Plimes Naturall Hiftohe. 



A h^vcfhagtailcs like flieepCj but that they be longer. Swine carrie their tailes turnedand twined 

 round. And Dogges, that be of curres kind and good fox nothing, cajtrie their tailes clofe 

 underneath their bellies. 



Chap, tu 

 ^ OfFoices, 



Aje//?<?^/^ is of opinion. That no living creature hath any voice, butfuch onely asarefurni- 

 fhed with lungs and wind-pipes : that is to fayjwhich breath and draw their wind riiere- 

 fore he holdeth, that the noife which we heare to come from Inledlsyis no voice at all,but 

 B a very found,occalioned by the aire that gctteth within thcm,and fo being enclofed, yceldcth a 

 certaine noire,and refoundeth againe. And thus it is(quQth he) that fonie keepe a htmiroing or 

 buzzing, as Bees : others make a cricking with a certain long trainCjas the GraO:ioppers 5 for evi- 

 dent it is,and well knownc,that the aire Cntring into thole pipes (if I may fo tearmc them) under 

 theit breaft, and meeting with a certaine pellicle or thin skin, bea tcih upon it within, and fo fet- 

 teth it a ftirringjby which attrition,that fhrill found commcth, Againe^itis as apparcnt^that in 

 others, and nameIy,Flies and Bees, the buzzing which wee heare, beginneth and endeth.evet 

 with their flying.For(no doubt)thatfound commeth not of any wind that thefc litde creatures 

 either draw or deliver, but of the aire which they hold enclofcd within, and the beating of their 

 wings together. As for Locufts, it is generally belceved and teceived^thac they make that found 

 Q with clapping of their feathers or wings and thighes together. In like mannerjamongfifhes in 

 the waters,the great Scallops make a certaine noife as they (hoot out of the water^But loft fif!:ies' 

 and fuch as lie covered with a cruft orfhell,neither utter voice^n or yet yeeld founds As for other 

 fiOieSj although they be without lungs and pipes, yet are they not quite mutCj but deliver a cer- 

 taine found. Howbeir, they that would maintainejthatfifhes arc dumbe indeed, doe caviil and 

 fay, that fuch a noife commeth of crafhing and grinding their teeth together .But what will they 

 fay then to the water- Goat,and the river- Borc,which in the river Achelous do evidently grunt: 

 as alfo others,whereof we havefpoken ? Againe,fuchaslay cggesdoc hilfe: and Serpents draw 

 their hilling out in length. The Tortoilc hilleth likcwife, but after a broken manner, with ftaies 

 and rcfts betweene-Frogs keepe a croaking after their kind,as hath been faid before yet a man 

 D may leeme well to doubt thereofjhow it fliould be ? confide ring,that the noife which they makq 

 commeth but from their teeth and mouth outward,and is not framed in their bread or ftomack^ 

 Howbeit,in them there is great difference^by occallon of the nature of diverfe eountries.For in 

 Macedonie(by report)they are mute : and there alio the Swine be dumbe* As for birds^ the leaft 

 evermore be moftfull ol chirping^chauntingjand finging; and moft of all, about the treading 

 time.Some of them keepe a finging when they fight, as Qnaiies r others, when they go to fight, 

 as Partridges: and Ibme againafccrvi(5l:orie,asCockes.Andthcy havcaerowing by themfelves 

 dilfenng from the cackling of hens iwhereasin other birds you cannot difcerne the male from 

 the female by the finging,as we fee in NightingaIes.Somefingall cheyearlong,othersatc€rtain 

 times,as we have more at large declaredjin the particular treatifc of each bird.The Elephant he 

 E fendeth out at his very mouth (fomewhat fnort of his muflic)a certaine found like to fneefing s 

 but through that munle or trunke of his,he foundcth(as it were)out of a Trumpet.Kine onely of 

 femalesjhave a bigger voice than Buls : for in every kind els the female hath a fmaller voice than 

 the males; like as wee fee in mankind, the guelded Eunuchs. As an infant iscommingintothe 

 worldjit is not heard to crie all the while that it is in the birth>before it be fully borne. When it 

 isa yeare old,it beginneth to prattle and talke,but not aforcKing Cr^j^^i had a fonne,who lying 

 fwaddkd in his cradle,fpake by that time he was fixe months old : but this was a prodigious fign, 

 and prefaged the finall ruin of that kingdomc.Thole children that begin with their tongue be- 

 time,are later ere they find their feet.The voice in man or woman beginneth to change & waxe 

 greater at 14 years of age.The fame in old age groweth again to befmaller : & in no other crea- 

 p ture doth it more often alter. Moreover,as touchin g the Voice, there be flrangc and wonderful! 

 matters reportedj and thole worth the rehearlall in this place . For firft and formofl, we do lee. 

 That upon the skaflFold or ftage in publicke Theatres, if the floore be flrowed over well and thick 

 with f iw-duff or fand, the voice of the adors will be drowned & loft,yca5and remaine ftill above 

 the skaffoldj as if it were there buried : alfo where there be hollow & uneven wals round about; 



Hhiij o£ 



