58 NATURAL HISTORY. 



Experiment solitary touching the producing of feathers 

 and hairs of divers colours. 



93. We have spoken before, in the fifth instance, 

 of the cause of orient colours in birds ; which is by 

 the fineness of the strainer ; we will now endeavour 

 to reduce the same axiom to a work. For this writ 

 ing of our &quot; Sylva Sylvarum&quot; is, to speak properly, 

 not natural history, but a high kind of natural magic. 

 For it is not a description only of nature, but a 

 breaking of nature into great and strange works. 

 Try therefore the anointing over of pigeons, or 

 other birds, when they are but in their down ; or of 

 whelps, cutting their hair as short as may be ; or of 

 some other beast ; with some ointment that is not 

 hurtful to the flesh, and that will harden and stick 

 very close ; and see whether it will not alter the 

 colours of the feathers or hair. It is received, that the 

 pulling off the first feathers of birds clean, will make 

 the new come forth white : and it is certain that 

 white is a penurious colour, and where moisture is 

 scant. So blue violets, and other flowers, if they be 

 starved, turn pale and white ; birds and horses, by 

 age or scars, turn white : and the hoar hairs of men 

 come by the same reason. And therefore in birds, 

 it is very likely, that the feathers that come first will 

 be many times of divers colours, according to the 

 nature of the bird, for that the skin is more porous ; 

 but when the skin is more shut and close, the fea 

 thers will come white, This is a good experiment, 



