BookII. o^^ciTHOLogr. 5T 



8. That (he would not at all hatch her Young, did fhe not bring the Eagles flone 

 {_ Aetites ~] into her Neft,which is of wonderful vertue in promoting exclufion. 



9. That when the Young are fick, and cannot concocl: more folid food, by reafon 

 of the weaknefs of their ftomachs, the old ones fuck the bloud out of their prey, and 

 feed them therewith. 



10. That in extreme old age, when their Beaks by reafon of their drinefs are 

 grown fo crooked that they cannot feed, they fuftain themfdves for fome time by 

 drinking. 



11. That the old ones when they fee their young fledged and ready to fly, do car- 

 ry them up a height, and then let them go, admonifliingthemas it were by their own 

 peril to make ufe of their Wings, and by flying through the Air to favc themfdves 

 from falling. If after they have let them go they fall down to the ground, up they take 

 them again, often repeating this kind of exercif e. 



12. That {he hath an extraordinary care of her Talons, left by any means they 

 fhould be blunted. Hereupon in walking (he always draws them up, and turns them 

 inwards, refufes to walk in ft ony places, left perchance (he fhould wear their points. 

 And if (he happens to fit or walk upon Rocks, fhe fpreads under her feet the skins of 

 fuch Animals as (he hath kill'd, left her Talons fhould be hurt. Yea fo careful is (he of 

 them, that where ever file fits, unlefs fhe eyes the Sun or her prey, fhe is always look- 

 ing at them , fearing left they fhould grow too crooked. And if by chance they be 

 blunted, fhe fharpens them with her Bill, or whets them upon ftones, to render them 

 fitter for preying. 



13. That when fhe is enfeebled with old age, fhe flies as high as ever fhecanabove 

 the Clouds, till the dimnefs of her eye-light be confumed by the heat of the Sun 5 

 then prefently defcending with all her force, while fhe is yet in the extremity of heat, 

 fhe drenches her felf three times in the coldeft water fhe can find, and rifing up thence 

 frreightway betakes her felf to her Neft, where among her young now fit for prey- 

 ing, falling into a kind of Fever, with a fweat fhe cafts her feathers 5 and is by them 

 carefully nurfed up and fed,till fhe recover her plumage again. 



14. Whereas the greateft part of Birds either out of fear or wonder, fly after the 

 Owl, fhe not thinking fuch carriage to become a Kingly bird, is nothing moved with 

 thatfpe&acle. 



Of the latter kind are thefe. 



1. That fhe doth fo excel in quick-fightednefs, that foaring fo high in the air, that 

 fhe can very hardly be difcerned by us in all that light, yet fhe can efpy a Hare lying 

 under abufn, or a little Fifh fwimming in the water. Though I grant that both the Eagle 

 and other Rapacious birds are very JJjarp-Jighted, yet do I not thin^that, their eyes can 

 reach objeffs at fuch dijiances. 



2. That fhe is indocile and uncapableof Difcipline, and notto be tamed by any hu- 

 mane endeavour : But is only carried on headlong by her natural inclination and impe- 

 tui. This is not universally true. Forpe have heard of Eagles that have been reclaimed and 

 trained up for fowling. Though it be rarely done. 



3. That her breath fmells very ill, fo that by reafon of the peftiferous ftench 

 thereof, the bodies that areblownupon by her do eafily put refie and corrupt. 



4. That file is very greedy and almoft unfatiable : and therefore if at any time fhe 

 endures hunger, (of which fhe is moft patient) fhe recompenfes her long failing by 

 abundant eating and gorging her felf. And if her prey be fo great and copious that 

 any thing remains when fhe is fatiated, fhe leaves that to the other birds, which ufe to 

 follow her in expe&ation thereof. 



5. That almoft all Birds of prey live without ever drinking $ yet is their belly al- 

 ways loofe, and their Excrements fluid. For the bloud of the Animals they kill 

 affords them liquor enough for the concoction and digeftion of their meat. 



6. That it is very venereous. For the Female being trodden thirteen times a day, 

 yet if the Male doth but call, runs to him again. Now whereas all falacious crea- 

 tures are thought to be fhort-lived, one may juftly wonder, that the Eagle fhould be 

 the moft luftful, and yet withal the moft vivacious of Birds. 



7. When their young ones are grown up, and come to that age and ftrength, that 

 that they can without the help of their Parents get themfdves meat, they drive them 

 far away from their Nefts, nay, they will not fuffer them to abide fo much as in the 

 fame Country. 



8. Nature hath given the Eagle very thick, hard, and almoft folid bones, and in 

 which there is but very little marrow. 



I Alf 



