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 ...

Of the Bird called Daie laying great Eggs.

THe Bird called Daie is remarkable for the extraordinary and unusual nature or manner of its Eggs and Young. It is not bigger than a Pigeon, and tolerable good meat. For its Nest it scrapes a hole with its Feet and Tail in sandy grounds four spans deep; where when the rains fall it lays its Eggs, (which are bigger than Goose∣eggs, almost as broad as ones fist, called by the Natives Tapun) fifty or more in num∣ber, being of a gross and fat substance, without any Yolk in them, which roasted or boiled are good wholsom food, but fried * 1.1 tough, bad, and of hard concoction.

It is very strange [more strange I dare say than true] that so little a Bird should lay so great Eggs, and so many together, and in such deep vaults under ground, and that being there hidden they should be hatched without being ever sitten upon or che∣rished by the old ones, and that the Young once hatched should of themselves pre∣sently fly away.

I dare boldly say that this History is altogether false and fabulous. For though some Birds lay very great Eggs (as for example, Puffins, Guillemots, Razor-bills, &c.) some also build in holes under ground. Yet such lay but one Egg, not a great many before they sit. Neither do I think that there is any Bird in the world whose Eggs want the white.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Coarse.