o^s^iTHOLogr. Iwl 



The Ear. 4. All Birds want the external ear, ftanding out from the head. For though there 



is a fort of Owl called inLatine Noffua aurita, or the eared Owl, yet hath it not ears 



properly fo called, but only feathers (ticking out on each fide the head, fomewhat 



refembling Ears or Horns, and is therefore called alfo the Horn-Owl I fuppofe the 



feathers encompafling the Ear-holes in Birds fupply the defect, of the exterior Ear. 



In moil: forts the Ear-holes are open and uncovered 5 but in all no&urnal, and fome 



diurnal rapacious Birds provided with covers. 



? e m ri th ° f 5 * Tli e Bridle of tne mouth, or the Membrane connecting the Mandibles at each 



10UC * corner, either falls inward when the mouth is (hut, as in moft Birds, or outward, as 



in Larks. By the foftnefs, colour, and thicknefs of this part young birds may be 



diftinguifhed from old ones. 



The Epiglot- £ # All Birds want the* Epiglottis 5 whence it is manifeft, that part is not at all ne- 



*i. c The co- ceflary to the modulation or articulation of the voice} feeing many Birds can tune 



ver of the and modulate their voice moft melodioufly, and fome alfo fpeak articulately, not- 



t The P h?ad withftanding they want it. The cranny in the top of the f Larynx, through which the 



of the wind- Air pafies to and fro in refpiration, lies dire&ly under the fiffure or cleft of the 



Fpe- Palate, or the hole which leads to the Nofthrils. 



The Neck. 7. Such Birds as have long Legs, have alfo a long Neck 5 for that otherwife they 



could not commodioufly gather up their food, either on Land, or in the water. But 

 on the other fide, thofe which have long Necks have not always long Legs, as appears 

 in Swans, Geefe, and other Water-fowl 5 whole Necks ferve them to reach to the bot- 

 toms of Rivers, Lakes, and Pools of water, to fetch up thence, Snails, Whilks, Infe&s, 

 Seeds, and Herbs, while their bodies fwim on the Surface of the water. 



8. All Birds, inftead of Channel-bones [ ClavicuU ~] wherewith many Quadru- 



thS e t rry ' peds ai e furniflled > nave a Done wnicn we in Englifh commonly call the Merry- 

 10Ug ' thought [_furcula.~] 



9. All Birds whatfoever have Wings, or rudiments of Wings 5 which anlwer to 

 The wings, the fore-legs in Quadrupeds. Among Land-fowl the Oftrjch, Caffowary, and Dodo 5 



among Water-fowl the Penguin have wings altogether ufelefs and unfit for flight.Thofe 

 efpecially of the Caffowary are fo very little and next to none, that I cannot imagine 

 what ufe they {hould be of to her. As for the Oftrich, her Wings extended and agi- 

 tated affift her in running, being like Sails to a Ship. Infects indeed have Wings, and 

 fo have Bats, but of a different kind from thofe of Birds 5 the former Membra- 

 naceous, the latter Cutaneous : Only Birds have Wings made up of Feathers. AH 

 Birds toward the extremity of their Wings have a certain finger-like Appendix, which 

 The exreri- weare wont to call the Secondary or Bajiard Wing : It is made up of four or five fmall 

 our Baftard feathers. Befides this under the wing, or on the infide of the Wing, fome Birds,efpe- 

 wing. daily Water-fowl, have a row of feathers growing, which we call the Inter i our ba- 



emi "j ter - 0UI ' ft ar d wing b which in moft Birds is white of colour. 



wmg. jq ^jj g- rc j s are two _i e g 3 ^ w hich is common to them with man 3 who is there- 

 The Legs and fore defined by Plato, Animal implume bipes, a two-legg d Animal without feathers, to 

 diftinguiih him from Birds. But this definition being rendred ridiculous by Diogenes, 

 turning loofe a Cock with his feathers plucked off, and crying Ecce hominem Plato- 

 nicum, See Plato's man : To mend the matter and fecurethe definition from cavil and 

 derifion, they added to it TiXamidivu^Q-*, with broad nails, thinking that thereby they 

 had perfectly excluded all Birds 5 whereas had Diogenes been well skilled in the Hi- 

 ftory ofBirds, he might have fbon fitted himfelf with aBirdtopluck,thatihould have 

 anfwered their reformed definition, as well as a Cock did their original, viz. a Didap- 

 per or Loon,and alfo a. Stork? that having broad nails as well as man.But to leave that, 

 * Footicfs. and return to the matter in hand} fome Swallows indeed are called * Apodes,not becaufe 

 they do altogether want feet and legs,but becaufe they have very fhort, little, and in- 

 firm ones. Thefe by reafbn of the length of their wings and fhortnefs of their legs, if 

 c they happen to fall on the ground, can hardly raife themfelves again. But that the 



radife. Birds of Paradife, fo called, fhould want feet, as was not long fince generally be- 



lieved, not only by the Vulgar, but alfo by the greateft Naturalifts themfelves, 

 even fuch as were moft converfant in the Hifhry of Animals, becaufe thofe brought 

 out of the Indies were wont to be mutilated and bereaved of their feet, isnowfuffj- 

 ciently convinced to be falfeby the teftimony of eye-witnefles, and by the Birds 

 themfelves brought over intire, fo that no man in his right wits can any longer doubt of 

 that matter. 

 The Toe?. It . jvioft Birds have four Toes in each foot, three ftanding forwards, and one 



backwards. Some few have only three, all ftanding forwards, for thefe want the 



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