1 92 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



Wings. The Males have a red Comb standing upright ; 

 the Females have one that is low and large, and the 

 colour is grey. These Birds are of an admirable Nature 

 to endure huge Cold in the Woods, as the Ducks in the 

 Waters. But when the Snow covers the Superficies of 

 the Earth, like to Hills, all over, and for a long time 

 presse down the boughs of the Trees with their weight, 

 they eat certain Fruits of the Birch-Tree, called in 

 Italian (Gatulo) like to a long Pear, and they swallow 

 them whole, and that in so great quantity, and so 

 greedily, that their throat is stuffed, and seems greater 

 than all their body. 



"Then they part their Companies, and thrust themselves 

 all over into the snow, especially in January, February 

 and March, when Snow and Whirlwinds, Storms, and 

 grievous Tempests, descend from the Clouds. And when 

 they are covered all over, that not one of them can be 

 seen, lying all in heaps, for certain weeks they live, 

 with meat collected in their throats, and cast forth, and 

 resumed. The Hunter's Dogs cannot find them; yet 

 by the Cunning of the crafty Hunters, it falls out, that 

 when the Dogs err in their scent, they, by signs, will 

 catch a number of living Birds, and will draw them forth 

 to their great profit. But they must do that quickly ; 

 because when they hear the Dogs bark, they presently 

 rise like Bees, and take up on the Wing, and fly aloft. 

 But, if they perceive that the Snow will be greater, they 

 devour the foresaid Fruit again, and take a new dwelling, 

 and there they stay till the end of March : or, if the 

 snow melt sooner, when the Sun goes out of Aries; 

 for then the snow melting, by an instinct of Nature 

 (as many other Birds) they rise out of their holes to lay 

 Eggs, and produce young ones ; and this in Mountains 



