GO MEMOIR OF PLINY 



of wool, wel rensed and washt out of one water into 

 another ; and till such time as they see it give a per- 

 fect dye, they stil ply the fire and giue it a higher 

 seething. That which staineth red is nothing so rich 

 as that which giueth the deep and sad blackish color. 

 When it is come to the perfection, they let the wooll 

 lie to take the liquor five houres ; then they haue it 

 forth, touse and card it, and put it in again, vntil it 

 hath drunke up all the color as much as it will." 



The tenth hook treats of " Foules and Flying Crea- 

 tures, and hath in it of notable matters, histories, and 

 obseruations, 904." It begins with the larger species, 

 the ostrich, the phoenix, eagles, vultures, hawks, fal- 

 cons, kites, ravens, peacocks, swans, storks, geese, 

 and other domestic fowls ; and concludes with re- 

 marks on the generation, food, drink, diseases, &c. 

 of animals. In his history of birds Pliny is extreme- 

 ly meagre and confused ; but he has related a num- 

 ber of strange and amusing particulars, such as were 

 current in his time. He believes, on the assertion 

 of others, that the spinal marrow of a man may turn 

 into a snake ; that salamanders, eels, and oysters, are 

 neither male nor female ; and that young vipers eat 

 their way through the sides of the dam. One or two 

 examples we shall select ; and first of the common 

 cock, the description of which would have done no 

 discredit to Buffon. " These birds (says he) which 

 are our sentinels by night, and whom Nature hath 

 created to brecke men of their sleepe, to awaken 

 and call them vp to their work, haue also a sence 



