Book II. ^S^ITHO LO qX. ny 



The top of the Head black, from which a broad black line, produced on both fides 

 almoft to the Neck, terminates the white. The hinder part of the Head is white. 

 The Neck and forepart of the Back are of a fulvous or reddifh afti-colour. The 

 Rump, Breaft, and fides are of the lame colour, but paler. The Belly white. The 

 Wings and Tail black 5 Yet the tips of the principal feathers in both are white. Be- 

 fides, the Wings are adorned with a moft beautiful tranfverfe ftroak of yellow. If 

 you exactly view each quil-feather, you will find the firft or outmoft wholly black 5 

 all the refttipt with white} and befides the lower half of the outward Web of eve- 

 ry feather from the fecond to the eleventh inclufively of an elegant yellow, which to- 

 gether make that yellow bed acrofs the Wing we now mentioned 5 whence this bird is 

 iuppofed to be called XpuoipTpjjs. The interiour covert-feathers of the Wings are 

 alfo yellow. The Tail is two inches long, compofed of twelve black feathers, of 

 which the two outmoft have a great white fpot on their tips 5 the next a lefTer, The 

 third none 5 the fourth again a little one, and the fifth a greater. 



The Legs are fhort 5 the Back Toe ftrong, armed, with a Claw longer than the reft. 

 The lower of the outer foretoe grows fait to that of the middle toe. The blind 

 Guts, as in other fmall birds, are very fhort and little. It hath alfo a Gall-bladder. 



The Hen-bird hath a fmaller note than the Cock, and fings not fo much, and the 

 feathers on the ridge of the Wing are dusky or cinereous, whereas in the Cocks they 

 are cole-black: andthefe ( faith Aldrovandm ) are conftant and infallible marks by 

 which the Sexes may be diftinguifhed. 



Goldfinches are gregarious birds, for the elegancy of their colours and fweetnefs of 

 their finging every where well known and highly efteemed. They are of a mild and 

 gentle nature, as may even thence appear, that prefently after they are caught, with- 

 out ufingany art or care, they will fall to their meatand drink; nor are they fo fea- 

 red and affrighted at the prefence of a man, as to ftrike their Bills and Wings againft 

 the fides of the Cage, as moft other birds are wont to do. Nor are they very much 

 troubled at their captivity and imprifonment in a Cage: Nay, if they have continued 

 there a good while, they like it fo well, that though you let them ltiofe, they will 

 not fly away, as ( faith Aldrovand) I my felfhave obferved, to whom I refer the 

 Reader. They feed upon the feeds of Thiftles in Winter times, from whence they 

 took their name, and not of Thiftles only, but of Teafel, and Hemp, and Dock, and 

 Poppy, as Albertm tells us. The Goldfinch kept in a Cage will with its Bill draw up 

 a little pot of water hanging upon a ftring, and putting its foot fometimes under the 

 ftring when it can reach the Pot, will drink out of it, and quench its thirft, which 

 other fmall birds alfo will learn to do. Befides that little Thiftle-finch ( faith Turner ) 

 adorned witha golden fillet, 1 know another fpinivorous bird of a green colour,which, 

 in like manner as the Goldfinch,o\xt of two pots, one going up, the other mean time go- 

 ing down,will take meat out ofthe one,and drink out of the other. The fame doth alfo 

 the MiUet-bhd, which our Country men call a Linnet. The fame likewife will imi- 

 tateany tUne you whiffle to it. So then not only that bird which is in Greek called 

 Qestyms, and in Latine by Gaza rendved Carduelk, will do what you bid it, and ufe 

 its Bill and Feet for a hand, but many jthers alfo. All which things ("faith Aldrovan- 

 dus ) daily experience proves to be riiuft true. It builds its Neft in thorns, and trees. 

 Gefner affirms, that it lays feven Eggs, Bellonim, eight: The difference is not great,- 

 and it may lay fometimes the one, fometimes the other number. 



The Goldfinch, by reafon of age, fex, or other accidents, varies fometimes in its 

 colours. Aldrovandus fets forth four varieties : i. One not full grown, which had 

 no red at all on its Head : 2. One with white Eye-lids : 3. A. white one with a 

 red head : 4. A whitifh one, which yet on the forepart ofthe Head and Under the 

 Chin had fomething of red. Befides which he defcribes alfo a bird of kin to the Gold- 

 finch, ( which perchance was a baftard kind ) inthefe words. 



In bulk of body it exceeds a Goldfihch,bemg equal to a Chaffinch. A circle of a lively a Bird of kia 

 Saffron colour encompaiTes the Bill. Its Eyes are like a Goldfinches, but bigger. Its Head^ c fi ° n ^ e GoW - 

 except the Saffron ring now mentioned,and its Back are ofthe fame colour,w'z,.blacki(h. 

 The Breaft is of a black green, as are alfo the fmall feathers, covering the ridges ofthe 

 Wings: Whofe quil-feathers are black, and much more varied or diftinguifhed with 

 white, than in other birds of this kind. That part which in other Thifik-fihches is 

 yellow, in this is of a pale colour. TheTail of as deep a black as in others 5 but in 

 the two outmoft Tail-feathers on each fide when extended appeared fomething of 

 white j which otherwife, when the Tail was clofed, Was hidden, and not expofed to 

 view. The whole Belly from cinereous inclined to dusky. 



LI §. It 



