BookI. 0<%3\ClTH0L0gr, i 7 



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CMap. VI. 



Containing fome particulars which Mr* Willughby propounded to himfelf to 

 enquire out, obferVe, and experiment in Birds. 



I. TT" THether Rapacious diurnal Birds only have the upper Chap of their Bills 

 \/\/ covered as far as the nolthrils with a naked skin, which our Falconers 

 ▼ ▼ call the ,W.<? 



2. Whether the Parrot only moves the upper Chap ? as Aldrobandm affirms 3 and 

 whether the Crofs-bill, which doth in like manner make u(e of her Bill for climbing, 

 and fome other birds, do not fo too ? 



3. Whether any Birds change their Bills and Claws, as is reported of the Eagle <? 

 Anfa. What is reported of the Eagle in this kind I doubt not but it is falte. Neither 



do I think that any bird cafts its Bill by age. Wherefore that Tranflation of the fifth 

 verfeof P faint 105. which in the common Englijh metre runs thus, Like as the Eagle 

 cajts her bill, whereby her age reneweth, ought to be mended. For many of the more 

 ignorant fort have hereby been impofed upon, believing thefe to be the words or 

 fenfe of the Scripture in this place 5 whereas there is no fuch thing in the Text men- 

 tioned as the Eagles cafiingher Bill, the words being only thefe, Thy youth pall be 

 renewed like the Eagles. But that the hook of the Bill may, and fbmetimes doth, in 

 Eagles and other birds by extreme old age grow fo immoderately, as to hinder their 

 feeding, I deny not. For the Goldfinch ', we mentioned before, is hereof a fufficient 

 inftance. 



4. How many Birds have an angular Appendix, as it were a Tooth, on each fide the 

 upper Chap of "their Bills, as the Kefirel, the Hobby, the Butcher-bird, &c ? 



5. The Commiflureof the legs or tines of the lower Mandible, in what birds it is 

 round, in what angular ? 



6. Whether the Eyes of all Birds of the fame Species are always of the fame 

 colour ? 



Anfw. The hides of the Eyes in young and old birds do often differs and fbme- 

 times alfo in the Cocks and Hens. But whether in old birds of the fame Sex they dif- 

 fer or not remains to be enquired : I fuppofethey do not. 



7. Whether inBirds that want the Crop,that defect be always fupplied by the large- 

 nefs of the Gullet ? Which ("as we faid ) in many birds of this kind immediately above 

 the ftomach is dilated into a kind of bag or ante-(lomach. 



8. Whereas the tingle blind gut, frtuate about the middle of the guts, is nothing 

 elfe but the paflage deriving the Yolk into the guts contracted 5 it were worthy en- 

 quiry, whether there be not fome external paffage terminated in the blind guts com- 

 monly know and focalled,as well in Beads as in Birds 3 And feeing that in many birds 



the* Appendices are very fmall, and feem to be of no ufe to the birds when grown *^- The 

 up, let it be enquired whether they are greater in Embryon-birds, and what ufe they m guts ° 

 may be of to them? 



9. Whether the fingle blind gut forementioned be always reflected toward the 

 tail ? In what birds the ends of the * Appendices are reflected ? in what birds the * Ap- 

 pendices are ftriate ? Whether below the * Appendices the gut be proportionably larger 

 than above, according to the bignefs of the * Appendices? Whether of the * appen- 

 dices the one is ufually (horter than the other? And if fo, whether the right or the 

 left? 



10. Whether fome Birds have a double clutter of Eggs, as viviparous Animals have 

 two Ovaria, ufually called and mittaken for Tefticles? or whether all have only 

 a fingle one ? 



11. Whether Birds when ready to lay can detain their Eggs, if their nelts happen 

 not to be ready, or be by any accident deftroyed ? Or whether they fbmetimes fall 

 from them againft their wills ? 



12. Whereas fome Birds, for example Pigeons, lay only two Eggs at a time,whether 

 of the one of thole is always bred a Cock, of the other a Hen-bird ? 



Anfto. It doth molt commonly fo fallout, yet fbmetimes two Males, fometimes two 

 Females are excluded together. 



13. To make trial whether Eggs in England may be hatched by an artificial 

 heat. 



D 14. To 



