2p8 The tenth Booke of 



chingthe raannerof their engendringjitisperfourmed two waies? for either the female cou- G 

 cheth downe, as doe our hens ; or elfe ftand up on their feet, as doe the cranes. Of egs^ fome be 

 white, as thole of Doves and Partridges; others, be pale and ycllowifli^ as thofe of watcr-foulc: 

 fome be fpotted, as thofe of the Turkie-hens: others againe red 5and fuch cgs Feafants lay, and 

 Keftrils. 



All birds egges within the {bell, are of two colours * In water-foulesj theyolke is more than 

 the white, and the fame is mote wan and diiskifh than in others.The egges of fifhes are of one 

 colour, and therein is no white at alK Birds egges are brittle fhelled,by reafon of their heat.Ser- 

 pents egges are more tough bccaufc of cold: but they of fillies are more.foft and tendcr,for that 

 they be fo liquid.Thofe of filhes and fuch creatures aslivein water jhave round egges ordinari- 

 ly lothers belong and pointed atone end in the top.Birds lay their egg^s with the rounder end H 

 cornming forward : their (hell is (oft whiles they be warme and a laying, but prefently they har- 

 den by peeccmcale as they come forth. Boratim Flaccus is of opinion, that the longer the egge 

 is, the better taft it hath. The rounder egge prooves to be the hen commonly , the reft will be 

 *j^Orrathcr,m cockes. There is found in the top or (harper end of an egge within the fhell , a certains round 

 LoaacrcnT knot refcmbling a drop or a navill, riling above the reft, which they call a Kinning. 



as our wives 



Chap. liii. 



T:ht engendrmg of egges : the fitting of birds ^md their mmner 

 • • ofgenerAtfon* 

 ■ ■ :'>r>.t;,:a:-;riki3;xv5M.'r..V-..'?r . .. ::Ui\u ..:^::k.- I 



SOiiie birds thcrebcjthat tread all times of the ycare J ai\d lay cgs but only tvivomoncths in 

 mid winter : and ofthofe, pullets lay more than oldhenaes,but they beleflcjefpecially the 

 firil and laft of onelaitcr, -Sofruitfull.theybe,thatfomeot them will lay threefcore cgs ere 

 they give over : rome,everie d ay ; others, twice in one day : and (bme will over -lay, untill they be 

 fb.wearieand feeble withail, that they will never lay morCjbut die withall. The little (hort legged 

 grig hcnsjcalled HadrianaE(that came from Hadria)are counted beli. Doveslay and couyey ten 

 times in the yecre, fome of them eleven : and in ^gypt there are found that give not over in the 

 t wclvemoneth, even at mid-wincer in December^S^vailowes, Oufels,Quoifts or Ringdoves,and 

 Turtles j].iy and lit twice in the yeare : other birds ordinarily but once. Thrulhes and Blackbirds 

 build their nefts of mud and clay , in trees and bufhes one by another, fo neere as if they were % 

 linked togither; and lightly they engender in fome corner out of the way. After the hen is iro- 

 den, withm ten daies commonly thecgs knit within her bellie, are come to perfed:ion and rea- 

 dictobe laid. Rowbeit ifhens have fome wrong done un?o them,orifaman chaunceto pluck 

 a feather or quill from apigeon^at that timCj or doethem jTome fuch injurie, it will beelongci: 

 crctheylay. , , ., - - . :, 



AH egges have within theniinthe midsoftheyolke, a certainc drop as it were of blooda 

 wbichfomethinketo be the heartof the chicken, imaginingthat,tobee the firft that in'cverie 

 bodie is formed iS^ made: and certainly a man fhall fee it within the very^gge topant aqd,leape. 

 As for the chick, it taketh the corporall fubflancCjand the bodie of it is made of the white wate- 

 rifhliquor in the egge : the yeljow yolkcfervctb.for nourifbment: whiles the chick isiinibs-tched £ 

 and within the egge, the head is bigger than all the bodie befides : and the eies that be compa(a 

 and thiuft togither, be more than tjie verie head. As the chick within growefh bigger^tlic white 

 turneth into the mids,and is enclofed within theyolke. By the twentie day (if the egsbe ftirred) 

 ye fhall heate the chicke to pecpe within the verie (hell : from that time forward, itbeginneth 

 to plume and gather feathers ; and in this manner lieth it within the fhell^ The head refting up- 

 on the right foot, and the fame head under the right wing : and fo the yblke by little and Jittle ^ 

 decreafeth and faileth. All birds are hatched with the feet tbrward, contrarie to other creatures. 

 Some hensthcre be,that lay aUtheir egs with ; tv90 yolkesjandof than beha.i(:f>ed two chiekens 

 otherwhiles, as Corfjelitfs Cdjm writeth : but the one of them is bigger than the other, f^qwl^^itj 

 others fay,ic is impoffible that of one egge (hould come two chicl^r^s, iV^orepyer, it is held fSr a 

 rule, that there fhould not be put under a brood-hen above 2 5 ^gs at one timeto lit upon. After 

 the midwinter,hens begin to lay and (it.The beft brood is before tjic ipring ^Equino^tialLThole 

 .that-be hatched after midfuiiimcr^ncver come to theirfuli aod jand bigneue,: and evermore the 

 laterth^lelier, .. 



Chap, 



