500 



The tenth Booke of 



GkW. xvk. 

 ^'WhtchkthebefiHens. 



Man (hall know a good and kindly hen by her comb,whcn it is ftreighr and upright :6ther* 

 whiles alfo double crefted^ alfo by the pinion feathers blaelic , the tipper plume reddifh.- 

 Such a hen will be red alfo aboutthc; head and bill 5 and have an odde toe to her feet : yea 

 and fometimc that odde one toliecroifle overthwart the other foure. In caieoffaGrifiec^ and 

 religious ufe^they are not thought good nor alio wable^which have beckeand fectj yellow * For 

 divine fervice and fccret niyfterics celebrated in covert to the goddelTe O/Jjjthe black are alio wed 

 * Grig. heos. for good^ There is alfo a d warfifh kind of * hens, that are extraordinarie little^and yet fiuitfull, H 

 (a thing not leene in any other kind oi foule) they lay and milTe not^ but (ildorae fu they oii any 

 egstandiftheydoe^itis hurtful! for them- -viur-!?] 



Chap. lvii. 



'Hat which troubleth all thekind of them, is ^ certaine diftillation of a phlcgmatiekc hu« 

 mourj which caufeth the pip 5 and moft of all between harveft time and vintage. The cure 

 isj to keepc them hungrie and Idngfafting : alfo to let them lie or perch in a fookie place, 

 efpecially where the fume is made of bay leaves, and the hearb Savine. It is good moreover, to I 

 draw a little quill or feather through their nofthrils acrofle ; and to remoove or fhifc it every day. 

 As for their meat, let it be fome cloves of garlicke fhred among their corn_,or elfe let their meat 

 be well infufed and fteeped in water^ wherein an owie hath walhed and bathed her felfe ;or elfe 

 fotlden with the feed of JBrioniejOr the wild white vine; bcfides fuch other medicines as are daily 

 in ufe. 



Cniii*.- tviii, 



^ the manner how fouks doe concehe^and^vhat number of yotmgones they 

 commonly doe hatch, 



DOves have this propertie by themfelves, to bill one another and kifle before they tread. K 

 They doe lay for the moft part twoegges. Thus Nature hath difpofed, that fome fliould 

 breed often, and few : others, fhould hatchmany togither at once . The Ringdoves or 

 Quoiftsjand Turtlesjordinarily doe lay three egs 5 and ligh tly they fit and hatch but twice a yeer s 

 and that is,if their fiift brood came not to perfe(5lion,but milcarried and was not reared up.And 

 albeit they lay three eggesjyct they never hatch but twainc: the third that is addle, they call in 

 Latine Vnmm^lhQ temale Ringdove fitteth ever from noon un till the next morningjthe male 

 makcthup the reft of theday.Houie-doves breed evermore onecockepigcon,andanothcr hen, 

 Themale is hatched to day, and the female to morrow. In that kind they fit both, thecocke all 

 day, and the hen by night : and ufually upon the twentieth day they hatch. They lay within five * 

 daies;after they be troden.And in fummer time verily, yeefhalihave themin thefpaceof two ^ 

 moneths bring three paire of pigeons 5 for then they ufe to hatch by the 1 8 day : and prefently 

 they conceive againe. So that a man fliall oftentimes find new-laid egges even among the yong 

 pigeons : and oiherwhiles it is feen,that whiles fome are readie to flie,others peepe newly out of 

 their l"hcll. And thefe young birds, within five moneths will laie themlelves . Now the nature of 

 thefe hen-doves is (if they want a cocke) to tread one another, and hereof they come to laie bar- 

 ren eggcs, whereof nothingwill be engendredrand fuch the GreeekescallHypenemia,iWf/?3, 

 wind-egges, 



Ghap, hx. 



^ of the Peacocke^ and Geefe^ 



T He Pea-hen falleth tolaicand breed after fhe is three yecres old. In the fir ft ycerCjfhe be- 

 gins with one or two egs :thc yeere following, fhe rifcth to foure or five : in the reft, fhe rea- 

 cheth to twelve and no more. When fhe laietbjher manner is to reft two or three daies be- 

 tween everieegge.And thrice a years fhe doth keepe this order, namely^ if her egges be taken 



M 



