus) daily experience proves to be most true. It builds its Nest in thorns, and trees. Gesner affirms, that it lays seven Eggs, Bellonius, eight: The difference is not great, and it may lay sometimes the one, sometimes the other number.

The Goldfinch, by reason of age, sex, or other accidents, varies sometimes in its colours. Aldrovandus sets forth four varieties: 1. One not full grown, which had no red at all on its Head: 2. One with white Eye-lids: 3. A white one with a red head: 4. A whitish one, which yet on the forepart of the Head and under the Chin had something of red. Besides which he describes also a bird of kin to the Gold∣finch, (which perchance was a bastard kind) in these words.

In bulk of body it exceeds a Goldfinch, being equal to a Chaffinch. A circle of a lively Saffron colour encompasses the Bill. Its Eyes are like a Goldfinches, but bigger. Its Head, except the Saffron ring now mentioned, and its Back are of the same colour, viz. blackish. The Breast is of a black green, as are also the small feathers, covering the ridges of the Wings: Whose quil-feathers are black, and much more varied or distinguished with white, than in other birds of this kind. That part which in other Thistle-finches is yellow, in this is of a pale colour. The Tail of as deep a black as in others; but in the two outmost Tail-feathers on each side when extended appeared something of white; which otherwise, when the Tail was closed, was hidden, and not exposed to view. The whole Belly from cinereous inclined to dusky.

§. II. * The Brasilian Jacarini of Marggrave.

IT is of the bigness of our Goldfinch: Hath a thick, ash-coloured Bill: Ash-co∣loured Legs and Feet, with four Toes situate after the usual manner. The whole Body is covered with black feathers, but shining with a gloss like polished steel. The Wings withinside are white. The Eyes are blue, and behind each a large hole in∣stead of Ears. This Bird being of the bigness of a Goldfinch, and having a Bill not unlike it, not knowing better to dispose of it, I have inserted in this Chapter, although it agrees not in colour either with the Goldfinch, or any other European Bird, that I know, of this bigness.

CHAP. XI. Of the Linnet.

§. I. Of the Linnet in general.

THe Characteristic notes of this kind are, 1. A size of body something less than a Chaffinch: 2. A testaceous or earthy colour, mixt of cinereous and dusky or brown: 3. A Tail a little forked: 4. A peculiar colour of the outmost feathers of the Tail, viz. brown, with white borders or edges: 5. A sweet note. Of Linnets we have observed four sorts in England: 1. The common: 2. The greater red: 3. The lesser red. 4. The Mountain Linnet.

§. II. The common Linnet: Linaria vulgaris.

IT weighs about an ounce: From the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail being half a foot long; between the tips of the Wings spread forth ten inches broad. Its Bill is half an inch long, thick, strong, black above, white underneath. The Tongue is as it were cut off: The Nosthrils round: The Head particoloured of cinereous and black; the Back of black and reddish, the middle part of each feather being black, the edges or outsides in the Head cinereous, in the Back reddish. The Breast is white: The lower Belly about the Vent yellowish. The region of the Craw or bottom of the Gullet is of a lovely red, the edges of the feathers being yellowish. Each Wing hath eighteen quil-feathers, all black but the edges, which in the exteriour are whi∣tish, in the interiour red. The foremost feathers of the second row are black, the edges of the interiour, or those next the rise of the Wing red. The lesser covert∣feathers about the ridge or base of the Wing are red. The Tail is somewhat forked, its two outmost feathers being two inches and a quarter long; the middle only two: Of the middle two the borders or edges are red, of the rest white. The Tail consists of the usual number of twelve feathers. It delights to feed upon Line-seed, whence Gesner, in imitation of the French, (who call it Linote) imposed on it the name of Linaria. It seems not to have been described or mentioned by the Ancients: How∣beit, Bellonius makes it to be the Aegithus of Aristotle. It is kept in Cages with us for the sweetness of its singing; wherein, in my judgment, it excels all other small birds. It feeds upon Canary seed, Panic, Millet (whence also it is by some called Miliaria) Rape-seed, Cole-seed, and Hemp-seed. But whatever seed it eats it first decorticates it with its Bill, that it may feed only on the pulp. But Hemp-seed (that we may note that by the by) makes birds that feed upon it so fat that it either kills them, or takes from them all courage and list to sing. Olina saith, that the Linnet builds in trees that are not very tall, and lays three or four Eggs. We have observed it to build in black or white thorn bushes, or Furze-bushes. Mr. Willughby ascribes to the Feet of this bird an obscure dusky or blarkish colour; Olina a middle colour between flesh∣colour

and white. Perchance the Feet of the younger birds are paler, of the old darker coloured: Or those of the Cock blacker, the Hen-birds white. Mr. Jessop sent us a Linnet of the common sort with Feet perfectly black, but that was extra∣ordinary.

An Addition to the History of the Linnet out of our English Writer of Singing Birds.

YOu may take the young ones out at four days old, if you intend they shall learn to whistle or hear any other birds song: For then being so young they have not the old birds song, and are more apt to take any thing than if you suffer them to be in the Nest till they are almost quite fledg'd. You must be sure when you take them out so young, to keep them very warm, and to feed them but a little at a time. Your meat must be Rape-seed soaked, and then bruised, mingled with full as much soaked white-bread. You must make fresh every day; for if it be sour, it immediately makes them scour, and not long after die. You must not give them their meat too dry, for if you do it will make them Vent-burned; and that is as bad as if they scoured. If you intend to whistle to them, do it when you feed them. For they will learn very much before they can crack hard seeds. So hang them under any bird you intend they shall learn his Song. I have known several that have been taught to speak.

You may know the Cock-Linnet by these two marks: 1. The Cock is much browner on the Back and pinion of the Wing than the Hen. 2. By the white of the Wing. Take your young Linnet when the Wing-feathers are grown, and stretch out his Wing, holding his body fast with the other hand (otherwise I have known them by a sudden jerk to break their Wings) and then observe the white upon the fourth, fifth, and sixth feather, if it be glossie and glistering, and the white goes close to the quill, this is a certain sign of a Cock.

The Linnets diseases and their cures.

1. This Bird is sometimes troubled with melancholy, and then you will find the end of his Rump to be very much swelled; which you must prick with a Needle, and let out all the corruption, squeezing it out very well with the point of the Needle; then anoint him with the ointment made of fresh butter and Capons grease, and feed him for two or three days with Lettice, or Beet seeds, and the leaves also: And you may give him the seeds of Melons chopt in pieces, which he will eat very greedily; and when you find him to mend take the Melon seeds away, and give him his old diet again: Put into his water two or three blades of Saffron and white Sugar-candy for a Week or more, till you perceive the bird to be wholly recovered.

2. The disease this Bird is most troubled withal is a scouring; of which there are three sorts: The first very thin, and with a black substance in the middle, which is not very dangerous; for I have known many sing very strong and lavish when they have had this scouring in a very violent manner. The second is between a black and a white, but not so thin as the other, but very clammy and sticking. This is worse than the former. It is recovered by giving your bird some Melon-seed shred, and Lettuce seeds and Beet seeds bruised, and in his water some Liquorice and white Su∣gar-candy, with a little flour of Oatmeal. You must be diligent at the first to ob∣serve him when he is sick, that so he may have a stomach to eat: For in two or three days his stomach will be quite gone, and then it will be hard recovering him again. The third and worst sort of scouring is the white clammy scouring, which is dange∣rous and mortal, if not well looked after at the first. This is occasioned by bad seeds, and many times for want of water. If it be not taken at the first appearance it imme∣diately causeth him to droop, and fall from his meat, and then all medicines are use∣less. First, give him Flax-seeds, taking away all other seeds; then give him Plantain∣seeds, if green, otherwise they will do him no good: For want of Plantain-seeds give him some of the Leaves shred small, and some Oatmeal bruised, with a few crums of bread: And in his water give him some white Sugar-candy and Liquorice, with a blade or two of Saffron.

To avoid the peril of scouring Olina advises to let him have always a piece of chalk in his Cage.

§. III. The greater red-headed Linnet: Linaria rubra major.

THis is something less than the common Linnet: Its Bill short, thick, of a Coni∣cal figure like the Chaffinches, the upper Chap black, the lower at the base white: The Tongue sharp, and as it were cut off, as in the Chaffinch: The Nosthrils round: The Eyes hazel-coloured. The crown of the head adorned with a red or sanguine colour, but not very bright and shining. The rest of the Head and Neck round about are cinereous. The Shoulders, Back, and covert feathers of the Wings are red. The Breast is tinctured with red. The sides under the Wings are of a yel∣lowish red or spadiceous colour. The outmost quil-feathers of the Wings are black, the inner dusky. The exteriour edges of the eight outmost, excluding the first, are white, the white from the bottom towards the top extending it self in breadth in eve∣ry feather more and more in order, till in the ninth feather it reaches almost to the tip. These white edges in the Wing complicated concur to make up a white spot externally conspicuous. From the ninth the tips of the sixth or seventh succeeding are blunt and indented. The interiour margins of all the quil-feathers are white, and the tips also of those toward the body, or setting on of the Wing. The Tail is some∣thing forked, two inches and an half long, made up of the usual number of twelve feathers; all sharp-pointed, and of two colours, both edges, as well inner as outer, being white, but the outer more; which colour in the extreme or outmost feathers takes up almost half the breadth of the exteriour Web: In the rest it grows narrower and narrower by degrees to the middlemost, which are almost wholly black, the very extreme edges only remaining white. The feathers incumbent on the Tail in the middle along the shaft are dusky, their outsides being white. It hath small Legs and Feet of a reddish dusky colour, but not perfectly black; black Claws, the hinder the biggest, the two outer Claws equal one to the other: There is also the like cohesion between the outmost and middle toes, as in other birds.

In the Female neither is the Back bay, nor the crown or Breast red; but the Back dusky, with a tincture of green, the Breast of a dirty yellow, varied with dusky spots. The other notes agree in both Sexes.

It weighs five drachms, from tip of Bill to end of Tail is five inches and an half long; to the end of the Claws but five. A line of nine inches and a quarter mea∣sures the Wings stretcht out. It is common on the Sea-coasts.

§. IV. The lesser red-headed Linnet: Linaria rubra minor.

THis is lesser than the precedent. The Back coloured like the common Linnet: The forehead adorned with a remarkable shining red spot: The Bill like that of the greater red Linnet, but less: The Breast red; the lower Belly white. The prime feathers of the Wings and Tail dusky: The Tail about two inches long, and something forked. The outmost borders or edges of the Wing and Tail-feathers round are white.

The Legs and Feet are dusky; the Claws black, and long for the bigness of the bird; but the Legs very short. The like cohesion or adnascency of the outmost and middle toe at bottom, as in other small birds.

In this kind the Female also hath a spot on her head, but more dilute than that of the Cock, and of a Saffron colour.

This Bird differs from the precedent red Linnet in many particulars. 1. In that it is less: 2. That it hath a lesser and sharper Bill: 3. That the Hen agrees with the Cock in the spot on its head, though it be paler: 4. That the Legs and Feet in this are blacker: 5. That the border of white about the tail-feathers is narrower: 6. That the tips of the second row of Wing-feathers being white make a transverse white line cross the Wing. Lastly, that this Bird is gregarious, flying in flocks, not that.

Aldrovandus describes two sorts of red Linnets, neither of which agrees with either of ours in all points. See their description in his Ornithology.

§. V. The Mountain Linnet: Linaria Montana.

THis was found by Mr. Fr. Jessop in the Mountains of the Peak of Derbyshire, and sent to us. It is twice as big as the precedent. The colour of its Head and Back is the same with that of the common Linnet; for the middle parts of the fea∣thers of both are black, but the outsides or edges of those on the Back red, on the Head cinereous. The middle parts of the feathers on the Throat and Breast are also black, but the edges whitish. Only the Rump is of a very fair shining scarlet or Orange-tawny colour. The edges of the middle quil feathers of the Wings are white, as are also the tips of those of the second row. The Tail is two inches and an half long, consisting of twelve feathers, of which the two middle are all over of one uniform brown or dusky colour. Of the rest, as well the outer as inner edges, are white: These white edges in the outmost feathers are broader than in the rest. Its Bill is like that of the precedent, viz. less for the proportion of its body than that of the second species. The whole bird from Bill to Tail was six inches and an half long; to the Claws five and an half.

CHAP. XII. The Siskin: Spinus sive Ligurinus.

ITs Head is black. The upper side of its body, viz. Neck and Back are green. Yet the shafts of the feathers on the Back are black; and the Neck being darker than the Back seems to partake something of the colour of the Head. The Rump is of a greenish yellow: The Throat and Breast of a yellowish green: The Belly white: The feathers under the Tail yellowish, with oblong dusky spots in the middledown the shaft. The feathers also investing the sides are spotted in the middle with brown. The Hen is paler and more discoloured. Her Throat and sides under her Wings are white, the middle parts of the feathers being spotted with brown. The Head and Back are of a greenish ash-colour, with brown spots in the middle. The Throat and Breast have less of green.

The Wings are crossed by a broad line or bed of yellow. The Pinion-quill of the Wing is all over dusky, only the edges green. Of the nine following the outer Webs are green; the green part is widened by degrees in every feather, till in the last it take up half the length. From the tenth almost the lower half of each feather is yellow, the upper black. The exteriour covert-feathers of the Wings are black, the edges of the interiour green. The Tail consists of twelve feathers, the two middle∣most black: The rest above half way of a most lovely yellow, with black tips. The uppermost tips of the feathers, as well in the Wings as in the Tail, are grey. The lower Mandible of the Bill hath an eminency or angle on each side, received in the upper. The Tongue is sharp, horny at the tip, and channelled: The Eyes hazel∣coloured. The outer and middle Toe have the like cohesion at bottom as in other birds.

It is kept in Cages for its singing: It is common in Germany and England. At Vi∣enna in Austria they called it Seisel, a name not much different from our English Siskin. In Sussex it is known by the name of Barley-bird, so called because it comes to them in Barley-seed time. All the Winter, and in the beginning of the Spring, it flies in flocks. Its differs from the two following birds, 1. In that it is a little bigger: 2. It hath a longer Bill: 3. A black Head: 4. A shorter Tail, more than half yellow: 5. A strake or bed of yellow cross its Wings.

Aldrovandus writes, that it seldom or never appears in cold Countries, as France and England, as Bellonius and others report: But we have by experience learnt the contrary. It is of a very mild nature, and not at all crafty, so that it is easily taken by any kind of engine or deceit.

This bird is called by Aristotle and the ancient Greeks 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as Aldrovandus is of opinion. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 also is the name of a bird, supposed to be this, as well with the Greeks as with the Latines.

CHAP. XIII. Of the Canary-bird, out of Gesner, Aldrovandus, and Olina.

CAnaria is an Island of the Atlantic Sea, on the left side of Mauritania, one of those which the Ancients for the excellent temperature of the Air called For∣tunate, so denominated from the multitude of great Mastive Dogs, as Pliny out of Juba delivers. All those Islands, which the Ancients called Fortunate, are now adays called the Canaries. Out of which in our Age are wont to be brought cer∣tain singing birds, which from the place where they are bred they commonly call Ca∣nary-birds: Others call them Sugar-birds, because the best Sugar is brought thence. Of this bird we have thought fit to treat next after the Siskin, because some have judged it to be a sort of Siskin, as Turner: And in truth to look upon for colour and shape it is very like it. This bird Gesner from the relation of a friend of his thus de∣scribes. It is of the bigness of the common Titmouse, hath a small white Bill, thick at base, and contracted into a sharp point: All the feathers of the Wings and Tail being of a green colour: So that it differs little from those small birds, which our Country men call Citrils, or those they call Zisels, and the Italians, Ligurini, save that it is a little bigger than either of those, liker in shew or outward appearance to this, some∣thing greener than that. So far Gesner. Between the Cock and Hen-bird I have ob∣served this difference, that the Breast, Belly, and upper part of the Head, adjoyning to be Bill, are more yellow in the Cock than in the Hen. This is common to both Sexes to be fleshy, and not fat. Of its singing the same Gesner hath recorded as fol∣loweth. It hath a very sweet and shrill note, which at one breath continued for a long time without intermission, it can draw out sometimes in length, sometimes raise very high, by a various and almost musical inflexion of its voice, making very plea∣sant and artificial melody. The sound it makes is very sharp, and so quavering, that sometimes when it stretches and exercises its little throat and Chaps, whistling with all its force, it vehemently strikes, and even deafens the Ears of the hearers with its shrilness. Many are delighted with this kind of its singing, many also are offended, saying, that they are astonied and deafned by it. It is sold every where very dear, both for the sweetness of its singing, and also because it is brought from far remote places with great care and diligence, and but rarely; so that it is wont to be kept only by Nobles and great men. But if any one be taken with the melody of these Birds, let him buy those which have long Tails and small Bodies. For it is found by experience that by how much less they are, by so much are they more canorous. But the great ones shut up in Cages turn their heads round about and backward, and are not to be esteemed genuine or right bred Canary Birds. Of this sort there are brought from the Islands Palma and C. Verde, which they call fools, from that motion of their head, which is proper to fools. They are fed with Canary-seed, wherein they take great pleasure, which therefore is wont to be brought together with them out of the same Islands. Gesner from the relation of his friend writes, that they are fed with the same food with the Siskin and Citril; viz. Line seed, and Poppy seed, and some∣times also Millet: But particularly, that they delight in Sugar and the Sugar-cane, as also in that sort of Chickweed or Mouse-ear, which they commonly call Henbit. For he affirms, that by this they are presently provoked to sing. This sort of birds is wont to be infested with certain tumours or kernels in its head; which I take to be a kind of Atheromata: They are to be anointed with Butter or the fat of Hens till they ripen, then they are to be opened, and the matter dexterously pressed out, and again anointed till they be perfectly whole. Sometimes also they happen to be troubled with Lice: In which case it will be of advantage to sprinkle them often with Wine. For so those Vermine will be killed, and they become stronger to overcome that trouble. Thus far Aldrovandus.

There are also found (saith Olina) of this sort of birds in the Island Ilva a degene∣nerate kind, descended originally from true Canary-birds, which were brought over from the Canary Islands in a certain Ship bound for Ligorn, that was cast away near this Island, and after the shipwrack escaped, and saved themselves in this Island; and afterwards propagated their kind here, breeding and multiplying greatly. But the difference of place hath wrought some change in the external figure of this Bird. For these spurious Birds have black Feet, and are more yellow under the Chin than the genuine Canary-Birds.

Additions to the History of the Canary bird out of a late English Writer concerning singing Birds.

CAnary birds (he saith) of late years have been brought abundantly out of Ger∣many, and are therefore now called German birds: And these German birds in handsomness and song excel those brought out of the Canaries.

The Cock of this kind is never subject to be fat: For his high mettle, and lavish singing will hardly suffer him to maintain flesh on his back, much less fat.

How to chuse a Canary-bird.

Let him be a long bird, standing streight and not crouching, but sprightly, like un∣to a Sparrow-hawk: standing with life and boldness, and not subject to be scareful. Before you buy him, hear him sing in a single Cage; so you may be sure not to be cheated with a Hen for a Cock, and may please your fancy in his singing. He that hath most variety of notes, and is the longest song-bird is by most accounted the best.

How to know if he be in health when you buy him.

If he stands up boldly, without crouching or shrinking his feathers, if his Eyes look chearful, and not drowsie; and he be not apt to clap his head under his Wing, these are good signs of a healthful bird: But the surest is to observe his dung; which when he is in perfect health lies round and hard, with a fine white on the outside, and dark within, and will quickly be dry. The larger the birds dung is, I hold it the better, so it be long, round, and hard. A Seed-bird very seldom dungs too hard, except it be very young. If he bolts his tail like a Nightingale after he hath dunged; or if his dung be very thin, or if it have only a slimy white, with no blackness in it, the bird is not healthful.

Of the ordering of Canary-birds, which you intend for breeding, in building and breeding.

First, make a convenient Cage, or prepare a room fit for that purpose: You must be sure to let it have an out-let toward the rising of the Sun, where you must have a piece of wire, that they may have egress and regress at their pleasure. When you have prepared a convenient Room, then set up in the corners of it some Besoms, either Heath or Frail, opening them in the middle: If the Room be pretty high you may set two or three brooms, one under another; but then you must set partitions with boards over every broom; otherwise the birds will dung upon one anothers heads; and also they will not endure to see one another so near each others Nest, for the Cock or Hen will be apt to fly upon a Hen that is not matcht to them, when they see them just under their Nest, which many times causes the spoiling of their Eggs and young ones.

2. You must cause something to be made so convenient, and of such bigness as may hold meat for some considerable time, that you may not be disturbing of them con∣tinually, and a convenient Vessel for water also. Let your place where you intend to put your seeds be so ordered that it may hang out of the reach of the Mice, for they will destroy all the Canary seeds, and so consequently way starve your birds.

3. You must prepare some stuff to build withall of several sorts of things, as Cot∣ton-wool, small dead grass, Elks hair [this is hard to get in England] and earth-moss. You must dry it before you put them together: Then mingle them all, and put them up in a little Net like a Cabbage-net, hanging of it so that they may with conveni∣ency pull it out. You must set Pearches all about the Room, and, if big enough, set a tree in the middle, that so they may take the more pleasure. You must proportion your birds according to the bigness of your Room: Rather let it be under-stocked than over: for they are birds that love liberty.

4. When you perceive them begin to build and carry stuff, give them once a day, or in two days at least, a little greens and some Loaf-sugar, for that will cause a slip∣periness in the body, that so the Eggs may come forth without injuring the birds; for many times the Hen dies in laying her first Egg: Which will be a great loss, both in losing the first brood, and unpairing the Cock. If this happens, and you have but

few pairs in your breeding place, take out the single Cock, and match him, and put him in again: If many, it is advisable to let your Cock alone, till you draw all your birds out to part them; because it will be hard to find out the single Cock, and as hard to take him when found.

5. When you find that they have built, take away the Nets that have the breeding∣stuff in them. They breed most usually three times in a year, begin in April, and breed in May and June, and sometimes in August, which is not very usual, neither here, nor in Germany.

How they breed them in Germany.

First, they prepare a large Room, and build it in the likeness of a Barn, being much longer than broad, with a square place at each end, and several holes at each end, to go into those square places. In those out-lets they plant several sorts of trees, which grow pretty thick, for they will take much delight both to sing and breed in them: And the bottom of the place they strow with a fine sort of sand, and upon it cast seeds of Rape, Chickweed, and Groundsil; which the old bird doth eat, both at time of laying, and al∣so when they have young ones. They put in the house all sorts of stuff for the building of their Nests; and Brooms up and down the corners, one under another, and to the height of the place that is built for the purpose; and make partitions between every Nest, to make them breed the quieter, without disturbing one another: And in the middle of the Room they will set a board edge-ways to darken the light on each side; for no bird almost doth naturally love to have much light come to his Nest. They plant a tree or two, if the house be big enough, one at each end, with many Pearches also along each side of the house, and all along where they make their Nests: The place also that is in the air is full of Pearches. They hang their stuff for building all up and down the house, that the rain come not at it, and strow some on the ground also. Some have fine fountains in those places that are out-lets for the birds to go at pleasure into the air; in which the birds take very much delight to wash and prune themselves.

They seldom take their Nests away to bring them up by hand, as we do here, but they let the old ones always bring them up; and when they are pretty stout, and can crack hard seeds, they have small places for the young to come and feed in; and they give them of all sorts of green seeds to feed upon; and have a kind of trap-door to take them. They say, that if they do not soak seeds for the young ones, very few will live, by reason the Hen is apt to forsake them, and go to Nest again; and the seeds being very hard, they pine away and die.

How to breed and order the young ones taken out of the Nest.

These Birds must not be left too long in the Nest; for if they are, they will be very apt to grow sullen, and will not feed kindly: Therefore take them out about nine or ten days old, and put them in a little basket, and cover them with a Net, else they will be very subject to jump out upon the first opening of the Basket, and if they fall to the ground they will be bruised and die. You must keep them warm for the first week, for they are very tender, and if they take cold will be subject to the cramp, and not digest their meat.

Take them in the Evening, and if you can possibly when the old ones are out of sight; otherwise they will be apt to take distaste when they sit again, and have young ones; and will be apt at every fright to forsake both their Young and Eggs.

Make their meat after this manner. Take some of your largest Rape-seeds, and soak them in water twenty four hours or less, if the water be a little warm I think twelve hours will serve the turn. Drain the water from the seeds, and put a third part of white bread to the seeds, and a little Canary seed in flour, and so mix them all together: Then having a small stick, take up a little at the end, and give every bird some two or three times over; give them but a little at first at a time and often; for if you over-charge their stomachs they will cast up their meat, and seldom thrive after it. For the old ones give them but little at a time, and besides, all the seeds huld and warmed in their stomachs; which lie nothing so hard on their stomachs as seeds that have their skins on. You must not make their meat too dry, for then they will be apt to be Vent-burnt, by reason all the seeds are hot. For I have observed, that the old ones do constantly drink after they have eaten seeds, and a little before they feed their young ones; and they commonly after feeding of them sit a quarter of an

hour or more to keep them warm, that the meat may the better nourish them; there∣fore do you also when you have fed them cover them up warm. I approve best of the nestling bird by reason of his tameness and familiarity with his Keeper; which is the chief pleasure of a bird. For if a bird be not tame, but extraordinarily wild and buckish, there is no pleasure in feeding or hearing of him sing, being apt upon all occasions to bruise himself, and to forsake his singing when most desired.

CHAP. XIII. The Bird called Citril at Vienna; Verzellino at Rome; in Latine, Thraupis & Citrinella.

IN the shape of the Head and whole body it is very like to a Linnet. The Head and Back green: The Rump of a yellowish green: The hinder part of the Head and Neck ash-coloured. [In a bird that I described at Rome, the top of the Head, the upper side of the Neck and the Shoulders were particoloured, of a yellowish green and dark brown.] The nether surface of the body is green, but about the Vent it is whitish. The upper part of the Breast and the Belly in the Male birds is of a lovely yellow. The Tail is 2 ⅛ inches long, and black, but the extreme edges of the feathers are green. The quil-feathers of the Wings are of the same colour with the Tail: The lesser rows of Wing-feathers green. [In those birds I described at Rome the tips both of the quil-feathers, and also of the secondary feathers of the Wings were white.]

The Bill is hard, of a dusky or livid colour, having sharp edges, thicker and shorter than the Siskins [yea, in proportion to its body shorter and thicker than the Linnets or Greenfinches Bill:] The upper Chap equal to the lower. The Tongue as in Chaffinches: The Feet whitish or flesh-coloured, with blackish Claws. The Guts long, slender, and rolled up together.

It is mursed up in Cages for the sake of its singing. At Vienna in Austria we saw of these birds to be sold, brought out of Stiria. It is frequent about Rome.

It differs from the Siskin and Serin, 1. In its ash-coloured Neck: 2. In that the whole nether side of its body is green. 3. That it hath no spots in the sides. Olina attributes to it a Tail a little forked; which we also observed in a bird we described at Rome.

Bellonius esteems this bird to be the Thraupis of Aristotle, called in French, Tarin. It hatches seven or eight Eggs at one sitting.

CHAP. XIV. The bird called Hirngryll at Vienna, Serinus Gesner. Aldrov. lib. 18. cap. 20.

THe Back of this is something red, the middle parts of the feathers being spot∣ted with black, as in the Yellow-hammer. The Head is yellow, of a deeper colour in the Males, and paler in the Females. The Rump from green in∣clines to a lovely yellow. The Breast is of a yellowish green: The Belly white: The sides variegated with oblong, black spots.

The Tail is black, the outmost edges of the feathers being green, consisting of the usual number of twelve feathers. The prime feathers of the Wings are of the same colour with the Tail. The tips of the interiour feathers of the second row of the Wing are white; of the other lesser Wing-feathers green.

The Bill is shorter and stronger than in the Citrinella, sharp-pointed. The upper Chap something prominent: The Tongue like the Chaffinches: The Feet dusky; the Claws black. The like cohesion of the outer and middle toe at bottom as in other small birds. The Guts are small, and have many convolutions.

These Birds also are kept in Cages for their singing: We saw of them to be sold at Vi∣enna in Austria, brought out of Stiria. This little bird (saith Gesner) for its rare musical singing is preferred before all others of this kind, even the Citrinella.

The Siskin, Citrinella, and Serinus agree, 1. In having yellow Rumps: 2. That they are canorous: 3. That they have greenish yellow Breasts, and 4. Long, slender Guts.

The Serinus and Citrinella agree in the colour of the Tail and Wings. The Siskin and Serinus in their spotted sides and white bellies: The Siskin and Citrinella in having a green back; but in the Siskin the shafts of the feathers are black.

This Bird grows very tame and gentle (as Gesner reports) and will live many years [thirteen or fourteen] shut up in a Cage.

* The Brasilian Teitei, which they call also Guiranhemgeta and Guraundi, Marggrave.

It is a small bird, of the bigness of a Robin-red-breast. It is kept in Cages for a singing bird, but it only chirps like a Redstart, [Rubrica] called by the Germans, Gimpel. It feeds upon Paco and Mamao. It hath a short, thick, black Bill. The Head, upper side of the Neck, Wings, whole Back and Tail are invested with black feathers, with which something of blue is mixt, so that they shine like polished Steel. The Throat, lower side of the Neck, the Breast, the whole lower Belly and Thighs are yellow. At the rise of the upper Bill behind the Nosthrils it hath a spot of yellow feathers. The Legs and Feet are of a dusky colour. And this is the Cock.

The Hen in proportion of body and magnitude agrees exactly with the Cock; hath the same Bill and Legs: But differs much in colour. For it is green like the Acanthis, called by the Germans, Zyschen. The Wings and Head with the upper side of the Neck are somewhat dusky, with blue mingled. These birds delight to live to∣gether five or six in a Cage.

CHAP. XV. The Anadavad Bird, brought from the East Indies, having a Finches Bill and Larks Claws.

IN bigness it scarce exceeds the Golden-crown'd Wren. Its Bill is for shape like a Goldfinch or Chaffinches; for colour red, the upper Mandible above being black. The upper side of the body is of a dusky colour, in some birds lighter, in others darker; only the feathers growing about the Rump are of a scarlet or deep Orange. The quil-feathers of the Wings and those of the Tail are black. The Tail it self is an inch and half long, made up of twelve feathers; the middlemost being the lon∣gest, and the exteriour in order shorter. The quils and covert-feathers of the Wings are spotted with small round white spots, scattered up and down in no order, in some birds more, in some fewer. In some birds the upper part of the Breast is of a scarlet red, in others it is wholly black, as is the rest of the Breast and Belly in all. In one Bird, which was paler than the rest that we saw, and almost of the colour of a Robin-red-breast on the Back, not only the Wings, but also the side-feathers, and those scarlet ones incumbent on the Tail were marked with white spots. The Legs and Feet are white: The Claws very long, like those of Larks, but more crooked. The figure of the body is rather long than round.

In the year of our Lord, 1673. I saw many of these birds (in the house of a certain Citizen of London) that had been brought out of the East Indies, kept all together in the same Cage: Being introduced by my worthy friend Thomas Allen, Doctor of Physic, who also gave me the first notice and information of them.

CHAP. XVI. A Bird called by the Bolognese, Petronia Marina, by Aldrovand, Oenanthae congener.

THe length of this Bird, taken from the tip of the Bill to the end of its Claws, was little less than seven inches: Its breadth between the extremes of the Wings distended twelve and a quarter. Its Bill strong, sharp-pointed, like that of a Chaffinch, from the tip to the angles of the Mouth somewhat more than half an inch long: The upper Chap black, the lower about the angle yellow. The angle itself is round: The sides of the Bill sharp-edged. The Head is of a dusky ash-co∣lour, but for the most part through the middle of the crown is a line drawn of a whiter colour. The Neck is ash-coloured. Below, between the Shoulders the fea∣thers have their outer edges of a pale ash-colour, their inner black. The Rump from dusky inclines to green, but the tips of the feathers next the Tail are white. The prime feathers in each Wing are in number eighteen, of which the first or out∣most is shorter than the second, the second equal to the third, and longest of all. These three feathers are of a dark brown or blackish, only their outmost edges of a pale green. The second, third, and fourth rows of Wing-feathers have white tips, but else are black. The Plumage on the base or ridge of the Wing is of a sordid green. The feathers covering the underside of the Wing are white. The Breast is of a sordid white. The feathers next the Tail have pale yellow tips, else they are brown. The Tail is two inches and an half long, and made up of twelve feathers.

This sort is distinguished from all other small Birds, 1. That it hath a very fair, lovely, yellow spot about the middle of its Throat. 2. That all the feathers of the Tail on the interiour Web near the tip are marked with one great round white spot, being else all black, save the edges, which are greenish. The outer half of the out∣most feather on each side is also white. 3. It is distinguished from the Hortulane by a most certain note, that its Bill is far bigger, and stronger, and equal to a Green∣finches Bill.

We saw many of these Birds at Bologna in Italy to be sold. The Bird which Aldro∣vandus saith is called Petrone at Bologna, and Petronello at Genua, and describes un∣der the title of Alaudae congener, seems to be no other bird than the Emberiza alba of Gesner, or our Bunting, as will appear to him that shall take pains to compare the descriptions.

CHAP. XVII. The Hortulane kind, whose characteristic is a hard knob in the upper Chap of the Bill.

§. I. The Bunting called by Gesner Emberiza alba. I take it also to be the Calandra of Aldrov. and Bellonius, moreover the Alaudae congener of Aldrovand, and the Cenchramus of Bellonius: The Strillozo of Olina.

IT weighs about an ounce and half: Its length from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail was seven inches and a quarter, and so much to the end of the Claws. Its breadth between the tips of the Wings spread eleven inches and an half. Its Bill is great and thick, having a hard knob or eminency in the upper Mandible or Palate, wherewith it is thought to bruise Wheat, Oats, and other Grain. The sides of the lower Chap rise up in an angle on each side, [as may be better represented by a fi∣gure than expressed in words] and incline to one another under the Tubercle of the Palate. The Tongue is sharp, and slit in two. The Claws are of a pale dusky co∣lour. The back-toe is great, armed with a lesser and more crooked Claw than in Larks. The outmost fore-toe is equal to the inmost, and grows fast to the middle∣most

at bottom, as in other birds. This birds Head somewhat resembles a Rails. The colour of the whole body testaceous or earth-like. The Chin, Breast, Belly are of a yellowish white. The Throat hath oblong, black spots. The quil and covert∣feathers of the Wings are dusky, having their outer edges cinereous. The Back (as we said) of a testaceous colour, the middle parts of the feathers being blacker. The Neck beneath the Head behind is ash-coloured. The shafts of the Head-feathers are of a dark brown; the outsides or edges being of a reddish ash-colour. The Tail is more than three inches long, of a dusky red colour, without any whiteness, save that a kind of dark shadow or appearance of white may be discerned in the out∣most feathers. It sings sitting upon the highest twigs of trees and shrubs. It feeds upon Corn.

Both the figure and description of the Bird called Strillozo in Olina agree exactly in all points to our Bunting, save only that he attributes to it the bigness of the common Lark, than which our Bunting is something bigger. I my self also, when I was at Rome, saw and described a small bird called Strillozo, somewhat less (as it then seemed to me) than the common Lark. Seeing therefore Olina besides the Strillozo describes also the Calandra, making it somewhat bigger than the common Lark, and not much less than a Thrush, I do suspect that the Calandra is the same with our Bunting, and the Strillozo a different kind of bird, described by none besides him, at least clearly and exactly.

The description of the Alaudae congener of Aldrovand agrees exactly to this Bird, so doth also that of the Cenchramus of Bellonius, so that of one bird Aldrovandus makes four, giving us the Bunting under the title of 1. Emberiza alba: 2. Of Alaudae conge∣ner: 3. Of Cenchramus Bellonii: 4. Also (if we be not much mistaken) of Calandra; all which he exhibits for distinct Species.

§. II. The Yellow-hammer, Emberiza flava of Gesner; Hortulanus of Bellonius; Luteae alterum genus of Aldrovand; Chloreus seu Lutea Aristotelis of Turner.

IT is equal to a Chaffinch, or a little bigger; weighs 1⅛ ounce: From the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail is six inches and an half long; to the end of the Feet but six. Its Bill is of a dark dusky colour, half an inch long, having a hard knob in the upper Chap to break the grains of corn, and the sides of the nether Chap turned inwards, and bent together, like the Buntings. The Tongue shorter than is usual in other birds, not reaching beyond the knob, its tip horny and sharp, slit into filaments. The Eyes hazel-coloured: The Feet of a horn colour; the Claws black. The like cohesion between the outmost and middle toe at the bottom, as in other birds.

The Throat and Belly are yellow: The Breast hath something of red mingled with it, as also the sides under the Wings. The Head is of a greenish yellow, spot∣ted with brown. Above the Shoulders in the lower part of the Neck is a certain co∣lour between green and cinereous, or compounded of both. The middle parts of the covert-feathers of the Back and Shoulders are black, the edges from green incline to red. The Rump is reddish.

The Female is all over paler, less yellow on the Head, less red on the Breast and un∣der the Wings.

The quil-feathers of the Wings are dusky, having their exteriour edges from green inclining to a sordid white. The Tail is three inches long, composed of twelve feathers, something forked, of a brown colour; the middle two having their edges on both sides, the rest only their outside-edges green. The two outmost on the inside the shaft near the tip are marked with a white spot cutting the feather ob∣liquely.

It hath a Craw and a musculous Stomach or Gizzard like the granivorous birds. It hath also a Gall-bladder. The blind guts, as in almost all small birds, are very little and short. These birds build upon the ground, being every where in England most common.

§. III. Aldrovandus his first sort of Yellow-hammer, which he calls Cirlus: Zivolo of Olina.

IT is of the bigness of a Sparrow; hath a short thick Bill. The Breast and Belly are yellowish, sprinkled with brown spots. The Head, Back, Wings, and Tail from testaceous inclining to a brown or dusky colour: but in the Tail there are two feathers on each side partly white, and partly of the same colour with the rest. Be∣tween the Male and the Female there is this difference, that the Male hath more yel∣low about him than the Female, especially in the upper part about the Eyes, and in the Throat, and under the Neck on the sides, where are seen good large spots of yellow, which are wanting in the Female. It abides for the most part on the ground, seeking its food there of Seeds, and other things, and therefore when it is new taken it is wont almost always to have its Bill dirty. Whether this Bird be specifically distinct or no from the precedent I am not fully satisfied; but because both Aldrovandus and Olina make it distinct, I would not omit it.

Olina calls it Zivolo, from its note Zi zi, which it often ingeminates.

§. IV. The Reed-Sparrow. Passer torquatus in arundinetis nidisicans. Perchance the Passer arundinaceus of Turner.

IT is bigger than the Linnet, equal to the Chaffinch. The Cock weighed three quar∣ters of an ounce: Was from Bill-point to Tail-end six inches and an half long: Broad between the extremes of the Wings spread ten inches. The Bill short, black [Mr. Willughby makes the upper Mandible black, the nether whitish] like the Bill of the Hortulane, [Mr. Willughby compares it to the Chaffinches Bill,] the lower Chap having its edges on both sides bent inwards, is hollow in fashion of a Funnel, and contains the Tongue within it. Besides, near its base it rises up into a dent or angle on each side, to which there is a notch or furrow correspondent in the upper Chap to receive it, as in the Buntings Bill. The Head is black: The Cheeks about the Eyes red. A ring of white encompasses the Neck, which on each side is stretched forth to the corners of the Mouth. The Chin and Throat are black: The Breast and middle of the Belly white. The Back and covert-feathers of the Wings are partico∣loured of red and black; viz. the middle part of each feather black, the outsides red. The Rump red, with a mixture of ash-colour. The quil-feathers of the Wings are dusky, having their exteriour edges red. The tips of the seven first or outmost are sharp, of the rest blunt, indented, and of an ash-colour. The lesser rows of Wing∣feathers have their outer edges and tips red, being else of an ash-colour. The Plumage on the base or ridge of the Wing bluish, underneath the Wing white: The Tail is two inches and an half long, and made up of twelve feathers, of which the two middlemost are something shorter than the rest, and black, their outward edges red: The three next on each side were dark coloured, and almost black. The ex∣teriour edge of the fifth is white: The interiour also not far from the tip is spotted with white. The outmost feather is wholly white. All end in sharp points.

The Feet from flesh colour decline to black. The Claws are black: The outmost and middle Toe joyned at bottom. The back-toe great and strong. The blind guts short and thick. It hath a Gall-bladder. The Stomach is musculous: In it opened we found seeds, &c.

The Hen, as in most Birds, is not so fair-coloured. The ring about her Neck is darker, and scarce appearing. The Head, Back, Shoulders, and covert-feathers of the Wings are particoloured of black and dirty red; viz. the middle parts of the feathers are black, and the outsides red. At the base of the Wing are red feathers. The Throat is particoloured, of red, black, and cinereous.

§. V. The Hortulane of the Italians. Hortulanus Aldrov. Tordino Berluccio at Venice.

IT is equal and very like to the Yellow-hammer [That which I J. R. saw and de∣scribed at Florence seemed to me somewhat less, and longer-bodied.] The Hen measured from Bill to Tail exceeded seven inches length; being in our usual way of measuring ten and an half broad. Its Bill was short, viz. from the tip to the corners of the Mouth scarce half an inch long, thick at base, sharp at point; of a red or flesh colour in the Cock. In the Hen the upper Chap is black, the lower blue. The knob on the upper Chap is much less than in the Yellow-hammer. The sides of the Bill are sharp. The upper Mandible hath on each side an angle or furrow impressed, to which answereth a tough or angular eminency in the lower, as in the Bunting, the figure whereof for the clearer apprehension and understanding of what we say is to be viewed. The Feet are of a pale dusky: The Claws black. [In the Cock the Legs are reddish.] The back-toe is great. The inner and outer fore-toes are of equal length. The outmost from the bottom to the first joynt sticks fast to the mid∣dlemost without any membrane intervening, as in most small birds. The Throat and Breast are ash-coloured, the rest of the underside to the very Tail is red. The Rump of a deeper red. The Head of a brown or dusky ash-colour, the middle parts of the feathers being black: As they are likewise on the Back, having their edges of a red∣dish ash-colour. [In the Cocks the Breasts are more red.] Under the Bill is a yellow spot. The Head is of a colour mingled of green and cinereous: The middle parts of the Back-feathers are black, the edges of a colour mingled of red and cinereous, or red and green; the Rump is green.

The quil-feathers of the Wings, as in almost all small birds, are eighteen in num∣ber, of which the greater have their edges of a greenish white, the lesser or interi∣our of a red. The tips of all the feathers of the second row have their tips white, and exteriour edges red. The tips of the third row are also white. The edges of the lesser coverts are cinereous. The Tail is almost three inches long, and made up of twelve feathers: Of which the middle and outmost are something shorter than the rest. For colour the two middlemost are of a dark brown, with red edges: The three next on both sides black: The outmost but one have the upper half of their interiour Webs white. The outmost have more white on the interiour Web, and some also on the exteriour. The Gall-bladder is little, and the Gall within yellow.

It is very like our Reed-Sparrow, with a white ring about its Neck, yet differs ma∣nifestly from it in some marks, so that there is no doubt but it is a distinct kind. 1. In its place, this abiding chiefly among Reeds: Whereas the Hortulane frequents Gar∣dens especially, as the name imports. 2. In colour: The Hortulane being more red, and wanting the ring about the Neck, which this hath: And besides, having a yellow spot under the Throat, which this wants.

Aldrovand sets forth six kinds or varieties of this bird. 1. The first was all yel∣low, almost of a straw-colour, excepting the ridges of the Wings, and tips of the quil-feathers, which were white. 2. The second was all over white. 3. The third, called also by the Fowlers a Hortulane, is indeed a bird wholly of the shape of a Hortulane, but something different in colour. Its Head from cinereous inclined to yellow: Its Neck was cinereous, but speckled with black: Its Belly, Legs, and Feet yellow. The ridges of the Wings and the quil-feathers white; the other parts part∣ly black, and partly cinereous. The whole Tail brown, but yellow on the sides. 4. The fourth had a green Head and Neck; a red Bill; ash-coloured Legs; else it was black. Yet hath it on the crown of the head, and also in two of the quil-feathers only an oblong white spot. 5. The fifth I may call a white-tail'd Hortulane: For its Tail was white, else it was like the common Hortulanes, but in all parts paler. 6. The last some of our Fowlers reckoned a kind of Spipola, others a kind of Hortulane; and indeed I should make it congenerous rather to the Spipolae than the Hortulanes. For its Bill is longer, and its Legs and Feet dusky, which in the Hortulanes are wont to be yellow. Its whole body also is dusky, the Breast only and ends of the Wings be∣ing white.

§. VI. * A Bird called by Aldrovand, Cirlus stultus.

IT is equal in bigness to the Yellow-hammers above described of the same make and habit of body, the very same figure and shape (though it differs in colour.) It will also willingly fly to, and company with them shut up in Cages, as to birds of its own feather: And besides, it constantly no less than they, as well flying as resting, ingeminates this word Ci, Ci. Whence also in some places, as at Genoa, it is not unde∣servedly called Cia, or for distinction sake, Cia selvatica, or Cia montanina; and by our Bolognese, Cirlomatto. The upper part of the Head behind, and all the Back are adorned with a ferrugineous colour, distinguished with pretty large black spots. From the Bill over the Eyes to the end of the Neck is extended an ash-coloured line tending to white. The Breast and all the Belly are wholly taken up with a ferrugineous colour. The prime feathers of the Wings and Tail are blackish, yet their outmost borders terminate in a ferrugineous colour. Besides, the Wings have some white spots. In the Tail are one or two feathers on each side, partly blackish, and partly white.

We have subjoyned this Bird to the Yellow-hammers and Hortulanes, to which it is of kin; though whether or no it properly pertain to this Family, the figure of the Bill being omitted in Aldrovands description we cannot certainly determine.

Notes

• By heel is meant the claw of the back-toe.
• Brimstone.
• The lesser field-Lark.
• Or yellowish white, orwhite dashed with yellow.
• A certain earth which Painters use of a dusky co∣lour.
• Across the head.
• Lib. 18. cap. 14.
• Ornithol, Book 17. chap. 39.
• Tom. 2. p. 732.
• †

  Pa. 738, 731.
• Ornithol. lib. 17. cap. 26.
• Ibid.
• Rustici, that is, Pesants.
• †

  Fly-catchers
• Book 17. Chap. 28.
• Pin of the Mouth.
• That is, those next the body.
• That is Mountain But∣terflies.
• Caprimulgus.
• Out of Aldro∣vandus.
• Rictus, which signi∣fies properly the gape of the mouth.
• Musel. lib. 3. cap. 21.
• From the tip to the cor∣ners of the mouth above half an inch.
• The Magnani∣na of Aldrov.
• The seventh Ficedula or Scatarello of Aldrov.
• The second Muscicapa of Aldrov. or Bo∣rin of the Genoese.
• Of the co∣lour of the Palm tree branch. The Salicaria or Willow∣bird of Gesner.
• The Boarina of Aldrov.
• A lead-co∣lour.
• Hedge-Sparrow.
• Either this place is mis∣printed, or Gesner sure mistaken in the number of feathers: For all the Europaean small birds I ever saw or heard of have twelve feathers in their Tails. Gesners Rotsch∣wentzel Aldr. tom. 3. p. 748.
• A Lion co∣lour, or deep gold colour.
• Servant of the house.
• How to know the Cocks from the Hens.
• How to find the Nest.
• Birds taken in April must be fed seven or eight times a day, for then they are apter by half ••o die for want of food than in July or Au∣gust.
• How to discern the Cocks from the Hens.
• Hist. Animal. lib. 9. cap. 11.
• Little King and Tyrant.
• The greater not crested Regulus.
• Avium, lib. 7. cap. 6.
• A kind of Mercury.
• That is, born again.
• The word is Stipiti, which also may signifie a stake, or any truncheon of wood.
• The French word signifies a dead leaf.
• Coccothran∣stes.
• The other Oenanthe of Aldrovand.
• The Strapazi∣no of Aldrov.
• The Anthus or Florus of Arist. Aldrov.
• Others call them the Thighs.
• The Ficedula tertia of Al∣drovand.
• Of the La∣tine Edition.
• In the Chapter of the Cuckow.
• Cinereous, i. e. Ash-co∣loured.
• The word is sub, which is rather to be rendred un∣der the Wings
• On the out∣side.
• Of a dusky yellow.
• †

  The word is minium, which signifies red lead.
• The Anthus of Bellonius: Le Bruant.
• A colour near to ches∣nut, but red∣der.
• The word Pronè, which as Aldrovand usually accepts it signifies above.
• Ringed.
• I suppose he means the ends or tips.
• Costae.
• Understand it in length.
• The words are Umbra ali∣quatenus mix∣tas, by which perchance the Anthor might mean, mixt with a little Umber-colour.
• A Bird of kin to the Gold∣finch.
• i. e. hulls or pills it.
• This word is to be taken largely for the middle part about the shaft.
• Citrinellae or Citrinae.
• Now adays there be ma∣ny of them brought over; nor are they sold so dear but that even mean persons can afford to buy and keep them.
• Lib. 17. cap. 38.
• i. e. A bird of kin to the Lark.
• Ornithol. lib. 13. cap. 24.
• Ornithol. lib. 18. cap. ult.
• Rusty.