zfo O^ftClTHOLOgr. Book II. 



few pairs in your breeding place, takeout the tingle Cock, and match him, and put 

 him in again : If many, it is ad vifable to let your Cock alone, till you draw all your 

 birds out to part them 3 becaufe it will be hard to find out the fingle Cock, and as 

 hard to take him when found. 



5. When you find that they hate built, takeaway the Nets that have thebreeding- 

 ftuff in them. They breed moft uiually three times in a year,begin in April,and breed 

 in May and June^nd fometimes in Augnft, which is not very ufual, neither here^ nor in 

 Germany. 



How they breed them in Germany. 



Firft, they prepare a large Room, and build it in the likenefs of a Barn,being much 

 longer than broad,with a fquare place at each end, and feveral holes at each end, to go 

 into thofe fquare places. In thofe out-lets they plant feveral forts of trees, which grow 

 pretty thick,for they will take much delight both tofing and breed in them : And the 

 bottom of the place they ftrow with a fine fort of fand, and upon it caft feeds of Rape, 

 Chickweed,and Groundfil 5 which the old bird doth eat,bothat time of laying, and al- 

 fo when they have young ones. They put in the houfe all forts of ftuff for the building 

 of their Nefts 3 and Brooms up and down the corners, one under another, and to the 

 height of the place that is built for the purpofe 3 and make partitions between every 

 Neft, to make them breed the quieter, without difturbing one another : And in the 

 middle of the Room they will fet a board edge-ways to darken the light on each fide 3 

 for no bird almoft doth naturally love to have much light come to his Neft. They 

 plant a tree or two, if the houfe be big enough, one at each end,with many Pearches 

 alfo along each fide of the houfe, and all along where they make their Nefts : The 

 place alfo that is in the air is full of Pearches. They hang their fluff for building all 

 up and down the houfe, that the rain come not at it, and ftrow fbme on the ground 

 alfo. Some have fine fountains in thofe places that are out-lets for the birds to go at 

 pleafure into the air 3 in which the birds take very much delight towafh and prune 

 themfelves. 



They feldom take their Nefts away to bring them up by hand, as we do here, but 

 they let the old ones always bring them up 3 and when they are pretty ftout, andean 

 crack hard feeds, they have fmall places for the young to come and feed in 5 and they 

 give them of all forts of green feeds to feed upon 3 and have a kind of trap-door to 

 take them. They fay, that if they do not foak feeds for the young ones, very few will 

 live, by reafonthe Henisapttofbrfake them, and go to Neft again, and the feeds 

 being very hard, they pine away and die. 



How to breed and order the young ones tah$n out of the Neji. 



Thefe Birds muft not be left too long in the Neft 3 for if they are, they will be very 

 apt to grow fullen, and will not feed kindly : Therefore take them out about nine or 

 ten days old, and put them in a little basket, and cover them with a Net, elfe they 

 will be very fubje&to jump out upon the firft opening of the Basket, and if they fall 

 to the ground they will be bruifed and die. You muft keep them warm for the firft 

 week, for they are very tender, and if they take cold will befubject to the cramp,and 

 not digeft their meat. 



Take them in the Evening, and if you can pofubly when the old ones are out of 

 fight 3 otherwifethey will be apt to take diftafte when they fit again, and have young 

 ones 5 and will be apt at every fright to forfake both their Young and Eggs. 



Make their meat after this manner. Take fome of your largeft Rape-feeds, and 

 foak them in water twenty four hours or lefs, if the water be a little warm I think 

 twelve hours will ferve the turn. Drain the water from the feeds, and put a, third 

 part of white bread to the feeds, and a little Canary feed in flour, and fo mix them 

 all together : Then having a fmall ftick, take up a little at the end, and give every 

 bird fome two or three times over 5 give them but a little at firft at a time and often 3 

 for if you over-charge their ftomachs they will caft up their meat, and feldom thrive 

 after it. For the old ones give them but little at a time, and befides, all the feeds huld 

 and warmed in their ftomachs3 which lie nothing fo hard on their ftomachs as feeds 

 that have their skins on. You muft not make their meat too dry, for then they will 

 be apt to be Vent-burnt, by reafon all the feeds are hot. For I have obferved, that 

 the old ones do conftantly drink after they have eaten feeds, and a little before they 

 . feed their young ones 3 and they commonly after feeding of them fit a quarter of an 



hour 



