Book I. 0^3^1TH0 LO qY. " if 



the open air, and ufing their natural and proper food, in gathering of which they 

 alfo exercife their bodies, live much longer than thole that are imprifoned inhoufes 

 and Cages. 



What Pliny obferves of Animals, to wit, that thofe that live longed are born How far it 

 longeft in the womb, is to be understood of Animals of the fame kind. " For if Ani- t tottefe%& 

 malsof different kinds be compared together, as for example Birds with Beads, thofe longeft lived 

 will fometimes be found to be raoft vivacious which are born the leaft while in the vvhic1 ^ p 

 womb. If it be objected, that Birds and Beafts cannot in this refpeft be compared womb, mtW 

 together, becaufe Birds are not at all born in the womb. We anfwer, that incubation 

 in Birdsis equivalent to geftationin Quadrupeds : For in both the Eggs are cherifhed 

 alike, in this inwardly in the Womb, in that outwardly under the Wings, as we have 

 formerly fhewn. 



Chap. V. 



Offome Proprieties and Jceidents of (Birds, viz. Shape y Bignefs, Qolour y natural 

 InftinEis, Manners fitc. 



TH E trunk of the body is fhorter, broader, aiad thicker in Birds than in Qua- The figure of 

 drupeds : the head for the proportion of the body much left. For whereas j^jf ^ m 

 Birds pafs through the air> almoft after the lame manner that Ships fwim up- 

 on the water, the Trunk of their body anfwers to the Hull of the Ship, their head 

 to the Prow, ( which alio for its fimilitudeis called in Latine Roftrum, [ the beak] 

 of a Ship ) their tail to the Rudder, their breaft to the Keel, their wings to the Sails 

 and Oars: whence the Poet elegantly hath it, Rcmigium alarum, \ the rowing ofthe 

 wings.] 



All winged Fowl in general are leffer than Quadrupeds, that is the greateft in that Beans in theif 

 kind than the greateft in this. Whence I efteem what is reported of the bird called ki, a ,d |j re d arer 

 jR«4, and alfo ofthe Cuntur to be falfe, viz,. " That its Wings fpread reach fifteen or Description 

 " (ixteen feet 5 that its Bill is fo hard and ftrong, that it will pierce an Oxes Hide. [ It of the Bird 

 cc is laid to be covered with black and white feathers mixt, to have an even Comb, Cmm ' 

 " or creft like aRafor, not ferrate like a Cocks. Two of thefe birds ( they fay) are 

 cc able to kill and eat up a Cow, neither do they abftain from men. There are but 

 "few of them 5 were there many, they would deftroy all theCattel mPeru. They 

 " report that there are four diftincr. kinds hereof found in the Hland Marignan. Ds 

 Laet. Hiji. Ind. Occident, lib. 1 6. cap.i 3 . and Lerius in Hift. Brafil. ] 



Birdsofone and the fame kind kept tame, by reafon of the diverfity of the Cli- Tame Birds 

 mate or Country in which they live, the food which they ufe, and other accidents, kind are of 

 vary much in their colours, magnitude, tafte of their flefb, and perchance alfo figure different co- 

 of their bodies. Wild fowl for the molt part are much what of the fame magnitude, ^^J 

 and conftant to their colours. For the moft part, I fay, this holds true in wild Birds, the feme. 

 yet fbme few there be of thefe that vary much in their colours, as for example, 

 Ruffes, of which it is reported there cannot be found two alike, and the Scaup- 

 duck. 



The nails, or claws, hair, horns, an dthelihe(fa\i\\ Ariftothyn Beafts ftring out ofthe skin, 

 whence it comes to p aft that they change colour together with the skin, being white, or blacky 

 or party-coloured,tkc.according to the colour ofthe skin out of which they grow. But the mat- 

 ter is far otherwife in Birds of all forts : for of what colour foever the feathers are, the skjn 

 underneath outof which they grow is but of one colour. Moreover, one and the fame feather 

 is fometimes ftained with divers colours, and in a wonderful order. Dr. Harvey. 



Of Birds fbme are gregarious, that is, live and fly together in companies or flocks, Birds fsrne 

 as for exam pie, Pigeons, Rooks, Stares,&c. Others in coupling and breeding time fly | r Sy U by 

 by pairs, the Male and his Female : After they have hatcht they company with their pairs, & : . 

 brood, till their young be grown up and can fhift for themfelves, and then they 

 beat them away. 



Some Birds live a Conjugal life, one Cock and one Hen pairing together, and Birds pair 

 both concurring and affifting each other in fitting and feeding their young. Of this Sg TcS 

 fort are Partridges, and other Birds of the Poultry kind. Pigeons, of which the Cock jagal ljfc. 

 takes his turn of fitting, building the neft, and feeding the young. In thofe that pair 3 

 there are always more Males than Females bred 5 but in fuch whereof one Male 

 Suffices, for many Females, more Females than Males. Moft 



