zzo O^^iTHOLOgi. Book II. 



you let them lie too long,they will be fullen. Feed them with fheeps heart and Egg 

 minced fmall, in all points like the Nightingale j give them but little at once, and 

 pretty often, for if you give them too much, they are apt to throw it up again. Be 

 fure they lie warm, for they are tender birds. When they begin to be ftrong, cage them 

 in a Cage, like the Nightingales, lined with bays, and having Mofs at the bottom : 

 And give them iheeps heart and Egg, or the Nightingales Pafte,or Woodlarks meat. In 

 a Trap-cage with a meal-worm you may take a dozen in a day. The Cock may be 

 known by his Bread: being of a deeper red, and the red going up further upon the 

 Head- He is fubjed to the Cramp, and dizzinefs. For the firft give him three or four 

 Meal-worms and Spiders : For the latter fix or feven Earwigs a week. 

 --. 



Chap. IX. 

 Tlx Nightingale, Lulcinia feu Philomela, 'AM Gratis. 



v He Nightingale, being the chief of all finging birds, is about the bigneft of a 

 Goldfinch or Redftard, long-bodied, of an ounce weight, from Bill-point to 

 Tail-end feven inches long, and between the extremities of the Wings ex- 

 tended ten and an half broad. Its colour on the upper part, m%. Head, and back is 

 toBr L OT°dee a P a * e * ^ U ^ V ° US 5 wn ^ a certainmixture of green, like that of a Redwing. Its Tail is 

 gold colour, of a deeper fulvous or red, like a Redjlarts.. From its red colour it took 5 its name 

 Rojfignuolo in Italian. Its Belly is white. The parts under the Wings, the 'Bread: and 

 Throat are of a darker colour, witha tin&ure of green. In each Wing it hath eigh- 

 teen quil-feathers, befides the outmoft fmall one, the interiour Webs whereof are 

 livid, the exteriour fulvous. The Tail, as we faid, is red, not forked, two inches and 

 and an half long, compounded of twelve feathers. The Bill (lender, ftrei^ht, in- 

 different long, viz, measuring from the tip to the angles of the mouth, near an inch, 

 of a dusky colour: The upper Chap a little longer and blacker than the nether, the 

 nether paler, and flelh-coloured at the root or rife. The Bill for its figure refembles a 

 Thrufiesov Blackbirds, The Tongue is not very fhort, the mouth yellow within: 

 The hides of the Eyes hazel-coloured : The Ears great : The colour of the Feet and 

 Claws a deep flefh. [ Olina attributes to the Feet a pale flefh-colour approaching to 

 white. ~] But the colour varies according to the age, for in young birds it is fainter, 

 in old ones fuller. The outmoft foretoes are very near of equal length onetoano- 

 ther, which the middlemoft doth much exceed both in thicknefs and length. The 

 Heel or Spur is ftrong, but not long as in Larks. The outmoft Toe beneath is joyned 

 to the middle one. The Guts are about ten inches long. The blind Guts very 

 fmall. 



This bird is not remarkable for any variety or beauty of colours, but well known 

 from its finging by night. And now that mention hath been made of finging, I can- 

 not forbear to produce and infert the elegant words of that grave Naturalift Pliny, 

 concerning the Nightingales admirable skill in finging, her ftiidy and contention, the 

 fweetnels of her accents, the great variety of 'her notes, the harmonious modulation 

 and inflexion of her voice; which becaufel cannot fo render in Englijh but that they 

 muft needs lofe much of their native Emphafis and Elegancy, I ihall put down in the 

 Language the Author wrote them. Lufcinm (faith he) diebus ac noUibtts continuis 

 quindecim garrulm (ine inter mijju cantm, denfante fe jrondium^germine, non in novijfi- 

 mum digna miratu ave. Primum tanta vox tamparvo in corpufculo, tampertinax fyiritm. 

 Deinde in una, perfeffa mu(ic£ fcientia modulatus tditur fonus ; Et nunc continuo Jpiritu 

 trahitur in longum, nunc variatur inflexo, nunc difiinguitur concifo, copulatur intorto, 

 promittitur revocato, infufcatur ex inopinato : Inter dum & fecum ipfe murmur at ; plenus, 

 gravis, acutw, creber, extenfus,ubi vifumefi vibrans, fummus, medim, imus, breviterque 

 omnia tarn parvulis in faucibm, qua tot exquifitfc tibiarum tor mentis ars hominum excogi- 

 tavit : Z)t non (it dubium hanc fuavitatem pr£monjiratam. Ac ne quis dubitet artis e/fe, 

 p lures fingulk Junt cantus, nee iidem omnibus, fedfui cuique. Cert ant inter fe,paldmque 

 animoja contentio efl. ViUa morte finit fiepe vitam, ftiritu prius deficiente quam cantu. 

 Meditantur ali£Juniores, verfufque quos imitentur accipiunt. Audit difcipula intentione 

 magna & reddit, vicibufque reticent. Intelligitur emendata correUio, & in docente qu£- 

 dam reprehenfw. Thus Pliny. 



The 



