i* oij&ciTHOLogr. BookI. 



Birds fleep Moft Birds while they fleep turn their head backward, and put it under their wine ■ 



head under and alfo ftand u P on one foot > the other being drawn up, to keep it warm, as I ftp? 



their wing, pofe, among the feathers, or by the heat of the body. * 



TnmTt^l That there are in Animals thofethey callnatural inftinfts, the manner of building 



Natural in- their Nefts in Birds is alone fufficient to evince. For whereas thofe of the fame Species 



fKnfts in j n Countries moft remote and diftant from each other do make their Nefts always of 



the fame materials, andconftantly obferve the fame ihape or form of them, as if thev 



made them by the fame pattern, they muftneceflarily either learn fo to do by infti- 



tution, or imitation of their Parents, or elfe have the knowledge or ability fo to do bv 



natural inftindfc : but neither by inftitution, for who ever law the old or the young 



teaching or learning of one another? Nor by imitation, for the young forfake the 



Nefts fofoon as they are fledgd 5 when as they are very fimple and witlefs, and neither 



regard nor heed almoft any thing but their food : and themfelves next Spring building 



they could neither fee their Parents making their Nefts, nor any other birds of 



their kind, whom they might imitate. It remains therefore that they aft by in- 



ftindr. y 



ftmaso b f le in " . And her f we a ca ™ Q t kf admire, with Harvey, fame ofthefe natural infiinBs in Birds 



Birds. viz. that almoft all Hen-birds fiould with fitch diligence and patience fit upon their Nefts 



night and day for a long time together, macerating and almoft ftarving themfelves to death- 



that they fiould expofe themfelves to fuch dangers in defence of their Eggs : and if beinl 



The affeftion con fi raimd ^ey fometimes leave them a little while, with fetch earneftnefs haften back again 



of Birds to *° them andcoverthem.^ Ducks and Geefe while they are abfentfora little while diligently 



their Eggs cover up their Eggs with fir aw. With what courage and magnanimity do even the moft cf- 



g " nxtrdfy birds de f end their Eggs, which fometimes are fubventaneous and addle, or not their 



own, or even artificial ones .<? Stupendous in truth is the love of birds to a dull and live- 



M s Egg, and which is not likely with the leafi profit or pleafure to recompenfe fo great pains 



and care. Who can but admire that paffionate affettion or rather fury of a clocking Hen 



which cannot be extinguifhed unlefs fie be drencht in cold water .<? During this impetus of 



mind, fiie negletls all things, andas if fie were in a frenzy, lets down her Wings, andbriftles 



up her Feathers, and walks up and down refilefs and querulous, puts other Hens off their 



Nefts, fearching every where for Eggs to fit upon 3 neither doth fie give over till fije hath 



either found Eggs to fit, or Chickens to bring up: which fije doth with wonderful zeal 



and paffion, call together, cherifh, feed, and defend. What a pretty ridiculous fpe&acle is 



it, to fee a Hen following a baftard brood of young Duckings ( which fi)e hath hatched for 



her own ) fwimming in the water .<? How fie often compaffes the place, fometimes venturing 



in, not without danger, as far as fix can wade, and calls upon them, uftng all her art and 



induftry to allure them to her. 



All Birds in coupling and breeding time are moft loquacious and canorous. 



B i r did™ 6 Birds groW much fafter ' and fooner attain their J uft magnitude than Quadrupeds. 

 growthfooner Thofe that are fed bv the old ones with meat put into their mouths, in a month or 

 tbaaQuadru- fix weeks fpace almoft all of them, and fome in muchlefs time become fit to fly and 

 -P eds - attain to very near the meafure of bignefs due to their kind. All -of them in fixmonths 



come to their full growth and perfection. Neither yet is this in them, as in Quadru- 

 peds, a (ign of fhort life. 

 Birds very Many Birds are very ingenious and docile, as may appear from that they are fo eafi- 

 mgemous. \j taught to imitate mans voice, and fpeak articulately-: which no Quadruped ( for 

 ought I have heard or read ) could ever be brought to 5 though their Organs feem to 

 be much fitter for that purpofe, as being much more conformable to mans, 



Chap. 



