izi 



o^nciTHOLogr. b ook Ti. 



The Tail. 



The Claws 

 and Toes, 



Entrails. 



Its Food. 



White Ra- 

 vens. 



Ravens re- 

 claimed for 

 fowling. 

 The place. 



Their longe- 

 vity. 



Its weight, 

 length, and 

 breadth. 



Bill, 



Tongue, 



Eyes, 



Nofihrils, 



Colour. 



The Wing- 

 feathers or 

 Quils. 



Tail, 



Feet and 

 Claws. 



Bowels and 

 entrails. 



The Tail is about nine inches long, made up of twelve feathers, the exteriour be- 

 ing gradually fomewhat (horter than the interiour. 



It hath large crooked Claws, efpecially thofe of the back-toes. The outmoft fore- 

 toe is joyned to the middlemoft from the divarication to the firft joynt. 



The Liver is divided into two Lobes. It hath a large Gall (ticking to the Guts. 

 The length of the Guts is forty three inches 3 of the blind-guts one inch. 



The Gullet below the Bill is dilated into a kind of bag, wherein (lie brings meat to 

 feed her Young- The ftomach within is wrinkled. The Raven feeds not only upon 

 Fruits and Infects, but alfoupon theCarkaflesofbeafts, birds, and fifties 5 moreover, 

 it fets upon, kills,and devours living birds, after the manner of Hawks. 



We have feen one or two milk-white Ravens : Aldrvvanthfs mentions divers 5 and 

 faith that they are often found in England: But without doubt he was miftaken or 

 mi (informed 3 for they are feldom feen among us 3 infomuch that they are carri- 

 ed up and down to be (hewn for money. I rather think, that they are found in thofe 

 Mountainous or Northern Countries, "which are for the greateft part of the year co- 

 vered with fnow : Where alfo many other Animals change their native colours, and 

 become white, as Bears, Foxes, Hares, Blackbirds, eke. whether it proceeds from 

 the force of the imagination heightned by the conftant intuition of Snow, or from 

 the cold of the Climate, occafioning iuch a languifhing of colour 3 as we fee in old 

 Age, when the natural heat decays, the hair grows grey, and at laft white. 



They (ay that a Raven may be reclaimed and trained up for fowling, after the man- 

 ner of a Hawk. 



Ravens are found not only in one part or Region of the World, but aboundin ail 

 Countries: Do eafily bear all changes of weather, fearing neither heat nor cold, en- 

 during well to abide and live where-ever there is plenty of meat for them. And 

 though they are faid to love folitude 3 yet do they very often live and build in the 

 midft of the moil: populous Cities, as Aldrovandm delivers, and experience con- 

 firms. They build in high Trees,or old Towers, in the beginning of March with us in 

 England, and fometimes fooner. They lay four or five, and fometimes fix Eggs 

 before they begin to fit. Their Eggs are of a pale greenifh blue, full of black fpots 

 and lines. 



What is reported by He/tod and others of the Ancients, of the long lives of Ra- 

 vens is without doubt fabulous. But that all Birds in general compared with Qua- 

 drupeds are long-lived we have already proved by divers examples in feveral kinds : 

 And that Ravens are in the number of the longed lived we will not deny. 



• ». 11. 



The common or carrion Crow, Comix. 



THe Cock, which we delcribed, weighed twenty two ounces [ another but 

 twenty. ] Its length from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Feet was eigh- 

 teen inches and an half, to the end of the Tail about an inch more : Its breadth be- 

 tween the extremities of the Wings (pread two feet and two inches. The Bill ftrong, 

 thick, itreight, from the tip to the Angles of the Mouth two inches and almoftan 

 half long 3 the lower Mandible being fomewhat the fborter : The Tongue cleft, and 

 as it were jagged or torn. The Eyes great, having Irides of a Hazel colour. The 

 Nofthrils round, covered with black brinies reflected toward the end of the Bill. 

 The Plumage of the whole body is black, only the ground or bottom of the fea- 

 thers of a Lead or dark alh-colour. 



The beam-feathers are in number twenty in each Wing 3 whereof the firft is fhorter 

 than the fecond, the fecond than the third, that than the fourth, which is the longeft 

 of all, being by meafure ten inches three quarters : The inner of thefe feathers end in 

 (harp points. 



The Tail was feven inches and an half long, compofed of twelve feathers of equal 

 length. 



The Legs and Feet black : The Claws black and ftrong: The outmoft fore- toe is 

 joyned to the middle one from the bottom as far as the firft joynt. 



The Liver divided into two Lobes 3 of which the right is the greater. It hath a 

 large Gall, which empties it felfby a double channel into the Guts. TheNlufcles of 

 the ftomach are but (mall. The Guts have many revolutions : The blind's no more 

 than half an inch long. Scarce any foot-ftep to be found of the * DhUus intefiinalk. 

 f channel conveying the Yolk to the Guts. ] This 



