Healths improvement: or, Rules comprizing and discovering the nature, method, and manner of preparing all sorts of food used in this nation. Written by that ever famous Thomas Muffett, Doctor in Physick: corrected and enlarged by Christopher Bennet, Doctor in Physick, and fellow of the Colledg of Physitians in London.

CHAP. XII. (Book 12)

Of the flesh of wild Fowl, abiding and feeding chiefly upon the waters. (Book 12)

Cygni Sylvestres.

OF all water fowl, the wild Swan is the biggest and fairest in outward shew: but (as I said of tame Swans) it resembleth a hypocrite, for his flesh is black, melancholick, and hard of digestion, though not so hard as the tame, by reason of his much flying.

Anseres sylvestres.

Wild Geese are for the same reason better then tame, for their high and long flight breedeth tenderness of bo∣dy, and expelleth many gross and heavy vapors; but of * 1.1all other the Bergander is the best and lightest.

Anates ferae.

Wild Ducks feed chiefly upon a green narrow-leaved grass (called therefore Ducks grass by Crescentius) which lieth upon the waters in moors, ponds, and plashes all win∣ter long: but they eat likewise the leaves, seeds, and roots of other waterplants, and also worms, spawns of fishes and frogs, young sedge, fat mud, waterspiders, and all venemous and foul things; they are no less lecherous

then Cock-Sparrows, who as by often treading, they kill themselves and live not till they be two years old, so wild Drakes by often treading kill their Hens.

Anates muscariae.

But there is a kind of wilde Duck, called Anas musca∣ria because it eats nothing but flies: which is of as whol∣some and good nourishment, as the other is bad and hea∣vy of digestion.

Brantae.

Barnicles both breed unnaturally by corruption, and taste very unsavoury. Poor men eat them, rich men hate them, and wise men reject them when they have other meat.

Querquedulae.

Teales•• and Widgins feed alike upon worms, herbs, roots and seeds; commonly they are very fat and sweet of taste; much to be esteemed above wild-Ducks or Geese, yet suspected of ill juice by many Authors.

Totani.

Pool-Snites live wholly upon fish, and therefore have a strong and uncouth rellish.

Merganseres.

Shell-drakes, or the Ducks of Italy, are of most plea∣sant taste, feeding purely themselves, and us as strongly; sometimes the•• wax so fat, that their feathers being pul'd * 1.2off, their body hath weighed twelve pound weight.

Urinatrices.

Divers feed most upon reeds and reed roots, and cad∣dis-worms breeding in them.

Scarboides.

Such likewise is the Dobchicks food; but it is of a strong smell, and fatter and tenderer then the most part of fowls that be clove-footed.

Fulicae.

Coots feed upon reeds, mud, grass, little snails, and small fishes, they are of a strong and muddy savour, best in Autumne, but never wholesome.

Nigritae.

* 1.3 Moor-cocks and Moor-hens, as also Pocards, be of the like nature with Coots; save that a fat Pocard is count∣ed a dainty, though not a wholesome meat.

Pici marini.

* 1.4 Sea-pies as Dr. Cajus writeth, resemble other Pies in colour, but they have whole feet like water fowl; they feed upon spawn, frogs, and frie of fish, and are but of a bad taste.

Mergi.

Cormorants, be they gray or black, feed most of fish and frogs, but especially of Eels; and rellish badly.

Arquatae.

Curlnes feed wholesomly upon cockles, creuisses, muscles, and perwinkles; which maketh them to have no ill taste, and to be counted restorative amongst the French, if they be fat.

Gulones albi & Cinerei.

White Gulls, Gray-Gulls, and Black-Gulls (commonly * 1.5termed by the name of Plungers and Water-Crows) are rejected of every man as a fishy meat; nevertheless being fed at home with new curds and good corn till they be fat, you shall seldome taste of a lighter or better meat.

Pufina Britannica.

Puffins being Birds and no Birds, that is to say Birds in shew and fish in substance, or (as one may justly call them) feathered fishes, are of ill taste and worse digesti∣on; how dainty so ever they seem to strange appetites, and are permitted by Popes to be eaten in Lent.

Erythropodes.

Redlings or Water-Redshancks feed as Water-railes do, and be of the like nourishment.

Rallae aquaticae.

Water-rails are preferred in Italy before Thrushes or Quails, they feed upon water-snails and water-flies, and the worms breeding in the roots of reeds: They be very sweet and pleasant of taste, giving also a fine and whole∣some nourishment.

Lari.

Sea-mews and Sea-cobs feed upon garbage and fish, thought therefore an unclean and bad meat; but being fatted (as Gulls use to be) they alter their ill nature, and become good.

Plateae.

Shovelars feed most commonly upon the Sea coast up∣on cockles and Shell-fish, being taken home and dieted with new garbage and good meat, they are nothing infe∣riour to fatted Gulls.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vulpan••eres.
• * 1.2

  Gen. 3. de avib.
• * 1.3

  Boseades.
• * 1.4

  Epist ad▪ Gesn.
• * 1.5

  Phalacrocora∣ces.