The Scottish Naturalist. 145 



to what it might portend. Our author sets out in his preface 

 by stating to the "gentle reader," that "to report strange or 

 admirable accidents is subject both to danger and disgrace — to 

 danger, in that they may be held as prodigious or ominous ; to 

 disgrace, in that they may be reputed fabulous. I need not 

 fear disgrace in reporting so strange an accident to be reputed 

 fabulous, being able to free myself from any suspicion of such 

 an imputation, by certificate of letters from right honourable 

 persons in Ireland, where the accident fell out, to right honour- 

 able persons at court, and divers in London at this present ; as 

 also by the testimony of right honourable and worshipful 

 persons, and others of good reputation, now in London, who 

 were eye-witnesses, beholding the same during the time it 

 continued. 



" To come to ihejight of these birds. They mustered together 

 at this above-named city of Cork some four or five days before 

 they fought, every day more and more increasing their armies 

 with greater supplies. Some came from the east, others from 

 the west, and so accordingly they placed themselves — as it were, 

 ■encamped themselves — eastward and westward about the city. 

 The citizens more curiously observing, noted that from those on 

 the east and from those on the west some twenty or thirty in a 

 company would pass from the one side to the other, as it should 

 seem employed in embassages, for they would fly and hover in 

 the air over the adverse party with strange tunes and noise, and 

 return back again to that side from which, as it seemed, they 

 were sent. 



"And further, it was observed, that during the time they 

 assembled, the Stares of the east sought their meat eastward, 

 as the Stares of the west did the like westward, no one flying in 

 the circuits of the other. These courses and customs continued 

 with them until the 12th of October, which day being Saturday, 

 about nine of the clock in the morning, being a very fair and 

 sunshine day, upon a strange sound and noise, made as well on 

 one side as on the other, they forthwith at one instant took 

 wing, and so mounting up into the skies, encountered one 

 another with such a terrible shock, as the sound amazed the 

 whole city and all the beholders. Upon this sudden and fierce 

 •encounter there fell down into the city and into the river multi- 

 tudes of Stares, some with wings broken, some with legs and 

 necks broken, some with eyes picked out, some their bills 

 thrust into the breasts and sides of their adversaries in so 



