Parti. Z;^ //6^ Creation. 117 



This Mention of feeding their Young puts 

 me in mind of two or three confiderable Obfer- 

 vations referring thereto. 



Firft, feeing it would be for many Reafons 

 inconvenient for Birds to give fuck, and yet no 

 lefs inconvenient, if not deftrudtive, to the 

 Chicken upon Exclufion, all of a fudden, to 

 make fo great a Change in its Diet, as to pafs 

 ^from liquid to hard Food, before the Stomach be 

 gradually confolidated, and by Ufe ftrengthen'd 

 and habituated to grind and concodt it, and its 

 tender and pappy Flefli fitted to be nouriih'd by 

 fuch ftrong and folid Diet, and before the Bird 

 be by little and little accuftom'd to ufe its Bill, 

 and gather it up, which at firft it doth but very 

 flowly and imperfectly ; therefore Nature hath 

 provided a large Yolk in every Egg, a great Part 

 whereof remaineth after the Chicken is hatch'd, 

 and is taken up and enclos'd in its Belly, and by 

 a Chanel made on purpofe, receiv'd by degrees 

 into the Guts, and ferves inftead of Milk to nou- 

 rifh the Chick for a confiderable time 5 which 

 neverthelefs mean while feeds it felf by the 

 Mouth a little at a time, and gradually more and 

 more, as it gets a perfeder Ability and Habit of. 

 gathering up its Meat, and its Stomach is 

 ftrengthen'd to macerate and concod it, and its 

 Flefli harden'd and fitted to be nourifli'd by it. 



Secondly, That Birds which feed their Young 

 in the Neft, tho' in all likelihood they have 

 no Ability of counting the Number of them, 

 fliould yet (tho' they bring but one Morfel of 

 Meat at a time, and have not fewer (it may be) 



I 3 ^ than 



