Plmies Natur^Il Hiflorie. 



A in like cafe the Elcans feeke unto their god Mpagres^^ot to be rid ofa multitude of flies which pe- 

 fler them fo^that they breed a peftilencc among them. But looke upon what day they find that 

 IdoU appealed and pacified by their facrifice^all the flies die forthwith. 



Chap. xxix. 



What birds they be^which rviUnot^bidefome places : alfo vohich be they that change 

 Cilottr andDoice: and then oftheNighmgale. 



BVt that which wcelhould have (aid when wee "wrote of the departure and going afide of 

 birds : the Howlets alfo are reported to lie hidden fome few daics. Moreovcr^this is known 

 for a truthjThat in the Ifland Gandie there be none at all of th^m; and in cafe that any one 

 be thither brought^it will die there. A wonderfull thing, that Nature fhould make difference of 

 birds and other creatures in that refpc(ft. But fure it isjfhc hath not brought forth all creatures in 

 all placesjbut hath priviledged this countrey more than that : and denied that to one which iTie 

 hath given unto another. And thus hath ihee dealt notonely by fruitsof the earthy trecs_, and 

 plantSjbut alfo by living creatures. That in fome parts this or that fhould not grow or breed, is a 

 thing commonly feene & knowne .'but^thatthofe things fhould die fo foon as they are brought 

 thither^ isveryftraungeand wonderfull. Whatfhould that bee which is focontrarieunto one 

 kind and nomorejasthatitwillnotfufferit to live ? What envie is this of NaturCj thus to hin- 

 der the breeding or life of any creature ? or why fhould birds be retrained within any limits and 

 Q bounds in the whole earth ? And yet fee ! In all the Ifland of Rhodes a man fhall not find one Ai- 

 rie ofiEgles Jn that trad: ofltalie beyond the Pojand neerc unto the Alpes^there is a lake which 

 they call there Larius 5 the place about it is right pleafant and dclcdable^enriched with goodly 

 trees that beare fruity and faire fields for pafiurage : and yet a man lhall never fee any Storke to 

 come thitherjUo nor within eight miles of it. And yet in the neighbor quarters of the^Infubri- * 

 ans neere adjoiningjye fhall have infinite and innumerable flockes and flights of choughes and 

 jack dawes: the veriefltheeves, nay the onclytheevesof all other birds, efpecially for filver and 

 gold, that it is a wonder to fee what means they will make to fteale and filch it.Mcn fay that in the 

 territorie ofTarentum there be no woodpecks or tree- jobbers. Itis but of latedaies,fince thar 

 from the mountaincApennine toward the cittie of Rome there have been feene Pyannets with 

 P longtailes,partie coloured and fleckedf whereupon they bee called Variae : and yet fuch are not 

 Gommonjbut very ge^fonto befound.Theirpropertie is to be bald every year,what time as men 

 fbwrapes ornavewcs. The Partridges in the territorie of Attica, flie not over into the marches 

 ofBoeotia. Andthereisnotabird within the compaffe of the feaPonius, and namely, in the 

 Ifland wherein ^fr^/Z/e"^ was buried^that will paffe beyond the temple confccrated unto him. In 

 the territorie of Fidenas neere to Rome,Storkes build no ne3fts,ncither fhall a man find a yong 

 Srorketherc.But into the parts about Volaterraejtherc is not a yeare but one fhall fee a world of 

 Stockdoves flying from beyond fe J, At Rome yee iliall not have a flie or dog that will enter in- 

 to the chappell of landing in the beaft-market. Li aword,! could alieadgc many fuch 

 like examples which of purpofe 1 pafie over, becaufe I would not be tedious in my difcouries : . 

 £ feeing thatTheophrdfifts reporteLhjhow all the DoveSjPeacockeSjandRavcns which are in Afiay 

 have been brought thither firom other pans : like as all the Frogsin Cyrenaica, which doe cdey 

 whereas their owne be mute all, • . . . , 



As for finging birds, thisis another flrange and wonder^us thing obfeivcd-inthem. For at 

 certaine times of the year they chaungc their colour in feathers^and alter their voice in finging t 

 a^id that infuch fbrt,as of a fuddaine a man would fay they were oiherbirds A thing that happe^' 

 neth not to die great foulesabovefaid/ave only unto Cranes : for they with age waxe black. And 

 to begin widi the Merle or Blackbird,\)vhich naturally is blacke^he turneth to be reddifh.ln fum< 

 mer hefingethcleare and tunably,in winter he i^utteth and flammereth: but about the fun-fleacl- 

 in Deecmberjhee is*mutc and dumbc altogether. After they bee once^a yearc old,I meanethe 

 •p cockes or males onely of that kind,theirtils turne to be white like yvorie.TheThroftlcs or Ma- 

 vifTes all Slimmer be painted about the necke with fundrycolours,but in Winter they be all of 

 a colour. , ... 



The Nightingale for fifteene daics and nights together y never giveth over biit chauntcth 

 continually, namely, at that time as the trees begin to put out their leaves ihicke. And furcly 



'""^ this 



