Book II. O^^IT HO LOqT. Un 



The Cocks in this kind are very canorous, whittling arid finging very pleaftntly all 

 the Spring and Summer-time, only their note is too loud and {hrill near hand. 



The Hen lays four or five Eggs, feldom more at once, of a bluifti green colourful! 

 of dusky fpots and lines. 



On the Alps, the Appennine, and other high Mountains are fometime found birds of 

 this kind all over white. We our felves law one in a Poulterers Shop at Rome parti- 

 coloured of black and white. But this we look upon as accidental : Either the cold- 

 nefs of the Region, or the conftant intuition of Snow effe&ing this alteration of co- 

 lours in Crows, Ravens, &c. So that we do not think a white Blackbird ( pardon the 

 feeming contradiction m adjeUo )to differ fpecifically from a black one. 



The Blackbird builds her Neft very artificially withoutlide of Mols, (lender twigs, 

 bents, and fibres of roots, cemented and joyned together with Clay inftead of Glue, 

 dawbingitalfo all over withinfide with Clay : Yet doth (he not lay her Eggs upon 

 the bare Clay, like the Mavis, but lines it with a covering of fmall ftraws, bents 3 ' 

 hair, or other foft matter, upon which the lays her Eggs, both that they might be 

 more fecure, and in lefs danger of breaking, and alio that her Young might lie fofter 

 and warmer. 



The Blackbird loves to wafh it felf, and prune its feathers with its Bill. It flies alfo 

 fingly for the mod part: Whence it took the name Merula mLatine, being (as Fe- 

 fius and Varro tell us ) ib called becaufe it flies and feeds Merd, that is, folitary or 

 fingly. 



The flefh of Blackbirds is accounted good meat, yea, Ibrne prefer it before that of 

 the Thrnjfj. But Palate-men, and fuch as are critical in difcerning of taftes, are of ano- 

 ther opinion 



§. ii. 



The folitary Sparrow, 



r Eeting with a Female of this kind at Florence in Italy, I thus defcribed it, It is 

 I of the bignefs of a Blackbird, and for ftiape of body very like it, nor much 

 different in colour. i 



The Head and Neck were thicker than to anfwer the proportion of the body. 

 The top of the Head was of a dark afti-colour. The Back was of a deep blue, aK 

 molt black, only the extreme edges of the feathers were whitilh. The Shoulders 

 and covert-feathers of the Wings were of the fame colour. Each Wing had eighteen 

 quill-feathers, befides a little (hort oneoutmoft, all dusky, butfome had white tips. 

 The fecond row of Wing-feathers had alfo white tips. The Tail was about four 

 inches long, and compofed of twelve black feathers. The underfide of the Body 

 Bread:, Belly, and Thighs, was all variegated with black, cinereous, and whitilh 

 tranfverfe waved lines, fo that in colour it refembled a Cnckgw. Under the Throaty 

 and in the upper part of the Breaft no afti-colour appeared, and the white lines had 

 fomething of red mingled with them. The Bill was ftreight, blackilh, rather longer 

 than a Thrufies Bill, as alfo a little thicker and ftronger. The Legs (hort and black 3 

 The Feet and Claws black. The Legs, Feet, and Claws in this fort feemed tome lef- 

 fer than in the reft of the Tkrujld-kind. The Mouth within was yellow, the ftomach 

 filled with Grapes. 



The Cocks are much more beautiful, all over of a Alining blue,, or bluifti purple 

 colour, as Aldrovandm witnefleth, and as we alfo obferved in a Cock we faw atRome^ 

 whole Back efpecially was of a moft lovely glittering dark purple colour. 



It is wont to fit alone on the tops of ancient Edifices and Roofs of Churches, fing- 

 ing moft fweetly, efpecially in the Morning, whence it took its name, being fuppofed 

 to be the bird fpoken of, Pfalm i©2. 7. It builds alfo in the like places, for which 

 Olina is my Author. For the excellency of its finging it is highly prized in ltaly 7 

 fpecially, at Genua and Milan. It hath a whittling note like a Pipe, and may eafily be 

 taught to imitate mans voice. 



f . III. 



