Book II. 3? 3^_1T H LO q T. 7^ 



will not fuffer a man to come within a Furlong of them, before they take Wing 

 and fly away. Yet our Fowlers report that they may be run down with Grey- 

 hounds. 



Italy ( faith Aldrovandta *) , hath none of thefe Birds, unlefs they be brought over 

 accidentally by the force of tempeftuous winds. But we when we travelled in Italy 

 did fee in the Market at Modena a Buftard to be fold, whence we fufpect that there are 

 of them in that Country. 



Though fomedifcommend their flefh, yet with us it is efteemedboth delicate and 

 wholefome. Hence, but chiefly for its rarity, the Buftard fells very dear, ferving 

 only to furnifh Princes and great mens Tables at Feafts and public entertainments. 



§. a 



The French Canne-petiere, Anas campeftris or Tetrax of Bellonw* 



THe Field- Dttckfeems to us to be a Bird peculiar to France, where there is not a 1 

 Country man but knows it, at lead: by name. It is fo called, not becaufe it is 

 a Water-bird, but becaufe it fits on the ground like the Water-Duck. But it hath no 

 (imilitude or agreement with Water-fowl, being a Land-Bird. It is of the bignefs of 

 a Pheasant 5 the Head, faving the bignefs, refembling a Quails, the Bill a Pullets. It 

 is more known by its name, than by its fhape : For we have a Country-Proverb 

 againft fufpicious perfons, wherein we fay, that they play the Land Duck. It is taken 

 in Plains and open fields, as they take Partridges, infnares, with Nets and a la forme, 

 and alio with Hawks. But it is very crafty in defending and fhifting for it felf : flying 

 near the ground, and that* with great force and fwiftnefs, for two hundred or three * impet^ 

 hundred paces, and when it alights or falls on the ground running fo fwiftly, that ou y " 

 fcaree any man can overtake it. It hath only three Toes in each foot, like the Buftard 

 or Plover. The roots of all the feathers are red, and as it were of a fanguine colour, 

 fo joyned to the skin as in the Buftard, whence alfo we take it to be a kind o£ Buftard : 

 For both, but efpecially this, is white under the Belly : But the Back is variegated 

 with three or four colours, to wit, a yellow tending to red, with fomewhat of cine- 

 reous and red intermixed. Four Wing- feathers in the upper part have black tips. Un- 

 der the Bill, down as far as the Breaft, it is white. A white Collar near the Crop 

 compalTes the Breaft, as in the Savoy Merulx, Or Water-Ouzels. [But this Collar ap- 

 pears not in Bellonius his figure.] The colour of the Head and upper part of the 

 Neck is the fame with that of the Back and Wings. The Bill is black, lefs than in 

 the Ionic Attagen. The Legs incline to cinereous. He that defires an exacT: defcri^ 

 ption of this Bird, let him imagine a Quail of the bignefs of a Pheafant, but very 

 much fpotted 5 for juft fuch is this Field-Duck^ All the interiour parts it hqth com^ 

 mon with other granivorous birds. It is reckoned among delicate Birds, and 

 efteemed as good meat as a Pheafant. It feeds indifferently upon all forts of Grain, 

 as alfo upon Ants, Beetles, and -Flies, and likewife upon the leaves of green corn. 

 And although the colour of the Neck and Head be not always the fame, ( and 

 herein confifts the difference between the Male and the Female ) yet the Back 

 and Wings never change colour. This Bird feems not to have been mentioned by 

 the Ancients. 



Chap. XIV. 

 Of DoVes or Pigeons in general. 



K He Marks common to all forts Of Pigeons, whereby they may be diftinguiftied 

 from all other kinds of Birds, are not very many, viz,, a peculiar figure of 

 body, refembling that of aCuckp& 5 fhort Legs 5 long Wings 3 fwift flight 5 

 a mournful voice 5 to lay only two Eggs at one fitting, but to breed often in a year. 

 Aldrovandus faith, it is proper to all Pigeons to wink with both Eye-lids. They do 

 not all agree in the figure of the Bill : For fome have flender and indifferently long 

 Bills, others thick and fhort ones. The Feet of all, atleaft fo many as we have yet 

 feen, are red or fanguine. In the Pigeon-kind the Male and Female divide between 

 them the labour of incubation, fitting by turns. The Male alfo affifts the Female in 



A a 2 feeding 



