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Smithsonian Institution
Sfibraries

Alexander Wetmore

1946 dSiuxthSecretary 1953

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REMARKS
On the NATURE of :

SONG-BIRDS,

"ith ~
INSTUC T.EON:S
~ (CONCERNING :
The Taking, Feeding, Breeding and
Teaching them, and to know the.
Cock from the HEn.
AT 8 Os:
The Manner of taken Birds with Lime-
Twigs, and Preparations thereto
wiv H

An Account of the Diftempers incident to Sonc-
Birps, and the Method to Cure them.

+ A New EprTtion,

Pr OND ON

Printed for ee SMITH, in Hoelovorn,
Ete i ' *

_ MDCCLXX.

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Courteous Reader .

PRK AERE having been long fince
Ro HK Publifhed feveral TREaTIsES of
s *& Hunting, Hawking, Fowling,
HARM and Fifhing, but none of SonG-
Birps (at leaft none wholly treating thereof)
I have bere prefented my Countrymen, who.
have a Fancy this Way, with one, collected

not only from what bas been hitherto {catter-
ingly publifhed concerning them, but from di-
ligent Obtervations of my own, and others I
have conversd with, who have been curious
in the Breeding and Bringing them up, by 30
or 40 Years Experience: And as nothing mag-'
nifies and fets forth the Power of our Great
Creator, more than thefe pretty barmlefs
Animals, whether we refpect their Velocity
Beauty, and Glorious Colours of their
Plumes; or their Mielodius Songs, fo ther.
bring infinite Delight and Satisfaction to their
Keepers, and do [weetly recompence their Pains
and Charge in bringing them up by their plea-
fant Harmony: Yu enjoy in your Hotes or
Aviaries, all the Melody of the woods. I

ey 3 gaye fhalt.

; The PREFACE,

| hall net pretend to anlwer a common Ob ject-
tion, which fome auftere Men (pretending to
more Humanity than the refi of their Neigh-
burs) make againji the Confixing of Song-
Birds, iz Cages, &ci- as thereby abridging
ikem to their natural Liberty, but only thts,
St. John certatuly thought it no Crime, af be
had, be would not bave confr’d a teme Par-
tridge to divert bimfelf wzthals and that as
Gop Atmicnry created all things for the
Ufe and Pieafure of Alan, /o be bas not de-
bary’d the innocent Enjoyment cf them. And
! verily believe, that by this Means meny of
thele barmile/s pretty Animals are often prefer-
wed and protected from the inclement Weather —
and viclent bard Seajons. I have litileto fay
of the Book but kope it will recommend itfelf
by the many uncommon Obfervations in 7,

tbe itke not beeing hitherto Publifi’d in all

Adieu.

Curious

fh yh

‘Curtovs

REMARKS

~ On the Nature of

SONG-BIRDS, Ge.

Of the Nightingale,
Begin with the Nightingale, it being a
curious fine Bird, andin my: Opinion,
the beft.of Birds; for he aps his Songs with,
fo much Pleafantnefs, that no Bird can out-
do him; he fings feven or eight Months in
the Year, and commonly begins about the
latter End of Ocfoler, or the Beginning of
Novem Pits and holds it out all the Winter,
and to the latter End of une. I have
heard him fing at Twelve o-clock at Night,
divers Notes. -He isa fitout Bird, ae has ge
alarge Voice. I have heard one fing for
half an Hour againft a VW ‘ood-Lark, and [
thought he would have dropt down off his
Pearch, by reafon of his Stoutnedfs and Free-
nefs, rather than be out-done. -

Thefe Birds are never feen inthe Ve
in any known Part of the World, fo far as
Ican oe from all Travellers I have con-

vers'd

versd with (except thofe kept in Cages)
which occafions various Opinions where they
go at that Time, and as I believe no one
can give a true Account of them,-I fhall
fay nothing about it, but content myfelf
with the Knowledge I have, that is, ‘his
Bird may be catch’d about the 25th of
March, or the Beginning of 4pri/, until
the roth or 12th, which generally proves
a Cock, andthen about that Time his Hens
come, which make himvery rank, fo with-_
out a great deal of Care, you will lofe a
great manythat are catch’dafter that Time,
You may catch them divers Ways, at feve-
ral Seafons of the Year; thatisto fay, you
may catch PBranckers in Fuly, or the Begin-
ning of Zuguft, but I think April is the on-
ly ‘Time, for the beft Birds. There are
feveral Ways ufed in catching of Birds;
one Way, by makinga Hole in the Ground,
and fettin g a Board or Tile overit, fticking
two or three Meal-Worms upon the Stick
that holds up the Board or Tile, and the
Bird coming with Kagernefs to catch the
Worm, falls down in the Hole, and cannot
eafily get out again, Another Way of
catching them, is, by making your Obfer-
vations whereabouts they fing, and beating
the Leaves away as much as youcaa ; then
take a Bit of Stick, put the Meal-Worm
upon a Pin, and ftick the Pin upon a Lime

a | Twig,

Lon |
Twig, then lay it upom the Top of a
Stick, and when he’ comes in its Places as
before, and. fpies ‘the Meal-Worm, he
comes gréedily' to'take it from the Lime
‘Twigy which holds him faft that. he cannot
move, ‘But the beft Way of taking them,
* my ‘Opinion,. is, ina little T Hele ocall’c
he Nightings le’s Fiap, f myfelf have ta-
Len a dozen in one Day in this Prap : It is
about the bignefs ofa round Trencher; I
have themomade witha green Silk Net, a
Wate on avenge wad-a Wire as round as the
Trencher, withthe Net fafien’d to _ ; there
isa hetle me rk that comes through, and a
little Sering whica comes through likewife,
and holds Up the trap: in which ftick a
Pin with a Meal-Worm upon it, and your
Cork very flight in ies a when your Bird
pulleth the Worm, the Net falleth on the
‘Top of it: You mut go and pl ce your
Trap as near where the Bird fings vie
can; ifit is in the Middle of the Hedge,
OF .a Place where he uted to ibed, before
you fix the l'rap, ferturn upthe ‘arthabout
twice theibignets of ithe Trap, for they
look for the Food where the Ground is new
turned up, and efpying the Worm’ they
come ey to it, andif they come not
prefently, you may turn up twice or three
dimes more, for they hh not forfake the
abe where they ufe to refort, You m ay
com

[ 10 J

commonly find them by the Side cf a
Chalk and Sandy Hill; likewife in a Wood
or a Coppice, or Quick-fet Hedge. When
you have taken your Bird, tie his Wings
together with a Bit of Thread, for they are
of a wild Nature when they are firft catch-
ed, but come prefently tame and _pleafant
to their Keeper. |

When you have tyed their Wings at the

End as foon as taken, then pluck or cut.

their Feathers from their Vent, otherwife
they will be fubject to clog and bake up
their Vent, which is prefent Death.
When you go to catch them, take fome
of your Sheep’s Heart and gg with you,
in twoor three Hours after taken you muft,
cram them, open their Bills with a Quill
or a Stick made for that Purpofe, let your
Meat be very moift, and take the Bignets
of a great Pea, and they will prefently
{wallow ; and when you find they {wallow
it, you may put three or four according as
they take them; you muft give them a-
bout the fame Quantity once in an Hour
and a half, or two Hours, at farthef ; when
you get them Home, put them ina Cage,
a Nightingale Back-Cage, or 1f an open

Cage, throw a Cloth over one Side of the.

Cave ; and when you have cram’dthem for
a Day and a half, put a {mall Quantity of
Meat in their Pan, and ftick it full of

Ants,

:

ee —“‘i=—S

Cag
Ants, or in a Jelly Glafs and fweep fome
Ants upon it (which you may fix between
the lower Pearch and Side of the Cage)
and they cin't ealily get out, which will
foon learn them to feed, but be fure you
don’t truft them to themfelves too foon,
and put Ants-Mould at the Bottom of the

Cage; let it be almoft’ an Hour before ©

you put the Victuals to him, after you
have cram’d him, and put him to the
Light, then he will the fooner take to his
Feed, fo you may let him alone for a
Quarter of an Hour, or near half an Hour
and then if you find he has eaten the Ants
out of his Meat, fill it up again; take
them clean out of the Mould, not to daub
the Victuals ; your beft Way will be to

- take alittle of the Ants-Mould, and lay it

upon a Sheet of white Paper; when you
ftir the Mould a little, the Ants will run
about the Paper, then you take your Fin-
ger or a little Brufh, and bruth it off into
their Victuals. |

As foon as you perceive him to feed,
you need not cram him any more, but flill
continue to fupply him with Ants for one
Day longer, or more, if you fee Occafion.

You muft ftill continue to keep his
Wings tyed, and you'll find if he is a kind-
ly Bird, he'll fing with youin a Week’s
Time, J have heard them fing the next

Day

&

[-a2,]
Day after they fed themfelves ; ; when you.
find they begin to be familiar, you may
hang them where you pleafe.

There are feveral Opinions as to the
Choice of this Bird, fome are fora Neft-
ling, and others for a Brancher, hut 1 am
for a Bird that is catch’d in the Beginning
of April; 1 have brought up feveral Neft-
lings which fing very ftout, but they are
apt totake any Note they happen to hear ;
as likewife will a Brae 1er; but a Bird
catch’d in April, will firg nothing but his
own natural Song, tras I am perfuaded,
is the fineft Harmony that any bird can
make,

Concerning tbeir FOOD

Have heard them talk of F ceding them
feveral W ays, one Way is with a Patte
that they make in Germany ; there is allo
another Sort of Food that is made up of
Pafte and Herbs, and a little Fleth Meat
amongit it, which will keep for near a
Week; but I know a Gentleman who hid
fome of this Pafte, and gave an extraordi-
nary Price for the Bird, weich when he eat
of, he foon after died.
My Way of Feeding is with Sheep’s
- Heart and Fee, thus: I take my Heare
and give it them, in ;the fummer-Time, |
raw, “chopp’d very fine, and likewile boil
an

ee
‘an Fgg very hard, fo that I can grate it
with a Grater which I have for that Pur-
pofe ; I put one large Egg to one Heart,
and chop it extraordinary fine, and having
a little Water’ to ferinkle it, I mix it toge-
thertill it''1s-as'‘thiclt ‘almoft as a Salve, but
moilt withal ; for if it be too dry, it makes
‘them’ vent-bound, and if too large, the
‘cannot digeit it; you mutt alfo take grea
“Care not to’leave any String in the Heart,

AX
v

for itis apt to get about. the Tongue; I
have had them dye within twenty-four
Hours, before I underftood what was the
Matter; you may know it by their gaping,
and making a iviotion as if they would vo-
uit, at which. Time, if you peceive it,
take hold of it, open its Mouth, and. draw
it away with a Needle, if poffible; and
when you have done, give him a Meal
Worm or a Spider. | have faved more
Birds by giving them a Spider, than any —
Thing again, but I don’t give them aboye
two in one Day ; this is the only Food that
I find to preierve'them. If your Num-
ber be but mall; half an foe and half a
Sheep’s Heart, or if you have but one, the
Quantity accordingly. You'may take a
Fowl’s Heart with about as much Eee as
ethe Heart, which will make Victuals for
one Bird awhole Day. in the Winter Iy

parboil my Heart, and then order it as | do
Bp }

i t

bos
6
G

[ 14 ]

the raw, except inttead of Water I ufe fome
of the Liguor the Heart was beild in, but
be fure you don’t Jet any. of the Fat go a-
monett it. I give them freth V ictuals eve-
ry Day, for if it begins to be ftale, they are

pt to ‘fling j it Up; for they don’t love it af-
star it begins to-imell., ,J put, them Ants
Mould in Me Eotom of the gaee> which
I generally fhiit twice a, Week ; thee is all
Liced themw th when they are well. The

are Birds’ that a eh ie loofe, and if I

find their Benes ittle loofer than ordinary,
T take a little He eae bruted _ or
ground extraordinary w ell, and put about
the Quantity as will ke upon a Silver

Groat, and mix it well with a Sheep's Heart ~

and Eee ; ycu may if you pleafe give them
now and then a r18, or Bit of fine Loaf
Sugar. It might be expected that I fhould
deicribe how to know the Cock from the
Hen, but that being difficult, I fhall only
day, that the beit Way is to know them by
their Vent, in 4pri/; ur, as by all other
Birds, by. their Largeneis, or when you

hear them fing,

Hew to {nd the, Nichtingale’s’ Neft* and

take it.
HE builds commonly in a dofe Quick-
i_y iet Hedge, at the Comb of the Ditch,
where there is great Store of Briers, and o-

ther |

[ 15 ]
ther segs to keep her from oS Ene-
mies,

She builds.a Neft of a different Kind
from any other Bird; fhe has Young-ones
about the, Middle of May fit to take; T
would not have you take them too youug,
but let them be very well fevther’d before
youtake them : I have had them taken too
young when they are verv fubject to the
Cramp and Loofeneis, which makes their
Feathers all matted together, and I can ne-
ver raife them, You. may let them lie in
the Neit till they can Ay almoft as well as
the Old -one ; ifthey be fullen, ace may o~
pen their Mouths, as I told you by the Old-
one, and give them three or four Bits at a
ae then tye them clofe down in a Baf-
ket two or three Davs, and feed themonce
in two Hours, then cage them up, and in
two or three Days they'll take their Victuals
off the Stick ; I have had them feed them-
felves in thieee Days after they were taken
out of the Neft; Tfeed them with nothing
but Sheep’s Heart and Egg, raw, as Idi-
rected you before: While they are young,
puta little Straw or dry Mofs in the Bor-
tom of the Cage, but when they come to
be larger, give them Ants Mould as you do
the.Old-one. _ I would likewife defire you
to learn them to feed of five Food, as Ants,
spiders, Flies or Meal Worms; | don’t

D2 give

eS Se eee ee

[ 16 | 4
give them a great deal of live, Food,- but -
in cafe of Sicknefs it is necefiary.) have -
railed thirty one Nightingales in one Sum-
mer, and not lofi dve-before.they moulted ;
I have had feveral Fanciers of Nighting: les
come, and would perfuade me they were ei-
ther Branchers or old Qnes, -becaufe: they
were raifed fo clean, _'] his makes mea lit-
tlecurious, becaufe if the Nightingale is
not keptclean, he feldom or ever comes to —
any ‘Thing; asfoon as they come to feed

themtelves, well, J put themina-Cage, and
in two or three Days put a little Saucer of
Water, where they will dabble and wath
themfelves, and beas clean as any Birds in
the Fields. When you have had them in
fingle Cages two or three Days you will ©
hear the Cocks record, |

I would not be thought to be too tedious
with this Bird, it being a Bird that I efteem
very much. | ;

The Wood-Lark.

T HIS Bird is avery fine, melodious
Bird, having a delightful, Variety
of Notes, and is thought by a great many
Fanciers, to exceed the Nightingale. [
have had them fing againft a Nightingalea
whole Hour, ftriving to outdo him, fo that
I have been forged to take him from the

Place

3 iar

Place where he hung, for fear he fhould
kill himfelf with ftriving againft the Nigh-
tingale.

This Bird fings nine Months in the Year ;
he is a very plentiful Bird about the Begin-
ning of September, or Michaelmas; he iste
be taken with Nets'called Clap-Nets, fuch
as you catch your Linnets or other {mall
Birds with, and thofe Eirds that are catch’d
at this Time of the Year, I reckon to be
_ the beft, becaufe keeping them all the Win-
ter makes them more tame and familiar than
a Bird catch’d in Fanuary or Ki pues and
holds its Song longer in the Summer; a
Bird catch’d in Fanuary, is a very flout
Bird, and will fing in three Days after he
is taken, and commonly will fing itouter
and louder than a Adichaclmas Bird, but not
hold his Song fo long. A Bird that is ‘ta-
ken in February, at his Layer, when he is

matched with-his Hen, | have heard fing
asfoon as he is taken, ail the Way in bring-
ing Home; but by the reafon of his Rank-
neis will prefently fall off his Song, and
you will have but little more from his ail
that Surmmer.

There is likewife another W ‘ay of taking
our Wood-larks, that is in june ‘or Fuly
which wecall Branchers, w heh is a young
Bird that is bred and’ flew that Year, a-
bout two or three Months oid, which you

be 3 MLiYs

[3]

my take, with a, Net. jof ,about:eleven,
hes see or thirteen Yards long} and about
three or four Yards broad, with a Line run:
through the Middle of ity . You mutt like-
wife havea Hawk calleda Hibby, ora Caf-
terel, or a Wind Haver ; there muft two,
one to carry the Hawk, and.the other totake-
hold of one End of the Line; and when
you finda Parcel of Wood-Larks, which
lie commonly in Pafture, or comimon Sort _
of Ground,. or- by the Gravel-Pits, get as
near them as you can; then fhow your
Hawk upon your eee making him.
hover his Wings, which when the Larks
perceive, they will lie very clofe to the
Ground ; then you take hold at ene End of
the Line and another at the other End,
till you come at the Place, where they are
holding your Hawk-up as you go. I howe
known them lie ® clofe for fear of the
Hawk, that they have been taken up by
Hand, without the Net's being over them.
Thofe Birds are pretty birds, and prefently
will become tame, but is not in.my Mind,
fo good as a Michaelmas. Bird,» which | you,
may take at that, Time very plenty, with
Ciap-Nets as you do other imall birds, ha
ving one ina Cage tocallthem; if youllay
your Nets in the Cart-Way, .or otherwife
Duft in the Nets, or turn up the, Ground
and make a Spot which. wil caule him to”

dru ;

[ 19]
drop, place your Call Bird by the Sta,
next to the Line; lie upon as high Ground
as. you can, for Wood-Larks fy very high
that Time ofthe Year.

How to take them in January.

EPE'Y “commonly lye near a Wood- .
Side in Pafture-Ground, where the _ —
Sua rifes; you mui take your Clap-Nets,
and lay them as you do at Méichaelmas;
you mult) have a good Call-Bird and a
Brace-Eird which ftands betwixt your Nets:
When you perceive the Bird lower which is
‘a finging up, then fhow your Brace-Bird,
a when he fees he’ll prefently drop to _
: Thofe Birds thatare taken at this Time
oe Year, are very nigh as good as any,
and fing in three Days ys [ime after they are
taken, ‘and put In a Cage ; bruife them
Hemp-Seed, or grind it Very fine, and mix’
it with Bread ;/ put in about half as much
Tiemp-Seed as Bread at the firft, then put
fome red Gravel in the Bottom of the
Cage, and when you have mix’d your Bread
and Hemp-Seed very well, throw fome of
it upon the Gravel, for they will fooner
choofe when théy are firft taken, to feed in
the Bottom of the Cage than in the Trough;
I cominonly throw them fome.V ictuals for
two or three Days, and likewife fome Vic-
tuals” in the-~Trough; when you perceive
tiem

ee ss
them feed heartily out of the Trough, then
there is no Occafion to put any at the Bor-
tom; thisis my Way of feeding them when
they are firft taken; when he iscome to his
Meat, [don’t give him fomuch Hemp-Seed
I give him but a very little, and a little
Maw-Seed, and boil an Eos very hard;
either grate it with a Grater, or chop it ve>
ry fine, but grating is the beft, and fo mix
it amoneft his Bread and Hemp-Seed and
NMaw-Seed; one Ege willferve fix Wood- .
_Larks very well for two Days, Ifeed them
every other Day, and if they have then any
Viciuals left, ] throw it away, and give
them freth, becaufe it is apt to be fale and
four, or dry , and willfpoil the frefh Meat
if mixed with Bt ere give them lkewife
fometimes a little ae 1eep’s Heart, Mutton;
Veal or Lamb, or any Sort of Fleth Meat,
‘boiled er roaited, fo it be not falt, er too”
_muchdone. ‘This is the only Food that £
feed them with, when they are well, Iff
find them out of Order, I give them fome
Meal-W orms, or Hog-Lice, not exceeding
above.two or three in a Day, becaufe if .
you give them too many they will hanker
after them, and neglect their Food, which
is not jo wi holfome for them. If I find
them troudled with the Loofenefs, } great
fome Chalk or Cheefe in the Bo‘tom of
the Cage or MES their Victuals, and —
jaitead

[2k |

inftead of Gravel put Mould full cf Ants
at the Eottom of his Cage, which’I take
to be the beft Live-Food youcan give him.

If you think he don’t fing fo free or fo
{tout.as you would have him, you may put
a little Bit of Stick-Liquorice, and a Blade
of Safforn in his Water, which I look upon
will clear his Voice, and make him fing
flouter.

To know the Cock fromthe Hen. |
S OME fay by the Length of his Heel
and alfo by the Largeneis of his Wing;
hkewife by his fetting up the Crown upon
his Head; others fay, that if he double his
Call two or three ‘Times he is certainly a
Cock, but I find all thofe Things ground-
lefs, for I] have chofen a Farce] of Wood-
Larks, and have not been miftaken in one
My Way of chufing them is, by the Length
of the Bird; the longeft Bird is a Cock.
What I always chufe is for the biggeft and
Jongeft Bird, I always find them prove to
be Cocks; however, when you have taken
them, put them in a fingie Cage, and if
they be good Birds, they will fi.g in two
Orthree Weeks Time,

TFhis.is the beft Bird that his kept in a
Cage, excepting a Nightingale; he has
fuch a curious, fine, melodious Song; that
he'll take from no other Bird but himfeif,
ah ah ioe except

[ 22 ]
except it be one brought up from the Neft,
which I have known to be brought up to
the Pipe,

This is a hot-mettled Bird, and breeds
very foon in the Year; I have hadethem _
fly by the 25th of Marchs If you have a
mind to bring them up. you’ may feed
them with Nightingale’s Viciuals, putting
in a fmall matter of Hemp-Seed bruifed
or ground, or a little Sweet-Almond, and
mix amongft it; let them be very well
feather’d before you take them, or elfe you
will find it very difficult to bring them up.
When you take them, tie them down in a
Eafket, and give them four, five or fix Bits
ata Time, once in two Hours, according
as their Stomach will bear it; they are
very much fubject to the Cramp, and very
hard to moult, but if you will raife them,
give them good Store of “Nightingale’s
Food, or any other Fle:h-Meat. I Gnd
that is the beft Food to make them moult.
In my Opinion, it is not worth while to
bring them up from the Neft, unlefs they
be brought up to the Pipe, their owa Song
being fo very good, and exc¢eding all o-
ther Sorts of Birds fomuch. | | have known
thofe fo tame that were taken at Michc el-
mas Time, that would eat Victuals out of
a Man’s Fingers, and play- with them as
if he was brought up fronythe Neft,

A plea-

pe

De ieatint Story f the ¥’ood-Lark and
Nightingale.

¥ felfvand:a* Gentleman going’ to

catch. Nightingales near Shel

Hill, hard by a Co Heaney: or! Woot

hearda Nig gh neale fing fo fweetly,
my thinking By eet

my Life, ‘a ARnsue ha have heard many in

niy Lime, for the Pi a beingin'a V alley,

and the Coppice on e Sidé of it, made

all the Notes of the Ni Riek ngale fezm dou-

Yi
CD

bie with the Eccho y we had not ftaid there ©

long, but comes a Wood-Lark, and lights
upon the Twig of an Oak, and there they
fong, each fiviaie 1g to outwy the other ; in

a fhort fpace more, about an hundred Pa-

ces off lights another Wood-Lark, diflant
from ‘the firft; and under him as near‘as
we could judge; was another Nightingale ;
-thefe four Eirds’ fang with fo “melodious

patidany: warbling out their pleafant -

Wotés for above anwhole Hour, that never
any Mufick came in Compariion with it,
to the pleafing: of our Ears 3, as {oon as the
Wood-Larks were gone, the Nightingales,
we fuppoted, went’ a little to refreth Na-
ture, “having played their Parts fo weil,
that every Birdinithe highet Degree ftrove
for Maitery,° My Friend and lL haviag
: tiood

roHedid the like in att rr

[ 249 ae
ftood a full Hour to hear thefe Sonefters
charming our Ears, at our going, I perfua-
ded him to fing a merry Catch under the
Wood-Side; which he had no fooner be-
gan, but onz of the Nightingales came and
bore his Part, and in a :inute’s Time
came the other to bear his Part, {till keep-
ing of their Stations, and my Friend and

I vas ding between them (for it is obferved-

by alithat know t - Nature of the Nizh-
tingale, that he will fuer no Competitor,
if aa be able to matter him, if not, he

rit] fometimes rather die Tee give place)
an nate he fang three or four merry one
and the Birds finging with him all the
Time; and as he rat fed his. Notes, fo did
they, that he did proteit, that he never en-
joyed more pleature in fo ihort a Time in
all his Life ; for the Coppice or Wood be-
Ing upon the Side of a Hill, and a Valley
in the bottom, io doubled ail their Notes,
with fuch a {weet and Pleafant Eccho, that
lam confident nose could think the Time
long in the hearing of fo iweet delightful,
and a pleafant clarmony.

dpe Sky-Lark, f fe
EE is a very ftout Bird, very lavifh

EB in his Song, and fi fings eight or nine
Nionths in the Year; he is a very good

a

i;

ley Bar, | |
Bird, if he can be kept from hearing other
Birds, but if he hears others, he is a
“perfect Mock-Bird, and will take what he
hears, whether good or bad, efpeciaily them
that are brought up from the Nef, which
I take to be beft, provided you can get
a good Song-Bird to bring them Up.
have known them fold for five or fix Gui-
neas a Bird. They are very long livd
Bird, and very hardy; I ae have b:d
twenty Shillings for a bird that was twenty
Years of Age ; they have young ones a ibout
the middle or latter end of April; and
breed three or four Timesin the Year, but
I look upon a Bird that is hatch’d in pril
or May to bethe beft. “They commonly
breed in your Fields of high Grafs, or in
the Maribes. Ihave hadthemina Wheat

Field, or in Peas or Oats, according to the
Seafon ofthe Year. I have taken them up-

on the Common or Heath,

Pow to feed them.

ET them be, before you take them,

about ten or twelve Daysold, if they
are older, they are apt to run out of their
Neit. I have feenthem run out in ten Days
in dripping Weather. When you have ta-
ken them, puta little Hay in a Bafket, and

put themin, and tie chem clofe do vn, as:

aig you by the Wood-Larks, and rh ea
C it tile

.”

a

Tittle white Bread and Milk, and boil it

very fiff, fo that it beasthick asa Pultice.
I likewife take fome Rape-Seed, and foak
it three or four Hours in Water, and then
boil it up, and either grind it or beat it in
a WMiortar, or with a Glafs-Bottle upon a
Table; take about a third Part of Rape-
=eed to the white Bread and Milk, and feed
them once in two Hours; give them about
five or fix Eits to each Bird, mixed very
well togethers you muit give them every
Day fre “fh ViGuals, or elfe it will crow
four and froilthem. Ilikewife give them
now and then a little fefh Meat, Sheep’s
Fieart, Gc. You muft put them in a Cage
astoon as youcan, thatis to fay, keep them
three or four Daysina Rafket, ora Week
f they.are young, then take a litle Hay,
Cut it very thort, and put it in the Bottom
of the Cage, or Ale a littie-coazfe Eran, but
I prefer Hay before it, becaufe they are apt
to drop their V ictuals, in the Bottom of the
Cage, and when they pick it upagain, do
pick fome of the Bran, which doth them
no good. You muft turn their Hay up, or
ihittthem once a Day, for if you do net
keep them clean, they feldom come to any

Thing; they require a large Cage. Ihave
never any {fmaller thana Foot fquare. [keep
them in Hay or Bran, till they feed them-
dely.s with dry Meat ; that isto fy, Eread,

:
ae |

era,

Beg, and Hemp-Seed, which they will do
in about three Weeks ora Month. When
you put them firft in a Cage, thow them
their Vituals upon the point of a Stick
made for that Purpofe. This will make
them learn to feed themfelves, and lixewite
tame. I have brought them up {fo tame,
that they will follow me about the Houte,
and fit upon my Hand, which indeed is a
great Rarity ia a Sky-Lark, as I told you
before, when they come to feed them-
felves upaa dry Meat, you muft boil your
Fee very hard, fo that you toy grete
with a Grater, or chop it, as 1 told you
by the Wood-Larks, you mult bruife your
Hemp-Seed at the Art, and putabout half
asmuch Hemp Seed as Egg, one Eeg, and
the Quantity of a Half-penny Loat, wilt
ferve halfa Dozen Birds, When they are

roung, I ferye them every Day; abouta
Month old, I put them fome fine dry Gra-
vel atthe Bottom of the Cage, anda ‘Lurf
of three leafed Grafs, Fitul flick them-a
little foft Victuals at the Side of the Cage,-
for fear they fhould pine after it, which
when they take to eat dry Victuals, they Il
leave off foft of themfelves. ‘his is all 1 -
feedthem with, except a little Plefh-Meeat
now and then, and bruifed Hemp-Seed, ‘til
they have done Moulting, then | feed them
_ oaly with a Turf of three leafed Grats once

ool 4 Week's

r (a8 ae

1!
:

a Week and e every othe: Day Bread, ate
anda little whole Hemp- Seed,

How to know a Cock from a Hen.

NOME will tell you by his long Claw,
a J others by t he two whine entHeet in the
Wail; and others by fetting up his Copple
Crees: but all this is no certain Rule. In
my Opinion, ui argeft and longeft Bird
in tne Net I always did find did prove to
pe Boks. ae is no certain Rule to
iknow them by, but only the Bignefs and
] oS fh he he ok | Way is to take the

and th the) youll hear hes rec ond his Soak
by that T ime it is three Weeks ora Moath
old; the E Tens - will make fome fmal! Noife
but not any thing of a Song. I have had
the. Cocks at a Month old, get into one~
Corner of the Cage, and repeat all their
Notes over like the old one, but not fo
loud, and thofe Birds that do fo, you may |

de spend t upca their being Cocks,

To take Branchers cr Pufhers.
Puther isa Bird that is taken three
A four Days after he is flown out of the
Neit, if you let him-lie fo long to be run
out, then youmay place yourfelfin aHedge,
or in any convenient Place, where youcan
- fee the old ane to bring him Meat, which
when

*

Laat: |

when you percéive to feed, run upon him as
faft as you can, by which Means you will
find the young ones. I have taken three
atthree limes running up. When you have
got them, cram them with a little Sheep’s-
Heart, and lay a little Hay at the Bottom
ef the Cage, and feed them with Flefh-
Meat, Bread and Milk, and Rape-Seed, as _
Ttold you before of the Neftling. This —
Bird, in my Efteem, is as good, or better
thana Neftling. :

The Brancher.. ;
WS takenin Fune or Fuly, with a Hawk
and a Net, the fame Way asI told you
by the Wood-Lark: What I call a Branch-
er, isa Bird taken at full growth, almoft.
as big as the Old one, but having all his
Nefiling Feathers, Ilook upon thofe Birds
to be very good and come very little fhort
of a Nefiling ora Pufher; but when you
take them in Moult, or mou!ted off, I don’t
look upon them to be fo good, by reafon
when they are: moulting in the Fields and
taken, their Feathers fets fo, I look upon
them net to moult fo well that Year. and
they very feldom prove to be fo good Eirds,
"To know tke Cock from the Hen of a
Brancher, chufe the longeftand large Bird,
as I told you before; when you have taken
them, give them Bread, Fee, and bruied
: G32 Kien:p-

° ze 30 a : ~~
PD ernip-Beot™ put in the Bottom of the Cage
red Sand, and ftrew them a little M eat in
the Bottom of the Cage for three or four

Days, fo they prefently become tame
and familiar.

To take the Sky-Lark in Flight.

OU take them as you do other fmall
Birds, witha Clap- -Net ; in the Coun-
try, about Dunffable, and fea! other
Places, they take them with a Glafs, called
a Larking-Glafs. Thefe Glaffes are made
of the Bignefs and Shape of a Cucumber,
hollow within, and three, four, or five Holes
cut round, and Pieces of Looking-Glaffes
placed in; it is fixed by a Staff, and runs
out like a Whirligig, having a Line which
comes where we ftand, at a pull Pin, we
vork it backwards and forwards. This muft
be of a Sun-fhiny Day, then the Larks will
play the better, the Glafs glittering, and
the Larks playing about, and feeing them-
{elves in it, makesthem come down to it ;
as foon as they come within Pull, pull the
Netsover them, By this] have known,
in the Country, ten or fifteen Dozen taken
in a Morning.
This Lark istaken in dark Nights with
a Bae called a Trammel ; it is a Net of
twenty Gx of thirty Nerdsg long, and fix
over,

caer |

over, run thro’ with fix Ribs of Packthread,
which Ribs are at the Ends, put upon two
Poles fixteen Foot long, made taper at each
End, and is carried between two Men half
a Yard from the Gound, every fix Steps
touching the Ground, to caufe the Birds to
fly up, otherways you may carry the Net
over them, without difturbing of them.
When you hear them fly againit the Net,
clap the Net down, and they are fafe under
it. Inthe Vale there is hardly a Farmer
without one of thefe Nets. ‘Thisis a very
murdering Net, taking all Sorts of Birds
that it comes near, as Partridges, Quails,
Woodcocks, Snipes, Fieldfares, fc. almott
in every dark Night; I have known them
thet have taken twenty Dozen of Larks in
a Night. :

Another Way of taking your Lark is in
a great Snow, you mutt take one hundred
‘or two hundred Yards of Packthtead, at
every fix Inches falten a Noofe made with
_Horte-Hair (two Hairs twifted together is
fufficient) the more Line the better; for it
will reach the greater Length, and confe-
quently have the more Sport; atevery twen~
ty Yards you muft have a litile Stick to
thruit into the Ground, and fo go on tillit
be all fet: I have known them that have ~
had a thoufand Yards, then amongft the
Noofes fcatter fome white Oats fron one

End

End to the other and you'll find the Larks
flock extraordinary ; and when three or
four are taken, (for you will have them by
the Neck, Leg, or claw) take them out,
otherwile they’ll make the reft fhye, and
and when youare atcne End, they will be
at the other a Feeding, fo you need not fear
{caring of them away, for it makes them
more eager after their Food; if it beafter
Cbriffmas before the Snow fall, thofe Birds
feldom or never prove good for Singing. _
This Bird isa very fine, hardy, ftrone
Bird, and feldom fick, if you let him have
a Turf of three leafed Grafs once or twice
in a Week.
_ If you find him out of order, thatis, the
Dung loofe, grate a little Che/hire. or osher
Cheefe, in his Victuals, and give him fome
Wood-Lice, three or four ina Day, which
is very good; likewife put a little Liquo-
rice, and a Blade cf Saffron in his Water,
which is very good, and will make him fing
clear ; if this will not do, give him now
andthena Spider. ‘This isall thatis.need-
ful for a Sky-Lark.

The Tit-Lark
HIS Bird is like a great many others,._
fome are very good Song-Birds, and
-fome worth but little ; there are fome in

my

a ec wh By
my Opinion, outdo a Sky-Lark for Fine-
nefs of their Song; they are very proper
Birds to b2 kept with Sky-Larks or young
Canary Birds ; they take a gre:t Delibera-
tion in their Song, Some of them will chew
whifk, weet and rattle to a great Length,
likewife they run their Feef and their Snee=
“Jug, and twink two or three Way, and fuch
a Bird as this is of great Value for raifing
up other Birds under him ; they are very
handfome, long, taper Birds, much about
the Size ofa Nightingale; they don’t fing
above four or five Monthsin the Year, that
is, March, April, May, and Fune, and fome
in July. ‘This Bird is a very hardy Bird,
but I think them not worth while to bring
up from the Neft, by reafon they are caught
from: the 25th of March, till the 10th or
12thof April, Youcatch them with Nets,-
called Clap-Nets, as you do Linnets or
other {mall Birds, If you catch them la-
ter they grow rank, and won’t fing much
in aCage that Summer. As foon as you
-have catch’d them, tie their Wings as you
doa Nightingale’s, You muft haveaCage |
clofer than a comman Wocd-Lark’s Cage ;
put a little Ant’s Mould, with Ant’s in the
Bottom of the Cage ; for his Victuals, take
a little of the beft Bread, make it very fine,
or grate it with a Grater for that purpofe ;
take about half the Quantity of Bread as

ei ¢ Fiemp-

ae ee Baad
Hemp-Seed, bruife it very fine, or beat itia
a Mortar, or grind it ina Mill; then mix
it up with the Bread, throw a little in at_
the Top of the Cage, which when your
Bird fees the Ants, he’ll come down and
feed prefently; and in aboutanHour’sTime
you may look whether he has been eating
Bread and hemp-Seed; if not, ftrew another
Handful of your Ants and Mould inthe Bot-
tom, anda little moreBread andHemp-Seed
on the Top of it; if you find this will not
do, take two of three Meal-Worms, cut
them in half with a Pair of Sciffors, and
put them in the Bottom, amongft the Bread
and Hlemp-Seed ; fet him in a l'ght Place,
where he may not be difturbed, you may
be fure this will make him feed, You may
keep him to this Vi€tuals two or . three
Days, then youmay feed them asthe Sky-
Lark or Wood-Lark, only bruife the Hemp-
Seed, and he'll fing in a Week orten Days
atfartheft, Ihave heard them fing the fe-
cond or third Day after they were caught.
ThisBird may likewife be taken withLime-
‘Twigs; carry a Call-Bird of the fame Sort,
when you go and find a good Tit-Lark to
Mind, place yourCall-Bird fix or feven
ards from the Tree where you heard him
fing ; if you finda Mole-Hill, or Ants-
Hill, dig itup, and put your Call-Bird jut
by; fet three or four Lime-Fwigs round
ae your

E35 2 |
your Cage, placethe greatEnd of the Limes
“Twig upon the Ground, andthe other End
‘again{t the Side of the Cage ; they are a
‘bird that will run very much about the
other Bird in the Cage; take Care you lay
the Twig that he cannot run round the
Cage, anda great chance but fome of the
Twigs will lay hold on him; place your
felfin a Hedge, as private as you can, and
as foon as you find them fatt, run, for I
have loft fome before I could get at them,

lf vou have not Conveniency tofet but
in high Grafs, take a ftick about a Yard
Jong, put.a Nati into the Stick, almoft at
the Lop, and hang your Cage upon it, then
Jay two or three ‘wigs on the i op of your
Cage, the End of the Twigs tocome over
your Cage, and when they come to settle on
the lop of the Cage, 1: you lay your Twigs
well, they are certainly taken. Vi hen you
have taken them, tie the \Wings, andmanage
them the fame Way as thofe that are taken
in the Nets. Thefe Eirds breed amongtt
the Grais, or Peas, or Beans, and for thofe
that are defirous to bring them up from the
Neft, muft feed them in the fame Manner
asis order’d from the \Wood-Lark, it may
be expecied I fhould give fome Account -
how-to know the Cock frm the Hen, but
it being a difficult ‘Uhing to know | muit -
‘tefer them, to ind them cut by, their fing-

lig.

[38 ae ot
ing, which will foon be perceived in Neft
lings by their recording. This is all that
is needfulconcerning the Tit-Lark.

Tbe Robin-Red-Breaft.

i B H E next to the Wood-Lark, in my

Opinion, for a Song-Bird, isthe lit-
tle Robin-Red-Preaft ; he fingeth very
iweetly, and I have knownmany toHEfteem
him little inferiour to the Nightingale. [T-
do not know but that he ought to have as
great Efleemas he; but Flenty ofany Bird
makes them not valued, tho’ never fo good
it its Kind. ‘This Kird is feen in the Win-
ter, upon the Tops and Roofs of Houtes,
and upon old Ruins, on that Side moft com-
monly that the Sun rifeth and thineth in the
Morning, or under fome Covert, where the
Cold cae Wind may not pinch him, for he
is but a tender Eird, W e commonly put
them into Nightingales or Wood- Larks
Cages, only cloter wier'd ; they breed ye-
ry early in the Spring, and commonly three
times in the Year, in April, May and7ure;
they make their Neft with a dry greenifh
Wi ao and guilt it witha little W ocl and
Hair; they have five or fix young Ones
ata time, and feldom lefs than four : “They
build in fome old Hay-Houte, or Barn, or
Rick of Hay or Corn, or Eanks somieia
the

=
*

et “i [ 37 J | :

the Top, and when they are about ten Days —

old, you may take them from the old Ones,
and keep them in a littie Bafket or box

if you let them tarry too long in the Neft, :

they will be fullen, and fo confequently
much more trouble, and not fitto be brought
upunder another Bird, or whiftled too. You
muft feed them with Sheep’s Heart and
Egg, minced {mall, in all Points as you
feed Nightingales, and but alittle at once,
and pretty often, by reafon of its bad Di-

geftion ; for if you give him too much at_

a Time, he is very apt to throw it up again,
which is a fign that he isnot long-liv’d. Be
fure he lies warm, and efpecially in the
Night: When you find them begin to be
firong, you may Cage them, and let them
have fome Mois at the Bottom of the Cage,
and ftand warm, put the Meat in the Pan
or Box, both ofthe Sheep’s Heart and Eee,

and let them have fomething of the Wood-:
Lark’s mixd Meat by them, for thofe f

“brought up with Sheep’s Heart and Egg,

when they came to feed themfelves would
rather eat the Wood-Lark’s Meat, than
the Sheep’s Heart and Ege 5 you may give
him which you will, according to your
Conveniency. A Robin will not touch a
Hairy Catterpillar, but will gladly eat any

fmooth one, and there is no better Way to
tame, and make wild Birds fing, than to
D

give

-

Rt Sp
ae 422
oy
ey

ra

Cs [ 38°40
give thema pleafing Infect or two: They
are neither a flender nor thick Bill’d Bird,
‘but gladly eat Spiders. : —

Every body knows almoft how to take a
Robin with fome Lime-Twigs, but with a!

Trap-Cage and Meal-Worm you may take
a great many ; and if you hear one Bird to’

excel another, take the Bird you have moit
mind to and Cage him, and he’ll fing in a
fhort Time, provided he be not an-old Bird,

‘If you take a Bird and do not hear him

fing, by this Mark you hall know whether
he bea Cock or Hen; ifa Cock, his Breaft

will be ofa brighter Red than the Hen, and

his Red will go farther upon the Head.
What difeafes Robin-Red-Breafts are jub-
sect to, and bow to curetbem.

IRST, he is very fubjeétto the Cramp
and Giddinefs of the Head, which

makes him many Times fall off the Perch

upon his Back, and then it 1s prefentDeath,

without fome Help be fpeedily uted for

him, ‘The beft Remedy to prevent him
from having the Cramp, 1s to keep him
warm and clean in his Cage, that his Feet

be not cloge’d, which many Times do eat

ofthe Joints of hts Feet, for the Dung be-
ng bound on {o faft, ic makes his Feet and
Wails to rot of, which takes off the Life
and Spirit of the Bird ; if you find him

: —._ dsoops

[39 | |
droop and is fickith, give him three or four
Meal-Wormsor Spiders, which will migh-
tily refreth him ; but for the Giddinets in
the Head, give him fix or feven Ear-wigs in

a Week, and he will never betroubled with

it, which is very fubject to your Robins
above all others, except the Bullfinch. If
you find he has little Appetite to eat, give
him now and then fix or feven Hog-Lice,
which you may find in any piece of old
rotten Wood; befure he never wants Wa-
ter that is frefh, two or three Times a
Week; andto make him chearful and long
‘winded, give him once a Week; in his
Water, a blade or two of Saffroi, ani a
fice of Stick Liquorice, which will advan-
tage his Song or Whiftling very much.
_ This Bird isa very fine Bird, Ihave known
them learn to Whiftle, Speak or Pipe.

The Wren, |
7 E is tse {mallet of Birds, but he has

a very loud Song, and fine withal ;
he commonly fits and fings upon the Edge
ofa Barm, or ina Tree, near Cow-Houtes ;
he muft have a large Cage made with very
clofe Wier ; he ought to have one Side of.
the Cage made like unto a Squirrel-Houfe,
and have it lin’d with Coney-Wool, Dog-
Skin, orany Thing that is warm: Theie

. eee Birds

nt bi } i
Birds breed about the beginning of May,

they make their Nefts of green Mofs, in
the likenefs of a high Crown’d Hat, and~
line-it with forme {mall Hair or Wool, and
Iviots at the Out-fide ; they make a rounds
Fiole on the fide to creep in. I have known_
fifteen or fixteen Eggs in the Neft, and to”
my Knowledge I never tock above feven or
el ight young Ones outof the Neft, If you.
have a mind to raife them, let them be
very well feather’ d, and feed them with
Nig! btingale’s Vidtuals, which is the pro-
pereit en the bet Food, only give them
theirs tmailer, becaufe they area lefs Bird.
I have known them kept a or three Years —
ina Cage, and Sing as flout as ifthey were
in the Fields ; 1f you find them out of or-
der, give them an Ear-wigg, {mall Spider
or Flies,

To know a Cock from a Hen.

Will not be to curious about it ; choofe

the Bird with the largeit Lye, for they
are like other Birds, if youkeep them fome
Time the Cocks willrecord ; this is all that
I fhall fpeak concerning the Wren, only
feed them with Nightingales Food, and
he'll anfwer your Expectation, and fing a
great many Months in the Year.

The

Pane ys te aaa

The large Tom Tit, by ome called e
| _Joe Bent.

H E. Y commonly frequent about your

Farmers Yards, Cow-Houfes or Or-
chards, they are a hardy Bird, and you
may bring them up withany Thing. I
have fed them with Bread and Milk, or
Bread and Cheefe, and when grown up
Jarger with Hemp-Seed ; they’ll make a ©
round whole in the Hemp-Seed and take out
the Kernel and leave the Shell whole ; they
are a pleafing Bird and have a pretty fort
‘ofa Song, and -in my Opinion the beft
Vidtuals for them is Wood-Lark’s Victu-
als; you may catch ther with a Lime-

twig as youdo a Robin.

The Red-Start.

) H E Y commonly frequent the fame
| Places as the Wren, and is a very
beautiful Bird ; the Hen is almof the Co-
lour of a Nightingale, the Cock has a black
Head with a Star upon his Pole, and a red
Tail ; helooks very handfome and beauti-
ful, has a fine melodious Song. and doubles
his Notes very fine : I need not to be too
curious about this Bird, he muft be brought
up and fed with the fame Vidiuals asa

D> Night-

ee |

On et aes eee ee
Nightin gale, andthen he’llanfwer hiskeepe
ng.

The Black-Bird. r

H FE isa very hardy Bird, and for the —
Building and Breeding any Country
Boy knows how it is; they breed very foon
inthe Year, at the latter End of March I
have had young Ones; you may take them ~
at tenor twelve Days old ; in the Country
they commonly feed them with Cheefe-
Curd, or white Breadand Milk; my Wayof
feeding them is, with Sheep’sor Ox? s Heart,
or any other fort of lean Meat, cut very ©
fmiall and mix’d up witha little Bread ;
while they are young you muft make their
Vidctuals moift, and feed them once in two
#iours ; you muft be fure to keep them ve-
-ry clean, and take their Dung away every
Time you feed them, if you find their Nett
grows dirty, take them out and put them
in clean Straw ; this Bird is like all others,
if he is kept nafty, he feldom anfwers the
End, you muit cart them as foon as you
can ; whenthey aregrown upyou may feed
them with any ‘Thing of Flefh Meat boiled,
aw or roafted ; you may likewife bring
them up to Wood-Lark’s Victuals, but I
think Fiefth Meat, mix’d witha little Bread,
is beit: This Bird isa ftout flrong pee
aDG -

aan | :

and has a very pleafing Note of his own,
you may learn them either to Whiftle, or
play a Tunetoa Pipe, which I have heard
fome dovery fine ; he’ll Whiftle about four
or five Months ina Year, and is very de-
lightful and pleafing to his Keeper, if well |
Jearn’d; he is a very hardy Bird, but if you
find him out of order, give hima large Spi- _

der, or fame Wood-Lice, which you find

in old Wood ; you may likewife puta lite __

tle Cochineal in his Water, which is very
chearful and good; you may give him two
or three Spiders ina Day, and likewife five
or fix Hog-Lice, but if you give him too
many in one Day, it will take him off of
other Food, and do him more harm than
good. |

To know the Cock from the Hen,

OME fay, the uppermoft Bird in the
S Neft isa Cock, others fay, the Neftling
is a Cock; fome choofe them by their
Wings, others by their Heads or full Eye,
but I find all this groundleis ; In my Opi-
nion, take the blackeft bird in the Neft,
which, when you fee them altogether you
may eafily perceive the Diflerence, for the
Cock will be confiderably blacker than the
Hen. ;
_ There are two Sorts of Black-Birds, a
black Sort, anda grey Sort, the Hen’ e
| black

1 ee ee

fe

~ Sa 4 :
black Sort, is commonly as black as the a

be

_—

%

Cock of the grey Sort ; however, be of ©

which Sort it will, the Cocks be blacker

than the Hens, but the blackeft SortI take —
to be the beft, and Whiftle the longeft in —

the Year.

The Vhruth, in fome Country called the
| Throftle, :

H E R Eare three or four Sorts, the.

firft isa red Wing. the next is what —
is generally called a Song-Thrufh, and _
builds in Woods or Orchards; another is —

the {mall blacker Sort, and builds upon the
Heaths or Commons ; the next is the great
Jarge Thruth, calleda Meafle-Taw : Heis
very large and handfome, but better for a
Spit than for a Song. A Wood Song
Thruth is very fine Bird, and Sings nine
or ten Monthsin the Year, he builds with
Mofs on the outfide, and commonly Clay
orCow-Dung the infide ; the Heath Thrufh
is much of the fame Nature, only builds
his Neft inthe Furzes, and in fome Coun-
tries are called Wins. This bird breeds
very foon inthe Year, I have had young
Ones in March ; they are fed with the fame
Food as a Black-Bird. This Bird is migh-
ty iubject to the Cramp, epecially if he
be keptdirty, I have had thofe that could

not

3 Ra

[ 45]

not ftand fora Fortnight, yet with great
Care I have brought them to be fine Birds.
When I find them crampr, J put Fern in
the Bottom of their Cage, and feed them as
) they lie, and turn up the Fern, as often as
they are Feed; if youcannot get Fern, put
clean Straw atthe Bottom, and fo keeping:
them clean, they will foon come to their
Legs ; if youfind themcrampt, feed them
with bitter Viciuals, as Nightingale’s Vic-
tuals, Sheep’s Heartand Eeg chopped ve-
ryimall, Icananot give an Account how
to know acuck Thruth from a Hen, only
_as foon as they begin to feed themfelves,
they begin to record, both Cocks and Hens;
the Cock will get upon his Pearch, and fing
his Notes low for fome Time, the Hen wiil
do it only by Jerks, and make you believe
they will fing, but tonoPurpofe. If you
are not fatisfied which are the Cocks, keep
them till after Moulting, which is about
_ Bartholomew-Tide, for as foon as they have
done moulting, the Cocks will break out
firong in Song. I have had them fing
out like an old Bird a Fortnight or three
Weeks before Michaelmas; they will fing
with youin Winter as well as Summer,
_ They have very pleafing Notes, and a good
Song. I have known them learn the Night-
ingale’s or Wood-Lark’s Song, and divers
Others. Of thefe feveral Sorts of Vhruthes,
1D,

46 |

in my Opinion the Heath-Thrufh is the '

beft, and comes neareft to the Song of a

Nightingale, and if they are fick, ufe them ~

‘in the fame Manner as I told you by the ©

Black-Bird,

The Sterling.

] FE, has but a very ordinary Song of

his own, but may be taught to W hif-
tle, orto Pipe or Talk. Ihave heard them
talk as well as a Parrot. and Pipe to feve-
ral Tunes. This Bird builds tn Trees or
Pidgeon-Houfes, or in the Sides of Dwel--
ling-Houfes ; fome fay a Tree-Sterling is
beft, and others, a Houfe-Sterling is heft
alfo others, that a Sterling that breeds in a
Pidgeon-Houfe is beft. In myOpinion they
are equally good, provided they are brought
up young. If you would have very good

ones, take them about doublePen-feathered,

that is, about ten Days old, put them ina

‘Bafket in fome clean Straw, and keep them

clean and warm ; talk to them what you
would have them learn, every Time you

feed them. I have had them begin to talk

as foon as they feed themfelves, or rather be-
fore. You mutt feed them with Ox’s-Heart,
er Sheep’s-Heart,-as I told you by. the
Black-Bird. You muft feed them once in
two Flours, and give them five or fix Pieces

at

—

| [ 47 ]
ata Time, as big asa Horfe-Bean, and
when they come to feed themfelves, you
may bring them up to Wood-lark’s Meat,

and give thema little Fleth-Meat twice or
three Times a Week

_ Some are of Opinion that they may learn
beft ina dark Cage, but I have known
them learn either in adark or open Cage :
Some will teli you, that you mult cut their
‘Tongue, but there is nothing at all in it,
for I have heard more talk that have not
been cut, than them that have.

This is a very pleafing Bird, and hardy
withal, yet I have had fome of them trou-
bled with Fits, that they have tumbled
down and beat themfelves about the Cages
and if I had not got them out, they would
have beat themfelves to Pieces. The beft
‘T hing to prevent this, is to give them now
and then a Spider or Meal-Worm and te
put a little Saffron in their Water. |

‘To know a Cock from a Hen,

P EN his Mouth, and look under

the Tongue, and you will find a black
Stroke, which you may perceive quite thro”
if it be a Cock, and the Hen has little or
none; when they come to Moult, the Cock
lofes that black Stroke : [TheFeathers when
moulted off of the Breaft of the Cock, is
very

[ 48] 4
very beautiful, and hath feveral fine Co-
lours, which the Hen hath not. |

This Bird, if well taught, is of great”
Value, I have known them fold for ave
fix Guineas a-piece, |

The Sparrow.

: i HIS Bird is very plentiful, and very
well known by every little Boy, by —

reafon of their building in the Sides of

-Houfes and Bird-Bottles. ‘This Bird may
be brought up very tame and familiar. “I
have heard them fing part of the Canary
Birds and Linnet’s Note; you may bring
them up withany Thing, Bread? and Water,
Bread and Milk, or FlefhMeat; when you
have brought them up, feed ‘them with
Hemp and Canary-Seed. If you find them
out of order, give them whole Oatmeal
among it. This is all that you need feed
them with, then they will dung hard and
fine asa Linnet or any other Seed Bird;
they are very hardy Birds, and ‘eafy to re
brought up: If you would have them to
Jearn under any other Bird, take them out
of the Nett at double Pen Feather. I have
known a Sparrow whiftle good part of a
Tune, and fit upona Man’s F inger, beiag
of fuch a tame Nature.

Ls

[ 49 ]

To know a Cock from a Hen.

H EN you take them, look

under the Throat, down to the
Breaft, and you will peceive fome to be
blicker than others, thofe that are blacke
are the Cocks. When they have Moulted
off, every body knows the Cocks by their
black Breafts.

The \innet.

H1S Bird isa very fine one, and apt

to learn either to Pipe or Whittle, or
any other Bird’s Note, I have heard of
their learning to fpeak.

Thefe Birds build upon Heaths or Com-
mons, or in Pafture Ground; they alfo
build among Furzes, I have thn een Nett

taken in Broom, or in white Thorn, ina
Hedge ; they commonly breed in April,
and have young Ones fit to take about the
latter [end ; they have commonly four or
Bive young pune: and likewife threeor four
“Nedis in the Year ; you may take them at
about eight, nine or ten Days old, if yeu
“would have themto learn, ‘LT hey are a ve-
‘ry fine Bird for learning their song ofa
“Wood-Lark. Ihave heard them fing fo
fine, that J could not tell which was the
Rocd-Lark or Linnet; they likewife ta

E the

.

—— ae

L 50 |
theC anary -Bird, or Np other Bird’ ’s-Song,
There is your fweetS Song Linnet, which
T have known fold for thide or four Guineas
a eee the firft Original was taken from
the Sky -Lark and ‘Tit-Lark, and feveral
other Eirds —

How to Feed: them. :

H EY are fed with feveral Sorts of

4 Food, my Way of Feeding ‘them 9s
witha little White Eread foaked in Spring=
Water, orany other Water; and when you
have done, {tr init out of the Water, and
boil it up with a roe Muilk, -t O ance it
very ftiff, like unto a Hatty Puddings If
yon have a {mall Quantity of Birds, you

may have’but little, becaufe it fours in two
Day s Time, and foon erif you put Seed in,
I generally putSeed in, as nouch as will ferve
about half a Day ; take a little Rape-Seed
and foak it in Water about ten or twelve
Fours, then {eald it or boil it up; then
ag your Water fromit, andtakea little
nd fq ueeze it with a Knife upona trencher,

or wigha Glafs-Eottle upon the Table, then

take a little and trix it among the Bread
and Milk ; feed trem once in two Hours,
oP). fix in the Morning till eight a Clock
at Night. When they ae to feed them-
felves, give them a little of the fealded

Rape-Seed; when they have ied themfelves
about

f 51 |

about a. Week, you may give them a little
of the Wood-Larks Victuils, by reafon too
much foft Victuals wil make them rotten ;
the fooner youcan break them of Bread and
Milk the better; neverthelefs, youmay give
them fome eee Lark’s Meat. or fome

other foft Widtuals, till they, are able to
‘crack their Seed, which] look upon to be
at fx or feven Weeks old, before which
‘Lime they are not able to live upon hard

Seed.
How to know a Cock from a Hen.
E/4/ HEN youhavethe Nefttogether,

¥ Y you may ape them that look
the browneft up »n the Backs, and Reet
if you open their Wings you will find the
fecond, “third, or fourth Feather white up
to the Quill ; thefe Birds thatare fo brown
‘of the Ka Ea and fhew quite white up to
their Quill, never fail of be MN aes Your
Hen biece 3 a little caft of white, and like-
wife a little brownifh upon their Backs, but
nothing like untoa Cock, for which Reafon
af you fee the Neft together, and obferve
“them well, you will fee the Difference bet-
ter than I can defcribe to you, that is, by
the white Feathers in the Wing, ie the
Brownefs of the Back. | ;

eo How

[45% 0)"
How to catch Branchers. °°

Y OU may go to their Breeding Places
or fomewhere near them,” where you

can fnda Piece of Turhip-s Sed! Gr 4 Bank
of wild Rape-Seed; or a Place where’ the
old Ones brings them to Water; there you
mav lay’ you Clap-Nets, and catch both
old and young ey young efpecially, ‘which
are be, if you have. good Song-Birds to

bring them

When you taken have them, put them
in a Store- Cage fit. for that, Purpofe,-and
take fome of the Seed, which you fine thém
to feed upon, and, put into the Cage,
likewife a little find Hemp-Seed ground or
bruifed; fet them in a. Window, or Place
convenient, where they are not difturbed.
ceding them with this Vidtuals for three or
ue Day s, then Cage them up, either in
Back-Cages, or any other Cages, whichyou
have molt convenient; feed them with rape,
and a fmall iViatter ofCanary-Seed amongit
it, with fome few Corns or Hemp... Thisis
all to feed the Neflling, Brancher, or Lin-
net, if well.;,if not, “you may give them
a little Lettice-Seed, or beat Leafs; you
may likewite put them.a {mall Matter. of
Liquorice or Saffron. in, the, Water... .You
may give thema {mall \,atter .of feeded

Chickw alk now and then ; ifyoufind them
troubled

Peay a Oi
trouble? with a Loofenefs, give them’a lit ~
tle Chalk, and alittle bruifed Hemp.Seed,
with now and thea a Stalk of Plane
Seed. I could mention feveral other Things.
concerning aLinnet, but this isthe beftand.
readieft Way that I.am.acquainted with, I
have taken Obfervations of it this twenty
four Years.

How to Stop a Linnet, or any other Bird,
and make them Sing, after they bave Miult~

ed off.
Ls H E Stopping ofa Bird is of great
ufe to the Bird Catchers, and likewife
-fuchas would have them learn a {weet Songs,
you muft let your Bird before you ftop him,
be a Year oldor better, and Keep him (Aa, -
Back Cage, fo.ihat he may be able to find,
his Viétuals in the dark ; you may put him
in a Stop about the middle of May. The
Naturé cfa Stop is, to. havea Cafe made fit.
for the purpofe, then put in your Birds and.
leave the Door open till you are fatishied
they have found their Méat and W ater,.
then darken them by degrees till they are-
quite’ dark, and’ when you fee they have
found ‘Hebe Meéat and Water there, cover
them witha Blanket or any thick Cloth
that is warm, keeping them very hot , you
mutt ‘look’at them, once in'two or threé’
Days, give them diy Water an.| ne Ww
E, 3, tine:

wf 64] ae

their Seeds : I don’t clean their Cages above
once a Month, by reafon theHotnefsoftheir
Dung, forces them to Moult. I takea bit
of Stick or Knife, to keep their’ Dung W
to prevent dirtying their Feathers, ‘af

let them continue in this clofe Stop for thtee
Months, by which ‘Time ‘they willbe -
moulted off; then I open'them a little and
a little by degrees ; I take off the Blanket
firft, and let them. ftand fo three “or four
Days, then open‘the Doora little way and
take them out and clean their Cages, and
put them jn again withthe Door half open
for two or three Days longer, then take them
out and put them in a warm Place, fo that
they come tothe Air by Degrees, put them

little beat Leafand Liquorice in the Wa-

ter, this with a Blade of Saffron, whichis
avery good Thing, when he is drawn offa
Stop. After you have drawn them out ofa
Stop, you'll find them to Sing ftill more and
more, fo that they’! be forthe bird-catcher’s
ufe, or to learn any other Birds their fongs;
thofe Birds will continue in Song “till about -
Chrijimas, or after, by which Yime. moft
young Birds are come to their Song:

‘Phefe Bird-Branchers are very plentiful
to be catch’d in Fune, Fuly or _Auguft, and
likewite Flight-Eirds about A/dchaelmas in
great Quantities; I have known forty or
i.fty Dozen catch’d in one Day with Clap-
N ets Lhe

L155 a

: fhe Goldfinch,
H E. commonly, builds -in Orchards or
Hedges, makes avery pretty, .Neft,
and lines it with a very fine Down or Wooll:
He breeds in April, ‘and has. three or four
Nefts. ina Summer; if brought up. from
their Neft they'll take their. Song froma
~Weod-Lark or Canary. Bird, or from any
other Bird; they are likewile avery fine
Bird to.draw their Water, and open their
Box for. their Victuals, if you bring them
up from theirNeft, you may feed them with
white Bread and Milk, according to the
Nature of a Linnet, only I grind a little
Canary-Seed, and put the Flower of it in
the room of Rape-Seed, feeding them a lit-
tle, ence inan Hour or two, three or four
bits at a. Time, for their Stomachs won’t
bear a great deal, they being very tender
Birds ; you may aE mix them, now
and then,. a little Nable Biskets among it,
.. Keeping aes with this fort of Vidctuals ’till
p they, are five or fix Weeks oid, then you
may giye theme little Canary- aad anda
littie fott Meat befides, breaking etn off,
of foft, Vieat as foon you as can, and bring
them to Ca nary 2 alone, which I look upoa
the befi. Food for this jeaie fome feed them
With Hemp- weed, but inmy Mind it makes
: them

[ 46 }

them rotten, and decays their, Coloursvery
much ; if you feed them with Canary they
are a very _beautiful, Bird, and) L thinks the
finett feathered Bird we keepin, Cages, This
Bird isa very merry Bird, and has.a pleafant
Song of his own, and.if.they, were not fo.
very ae they would be-as much admir-
edasa Canary Bird’; T have fent them over
Sea, by Captains and Merchants, to the Ca-
nariés, and feveral other Counteries, where-
they areas much admired as we do Canary
Birds in F England.

This Bird isto be catch’d feveral Ways;
and at feveral [imes.in the Year,.they be—
ine of fuch atame and-familiar Nature, that.
they'll fing ina Fortnight’s Time, catch
them what Time inthe Year you will; you.
may catch young Ones, which wecall grey
Pates,. in Fune,. uly, or Auguf?, but.I look.
upon the beft Time for catching them is at
Michaelmas 5 you catch them with Clap=
Nets as you do Linnets, and you may find:
them in great Flocks in thittelly Fields,
for they feed upon the Seed whichis in the
Thiitle and TVontells ; thisds-the Food they
i upon mot part of the Winter 3 they
are atender Bird i the Summer, but: hardy
+f catch’d in the’ Winter, and will fing pre->
fen rate , they are great Lovers oftemp-Seed.
and when they are firft c2tth’d'they-com=

monly feed them with it, but break them
of

[ si |
off it; ‘and bring them to Canary-Seed as
foon as [ can; ‘they'll fing very ftout with
Hemp-Seed, but féldom live very long, or
Moule well with it if yeu bring them up
toCanary-Séed, they area pretty Bird, and
will anfwer your expetation, |

How to Cure them .when Sick,

if F they are Sick, give them a little
Groundiel every Day, and a Blade of
Saffron in their Water ; ifthey are lofe give
them a little Chalk, either ftick it in the
Side of the Cage, orcrumble it in the Bot-
tom ; likewife give them alwaysred Sand
& Gravel inthe Bottom of the Cage, for.

he Seeds being Oily, this qualifies and
he the oil off their Stomachs; you may
likewife give them a little LeticeSeed; or
a little Th iftle-Seed, which you may And
in the great Thifle, at the Bottom ofa
white Down.

To know the Cock from the Hen.

O Umay know them either old or
young by the blacknefs oftheir Wings
the edze of the Cock’s Wing being black
up to ‘the Shoulder, and of a very good
fh: ning g Black; they are likewite black over
the Bill, and under it red ; they have like-
wife.a brighter Yellow and brighter Red,
and in all Parts.af a brighter Colour oe
the

[ 58 t. |
the Hen ; the Hen fhews.a little Bek in
the Wing, but Grey to.a Cock,. they are
likewife ¢ grey over the Bill where the. Co-k

is black © ‘Fhis is the, bef Account I can ©

wah re

give youto know a Cock Goldfinch... You |

may flop thefe Birds as-you do Linnets.

The BullGnch.

Puls isa very fine Bird both for

Beauty and taking any Song, having
but a very indifferent one of hisown. You
may learn him to Pipe feveral Tunes at
Command, lixewife to Whifile by the
Mouth ; you may learn -him to fpeak like-
wife. I have had fome both whittle and
fpeak feveral Words at Command; and the
Ra irity of thefe Birds is, when you have
lezrned them they never forget what they
have learned, if you hang them among ever
fo many Birds.’ Ihave known them fold
for eight, nine, or ten Guineas a Bird 5]
myfeif have fol d one for feyen Guineas. :

To jind their Nefes
HESE Birds have no yOuAg Ones

before the latter,End of A Tay, or Be=
ginning of Fuse; they commonly build in
an Orcha ig or Wood. 0 rina Park, wher
area gre man r-{reess they i ake* vd a
very eat iierent Neft, yet they have young
138 Ones,

ae

Leer

-Ones two or three Times in a Summer, and
have four or five young Ones at a Time 3
they are not very plenty inEngland, becaufe
they frequent Orchards, and do great Da-
mage tothe Buds of the Trees, which makes
the Gardiners fhoot'as many as they ‘can,
otherwife'they deftroy their Wali-Fruit.
‘There isin tome Parts of this Kingdom,
two Pence givem by the Church-Wardens:

for every Eullfinch that is killed, which I
take to be the Reafon of their Scarcity. In
fome Countries they cailthem Nopes, and
in other. Countries, Thick Bills; and in
other Countries they call themHoops. This.
Is take to be from their own Notes, becaufe.

turally they have a hooping fort of aNotes

| i pet on we call them Builfinches, by Rea-
fon they have a thick, black Head, anda
flubbed fhort Bill; the Cock has a very
red Rreaft, |

How-to Feed them,

OU may feed them and bring them
up, the fame Way as you do a Lin-

net, only when they reed themfelves, give
them more Canary-S eed thana ene I
pentraily give them the better half Canary-
Seed, and the reft Rape ; and if you find
therm out of order, give them a little fine
Tiemp-Seed, anda little Saffron in their
a ater ; shot may likewite give them a lit-
tle

60 | | 4
tle Wood-Lark’s Victuals, the fame as you q
doa Linnet. You miay take them when —
about twelve or fourteen Days old ; when
you have kept them three, four or iveDays, —
oraWeek, you may begin to Pipe, Whiftle,
or Talk to them what you have a Mind
they fhould learn; they are Birds that take
it pretty foon, I know a Gentleman that
Piped to one froma Fortnight old to fix
Weeks, and then being obliged to leave his
Birdand go into the Country, he ftaid there
for fix months, and when he came Home |
again, his Rird whiftled near three Parts of
the Tune, notwithftanding he had no Body
to Pipe or ‘Tune to him in his Abfence.

Io know a Cock from a Hen.

. HERE are feveral Opinions, fome
fay by the W hitenefs of their Rump, :
others, by the Bluenefs of their Back, and
others by acaft of reddifh Feathers under
the Wings. ‘The beft Way that] could
find, was to pull ahout halfa Dozen Fea-
thersof their Breaft when they are about
three Weeks old; then in about ten or
twelve Days after, you will perceive the
Feathers to come where you have pulled, as
red as Elood, ifa Cock, if a Hen, they
will come of a paleifh brown, tho’ I have
known both to whiftie and fpeak, yet a
Cock is far more beautiful, and better for
| Learning.

fin. Ooms 2 |
| Wearnirigt This Bird in my Opinion, 1S
the beft Bird for Learning, and keeping of

it w hen he has it, as we have i in England,

The Chaffinch.

Bisa vety ftout Bird, and very lavi h

in his Song, butts like other Pasa
a preatdealdifferent i in-his Song ; the Ejfex
are the beft; I have known tome brought up
and fold for a Guinea anda half, and two
Guinea’s aBird; they commonly learn them
a Song which is called Whitford Tuze, and
Cropping Lim, they are commonly brought
up under other Birds calle as Szozet Sang
Coafinch. The wild Ones don’t fing above.
three Monthsinthe Year, butthem that are
brought up Neftlings, or Branchers, will
fing fix orfeven Months inthe Year, but

they commonly Blind them; if you'll-nave
them learn a Song, itis the beit Way ‘to

keep them ina little Back Cage, and about
three Months old they eenerally Blindthem
‘Yhe nature of Blinding thems thus, to
_ keepthem Dark, and when they have bela.
a Week ia Dark snets, and find their Victus.
als and Water very well, weeither take tre
Wier of the Cege} or a piece of Wier for
that purpote, and put it in the Fire,/tillitis
almott red hot, and to take him in yourhand, —
and clofe-his Eyes up withit 5 put him ei-
a) ig thir

hin in Darknefs, or in pene privaté Place,
for ifhe finds the Air comes to his Eyes, |
he'll rub them open, andthen he’ll be good)
fox nothing; fo the beft Way is, to keep”

Hicvin-a clot Box, and to Cover, him fo
th:tno Air comes to him for a Fortnight ;

by this Time you'll find that his Eyes, will
be fcabb’d over, and almoft well, in which

‘Time, if you find him to rub his Eyes, put

him up again for two or three Days longer,

for if they rub their Eyes open, they are

frigh iful to look at, and good for nothing.

f you have a Mind to bring them up
flo the Neft, they breed almoft in every
Hedge, and have young Ones at the begin-
ing of Aday; they breed twice or three
Times in the Year, you may take them
about ten ortw elveDay s old,and feed them
as youdoa Linnet : J need not be too te-
dious in Feeding of this Bird, becaufe the
fame Food that feeds the Linnet, feeds the
Chaffinch:: They are a very hardy Bird,
and if.you would have them Branchers you
muft takethem in Fane or Fuly ; you may
take them at a watering Place, where they
come to Water, or ina broad Lane, and
may take them with Clap-Nets as you de
Linnets,

{ 63];

To know a Cock from a Hen.

I F you have a Neft, take the Bird that
&f isthe higheft Colour, and the brighteft
White in his Wing, likewife the browneft
in the Back ; if you are curious to know |
the Cock, as foun as they feed themfelves,
pull five or fix Feathers off their Ereafts,
_and if they be Cocks, in ten or twelve Days
Time, they'll come out red, if Hens, they I
come much the fame Colour as they were
before ; likewife if you have Branchers, and
don’t know the Cocks from the Hens, you
may dothe fame, for all Cocks are ofa
Purple Red on the Breaft, and the Hens
grey.

2 The Green-Bird,
¥ - FICH in feveral Countries is call’d

the Greenfinch or Green-Linnet, is

avery ftrong hardy Bird; and fitter for the
Spit than for Singing ; he isa very fine
Bird to ring the Bells.in the Cage: if you
_ bring him up from the Neft he’li learn-ei-
ther to Whiftle or Pipe, or fing any Birds
~ Song you may feed him with the fame
Vidtuals as youdo a Linnet or Chaifinch,.
and if Sick, the fame Vidctuals that cures a
Linnet willcure him, You may catch him.
yithClap-Nets, as youdo Linnets.and other

L 64 5 ve

Birds, and i js to be catch’d in great Quan- :
tities, abott Michaelmas, in the common |
Fields :

The Aberdevine.
TH HS isavery pretty merry Bird, and
is much wo Colour and Fignefs ofa
piey Canary-Bird, they don’t breed in thefe
Farts, nor ean I give you any Account
where they breed, but I believe they come
from the North 1 eS commonly catch’d
‘here in the Wiunter they frequent here the
Alder LT Tees by tke River-fide, and are to
be catch’das we do Linnets or Goldfinches,
‘ feed upon the fame Seed as the Chaf-
finches or Linnets, but they love the white ~
- _ Seed; they area merry Bird, and the Co-
four of a Canary-Bird, only the Cock hasa
black Spot upon his- Head, por a little
Black under his’ 1 hroat.

The. “lwite.

: HIS isa very merry Bird, and fit
# to be kept among Linnets, or Gold-
finches or any other {mall Birds; they are
continually Singing, and provoke others to
fing ; you may feed them as you do Chaf-
Pac hes. and Linnets, only they love theCa-

mary-Seed. ‘his isa very pleafing ger

~
e

>. ee
Ry

[eee 'y
and is catch’d as you: do Linnets' or Chaf-
finches,
The Cock hatha red Spot jut upon his’
re and the Hen hath none.

cae R ihe

x HIS is-a pretty little Bird, the Cock.
hath a very red Breaft, and a red.
| Head, he fing a pretty Sort of chattering.
‘Song, but in my Opinion, hardly worth
keeping.. They are fed with the fame Food:
as a Chafiinch ora Linnet. In my Opini-.
on, there is none of the three laft mention-
ed Birds that breeds in England, for they
come from the North againit Winter, and.
return back in the Spring :Some fay t hey
breedin France, and call them the French:
Linnet, but I belteve they breed in Scctland,
or thofe North Parts, by Reafon of theis
coming here againft cold: Weather.

AVINGnow given an: Account at.

large of the Nature, Songs, and. Mfan-
ner of Catching, Feeding, and Breeding of
our Englijh BIR DS. 1 thall pe to
give you a brief Account hew toorder F.-
reign Ones, according to the beft of my
Knowledge andE.xperience, which hasbeen,
fer wear Forty Years. ;

a A. Fhe

r 66 } A

The Canary-Bird.

-HESE Birds we formerly had brought |

from the Canaries, and no where elfe,
a is generally known by that Name, but
e have Abundance of that Kind come
Ph Germany, 10 we calkthem by the Name
_ of the Country German Birds, but I believe
their firit Original were brought from the
Canary-Elands. Vhe Birds brought from
‘the Canaries, are not fo much in Efteem
with us as formerly, for thofe brouzht from
Germany and France, far exceed them in
Handtomenefs and Song, the German Birds
having many fine Jerks and Notes of the
PL aaa and ‘fit-Lark, which in its
Place { thall declare how they came to: have.
Zany Country People cannot diftinguith

Bei adey Hint from one of our common -

resists, but if they would diligent! y
obferve how the Pafiage of his ‘Uhroat

nae es when he is Singing, they might _

ickly diftinguith him from any other
Bird, let him be of any Manner of Colour,
belides, he his freer of Nature, and hath a

longer Pail than moft Birds of his Size.
The Nature of the Canary -Bird is quite
contrary to.all others, foras other Birds are
Fubject to be ie ey never dre (I mean
the Cocks when in Song) for the great-Met-
ue

NS Be ee ‘

67 J
tle of the Bird, and his lavith Singing,
will hardly fuffer him to keep Fleth upon
~ his Back.

How to chufe a Canary-Bird, axd to know
evbether he bath a good Song, likewife whe-
ther a Cock or Hen.

S tothe Colour, I thall fay leaft, that
depending entirely on the Fancy of

thofe who buy them, only, forthe Inftruc-
tion of my Reader, I {hall mention fome of
the Terms us’d by Canary-Bird Fanciers,
viz. French, fo called from the Breed of
_ fome that a few Years ago were brought
from France, but fince much improved in
the Colour by our Breeders at Home ; the
fineft Sortare ofa beautiful bright Yellow,
befcan gled withan Intermixture of jet black
Spots, having little orno white about them
The nextisthe mealy Bird,fo called from
the mealy Kind of Colour which feems to
cover all his Feathers, fo that he has no.
other Colours prefect, being covered with
that mealy Caft, tho’ often in Breeding they
throw as fine a Feather to their “young Ones
as the beft.

‘Tine next are your mottled Ones, being
moftly wnite, mottled here and there with
» black or brownihSpots, fomeare allWhite,
- fomeall Yellow ; forme the Colour of Buff;
fume of <n ath Colour, and fome grey ;

theie

cr 68 a
thefe laft are the moft contemptible for their
Colour, but yet are generally as good in
Nature as any ; but as I faid before, the
Choice of Colours only depends on the Per-

fon who is’to be the Buyer.

Yo chufe a Bird in Health.

N the firft Place, Let him. be a young:

fprightly Bird, and:ftrait, ftanding with
Vigour, likea {parrow -Hawk, not fubjeét
to be fearful, but after finging aimfelf two
er three Times from the Pearcht » the Top:
of the Cage, he will fhake himfelf, and un-
-dauntedly flrut, as if void of all Fear, and
appear vigorous, fleek and ftrait : But to:
obferve this-well, fet the Bird ata conveni-
ent Diftance from you, that this may not:
wholly be the Effects of Fear, for a Bird:
that isa little Sick will do what is above-
mentioned, and appear fleek and trim dur-
ing the Time of his Surprife, and while you.
fiand too near his Cage, and by the Craft
ef the Perfon who would fell a fick Bird ;.
by this many may be deceived, by their
flurting at the Cage with their Hand, as if
pointiag at the Bird to fhow the beauty of.
him, he wi!! ftand ftrait, draw up his Fea-
thers fleex, and appear as I have before
mentioned, and fo deceive the Buyer 3 but
. by hanging him-up, or tetting” bi at fome
Diftance from you, if he isnot well, he will
pre=_

[ 69 |
prefentlyfhew it, by crowching down, hang
ing his Wings, appearing all of a heap, and
very rough in his Feathers, and putting his
Head under his Wing (all thefe are bad
Signs, and denote the Bird unhealthy.)
There is another Way to know if a Bird
be in Health, and that is by his Dung,
’ when he is taken out of the Store-Cage, ob-
ferve well if the Bottom of the Cage he is
put in be clean; then take notice of the
Dung, and the Manner of his dunging, for
if he bolts his Tail afterwards, like the
Nightingale, it is a Sign he is not in per-
fect Health; altho’ he may fing for the pre-
fent; But he does not, and his Dung ap-
pears thick, hard and round, being ofa fine
White on the outfide, and darkifh in the.
middle, and quickly dry, then it isa very
good Sign, for a Seed-Bird feldom dungs ©
too hard, unlefs he be very young. 2
Now I will fhew you the bad Symptoms _
of this Bird’s Dunging: Firft of all, his

_ bolted his Tail like the Nightingale, as I fe

_ before obferved : The nextis, if he dung
thin, like Water, with no Thickening in it
that is a bad Sign: And Jaft of all, if he
dung only a flimy Whitenefs, with no black
in it, itisa very dangerous Sign that Death
is approaching and that he will not conti-

' . .
_ hue long with you.

%

Je chufe a Bird for Song, .
I F you hear him Sing before you buy —
him, then you are fure you have not —
bought.a Hen for a Cock. As to the
Song, Icount it good, when it is begua
fomething like theSky-Lark, then running
on the Notes of the Nightingale, which if-
he begins well, and holds itlong, nothing
inmy Mind can be Sweeter; but as the
Fancies ofMen areas different as either the.
Colours or Songs of the Birds, fotheir Eyes’
and Ears are the beft Judges for their Fan-
_ ies, yet I fhall not fail to give my Opinion ©
and Judgment to thofe who have not had
Experience in this delightful and innocent
Amufement.

The next Obfervation is, A Bird cn
begins with the Sweet of the Nightingale,
gradually four or five Times falling into fe-
veral other {welling Notes of the above-
mentioned Bird, and ending with the Sung
of the Tit-Lark: I fay, a Bird that hath
a fuficient Share of each of thefe Birds
Songs, is both harmonious, {prightly, and
very delightful to the Ear.

Thef: Notes are di iftinguth in this.
Manner, viz. the Sweet Fug, followed by a
Swelling Slur, with the Water-EBubble, a
then the {prightly Song of the Tit-Lark,
chewin g and w hifking feveral Limes in a

Breath s “y

beeen

Oa AE gee Bea |
Breath; a Bird that will go fweetly thro’
his Song in this Manner, without breaking
off, may be faid to be a good Song-Bird.
The Terms of Whisking and Chewing, are,
as near as we can exprefs his pretty Notes
with our Werds, what yeu will hear him
more perfectly expefsin his own delightful
Language, as well as the Sweet and Fug,
which aimoft every Body know are fome
of the Nightingale’s Notes, 3
_ Again. Some Fanciers are pleafed when
a Canary-Bird only fings the Song of the -
Tit-Lark, which is indeed very pleafant
and delightful.

Others only fancy that Bird which begins
like the Sky-Lark, and holds his Song all
the while in the fame Manner, having long
Notes and fweet, but I think not much Va-
riety in it,

Some there be likewife, who like a Bird
that hath a loud lavifh Note, not atall re-
dpecting either Variety or Length, fothat

he makes but Noife enough in their Ears,

Iithefe Initructions may not at firfttruly
qualify a Perfon, let this ferve in general, -
‘hat they chufe what is moft agreeable to
their own Ear, and that holds the Song the.
Jongeft, whithout breaking off fhort, with-
out harfh f{craping Netes, or difagreeable
Whining, which fome Birds have at the

4 : " Begin-

irae apa!

| i i. | a
Beginning and Middle of their Song, wick
is very un erateful tothe Ear. |

To know a Cock from ¢ a “Hen,
HE firft and moft certain Method,

“is the Bird's Song, which is a-never-
failing Argument if they hear him Sing
that he isa Cock, for the Hens never Sing.

altho’ fome have, by a Sort of jabbering
Noife, which fome do make better than
others, deceived not only unskilled Perfons,
but thofe who have thought themfelves
compleat Fanciers, as I fhall hereafter give
a pleafant Inftance. The W ay then to di-
ftinguith between the Cock’s Soag and the
len’s jabbering is, that the Cock, let him
fing never fo Lac ierents almoft every Lime
he itrikes a Note, ycu may eatily perceive.
the pafface of his I’hroat to Beare e, witha
pulfive Motion, iwelling like a little Pair
of Bellows all the Time he is warbling out

his pretty Notes, which never happens to a

Hen, for let her make what Bose, ihe will,
and refemble finging never do well, this
Motion is never obferved in her T hroat as
it is in the Cock’s.

‘The next Obfervation is, the Largenefs,
Vigour, and majeftick Carriage of the
Cock, which he generallyfhews if inHealth,
by extending | his Neck and Head, asif he

would

bie bod
htoe & ie "
ee “se

>

/

i 731
» would endeavour to be fomething more
than himfelf, like too many Mortals in the
World; andas the Cock is the longeftand
largeft Bird, fo with this fort of Carriage 1¢
makesthe Diffrence much greater, fur the
Hen is not only {maller and fhorter every
- Way, efpecially from theLegs to the Vent,
which feems to come down from the Legs,
under the Belly, to the Vent, fhorter, and
as it were’ of a more fudden Roundnefs,
which happens from her being by Nature
in that Part larger, for containing and
laying her Egos; whereas the Cock appears
_in that Part more flim and longer, coming
_ down from his Legs to his Vent gradually
taper, ending in a {mall Point under his
< et Cees
Another Thing ts to be obferved, If you
Blow the Cock and Hen, you may perceive
his Vent appear longer than that of the
Hen’s, and the Orifices not all together fo
wide. |
The next and laft Obfervation is fiom
the Colour above the Bill of the Cock,
which isa more bright Yellow, as likewife
under his Throat, and on the Pinion of the
Wing ; for let the birds be of what. Co-
lours they will, they always have a little
Yellow almoft upon their Bills, and under ~
their Throats, anda ftroke over the Eyes,
which 1 in the Cocks is a bright firong cue
3 G

low

ae ae

low, but in the Flen’ s it is'more languid :
and pale, 2 NAY A -¥4 tr 7

The Story 1 promifed to relate was —
thus: i3-. 1SnI9g i

O R want of a due Obfervation of the

above-mentioned Rules, onewho:coun= ©
ted himfelfia compleatJudge, put two Hens
together to breed, and would: not be con-
vinced by all the Arguments which: were
ufed to periuade him to:the contrary, by ©
fome, who always made thefeObfervations,
the ate Maxim of Diftinétion between
the Cock and Hen, till at laft his fuppofed
Cock had laid more Eggs than his Sitter
Hen, which made him acknowledge his
Cbfiinacy, and own himfelf a Subject for
daughter.

Concerning the Canary-Birds when they be-.
gin to Build, or thofeyou intend f-r Breed-
thE

HES E Birds breed; four. or five
. ,Timesina,Year,..and commonly lay
four, five, or fix Eggs at a lame,.I have
knoyn feven, butthat I think:too. many ;
the moft young, Ones I. everydid know
brought up at a. Time in one Neft was fix,
they. tet fourteen Days including the Day
you tet them, they thatare minded to breed
and

[75 J

and not be difappointed, let them breed
with Englifh bred Birds ; particularly thote
of the French Kind which breed beft of alt,
if your Birds be both Yellow match’d to-
gether, they muft be ftout, otherwife they
will breed very {mall, but if your Cock or
Hen be Yellow and fmall, then matchit with
a large mealy, one, which will itrengthen
the breed, I would advife you not to match
your Birds till the middle of March, and
turn them upthe latter Kad which is Time
enough, let your Places he fitted up as is
hereafter defcribed ; In the firft Place, You
muft have a convenient Cage, ox elfe pre-
pare a Room which will be convenient for
that Purpofe. Hf it be convenient, let it
be towards the Sun-rifing, becaufethebirds
love Warmnefs and the Sun-fhine in the
Room in the Morning, makes the Room
warm allthe Day... You may make an Out-
Jet in the Window towards the Sun-rifing,
Where they may. go out and have a little
Air when they pleafe. I would notadvife
you to overftock the Room ; fome Rooms
thatare pretty large, you may turn inten
or twelve Pair, according as your Room is
in Bignefs, You rauft make your Room
after this Manner, throw red Sand or Gra-
vel at the Bottom, and if you pleafe, you
may fet up a Tree in the Middle of the

~ Room ; you may likewife nail up Neit-
G 2 Foxes

Pye Te |

Roxes and Back-Cages in every/Corner of.
the Room, for fome of the Birds love to
breed pretty dark, andothers pretty, light ;
yeu muit be fure to put (up as: Many more
Roxesand Cages as \ ou haye-Paits, for they
love to have Choice, and yet jtheyvare «
apt to goto Nefk again before the, firft
fy. | Tf there is not Conveniency they are
apt to Make their Nef upon, the, young
Cnes, Il have loft a Neft of two or three
young Ones upon thatvery-Account; when
I went to look for Birds, -L faw, none, but
the Nefi made in tne fame Box, which made
me wonder what was become m: mys Birds,
and pul ling cutthe Neft, 1 found them all

imothered under it; 5 they willlikewife build
in the Tree which isin your Room, and if -
you do not tie it in feveral Places the Neft,
the Fegs and young Oncs will be-apt to

foilthro’; J haye. loft. many Birds. after
this Manner, butinimy Opinion, any, Man
that breeds them for his Pleafure, its the
beft Way to bz ead them in a.Cage made
for that Purpote, which ought to be as large
egain as what we call Breeding-Cages, fo
that they may have: Room to fly, for the
more Room the better, You mutt likewife
have two Boxes to m: ketheir Nef in, for
as I told you before, they are,apt to go to
Neit again, beforethe young Onesfy, wis
being two. Boxes, the Hen, wil build: i

Les
the other Pow, and the Cock will feed the
youns Ones.

If you have'a’ Mind to bring them up
by Hand, feed) them with'the fame Food
as you do Linnets, and take them away at,
twelve or fourteen Days old; for if you'let
them lie longer'with the‘old Ones, they
erow fullen, and will not feed, but if you
defign to let ‘the old Ones bring them up 4
let them alone till the old Ones hatch again 5
as foon as they have young Ones, I would
have'you take the formeraway, or elfe they
will {poil the young Ones by pulling them
out of their Neft, or picking them as thev
lie.’ Thave loftby this Means feveralN afis
of young Ones, but now I take themaway
when I find themable enoughto feed cham.’
felves, When you take them away, you
muft make their Victuals very Bot od,! boil
an Ege hard, then take a little of the Yelk
likewife about as much of the beft Pread,;
and alfo a little fealded Rape-Seed;) about
a third Part of the Rape-Seed as there is
Bread. “When itis Boiled eee u yee may

grind itun-a' Mail, if you have buat few
Bitds; you may take: a T- reaib inet ae brurfe
rewith a Bladeora Knife; and make it'vét
Ty fine, forthe finer the Barrer: ; yoummud
ixewite ‘pita ‘little’ Maw-Sced mp te,
and fo mix! at up! alt iB LEner, and give them
a Fan full of itevery D day. Younidy lik 2-
G 3 W iia

‘aed

wife give them a little fcalded Rape-Seed,
and a little Rape and Canary-Seed by itfelf.
This isthe Food that I feed young Canary-

Birds with, that are brought up by the old
Ones ; I commonly feedthemwith this Food
tll they have moulted. off ;. take particular
Care-not to let the Rape-Seed befower for
if it be, it gives them. the Loofenefs, and

kills them. You muft likewife make your.

foft Victuals frefh every Day, or every

other Day at fartheft, for I give themfrefh.

every Day. |
The next Thing is, what I fhould have
told you before, that is, how to feed them
and Pair them when you firft Pair them for
~ Breeding, I always put the Cock and Hen
together ina {mall Cage, fothat they may
be Paired before I turn them into the Room
or Cage where I defign for their Breeding.
I feed them very well with foft Meat, that
is, Ege, Bread, Maw-Seed, -and ,a_ little

{calded Rape-Seed, hardly a third Part or

Ego, andfo mix it very well together, as
I told you before, only Ido not boil if for
the old Ones, as I do for the young Ones,
but grate the Bread and the Egg with the
Grater, fo mix it very well together, and
the Rape-Seed I boil as I told you’ before
for the young Ones, T hardly put one Part
of Rape-Seed to the Quantity of Bread and
Eee; before they-have young Ones, give

them ~

7

is

Le
aa

‘

ce

them Groundfel with Seeds on it, and af-
terwards Chickweed with Seeds upon it,
towards June give them fome Shepherds
Pufs, and in Fulyand Augi/? Plantain; for
want of thefe Things you may fupply them.
witha Cabbidge Lettice bit’ this is not
to be ufedfor-a Conftancy, and be fure you
don’t fail of giving them freth Greens and
foft Vidiuals every Day when they-have
young Ones (efpecially in the Morning) f for
if they are —— when young,- ‘twill be
-ahard Matter to raife them.

How to crder them to make their Neft.

» Omake their Neft, I give them Fik’s
Hair and a little fine Hay; fome
give them fome fine Feathers, for my Part,
I give them nothing but a little fine 'Eiay,
and Elk’s-Hair, fot they will-ufe the dry
Chickweed, or any thing they find at the
Bottom of the Cage, whichif they dé;*and
afterwards line it with Hair, it will do as
well as the beft:

YF the feveral Ditompers incident to Canary
Satie ds, and bow ta Cure them.
Chanter as well as-ether Living

Creatures, are fubject) to. feveral Di-
ftempers, altho’. there be fotme 20 fo good
and happy a Conftitution, that they may be
{aid to. live out their Live-times without

any

[ 80 ]

any Difeafes, and never droop ’till Age ia
worn out Nature, which fome have been
known to live twenty-four Years. /I have
een fome myfelf of twenty-two Yearsiold
but the Reader muft imagine, fuchlong-
liv’d Birds muft not onlysbe of a healthy
Conftitution, but have a) careful Keeper,

which isa great Argument, that» People
would never lofe fo many Birds, were it not
for want of proper Inftructions; in which I

hope'the “wall Trac? will be of Service.>\ -

In the firft place I fhall take Notice of
their Difeafes ; then ofthe Remedies pro- —
per to be ufed.

The firft Mal ady which they are moft
incident to, is a Surfeit, from either their
‘being fed by the old Ones; with too much
Greens, or from their own over-gorging
when they come to feed themfelves on the
fame ‘ood ; efpecially that fort of Chick-
weed, whi ch is ve ery thick of Leaves, and
is very “sai and moiit, haying too many
broad aaa es and'no Seeds ; this fort of
Chickweed is very pernicious both toold
and young, *: itymore ef péeciallyto theyoung
C ne to wnom it as slbicy apt to give the
Agee eee call dotheis Surivit, winch caufes
them to iwellvery much usader their Eellies,

appearing as it were traafparent, “fall of lit)
tle red Veins, ali their little bowels inking
down to the’ extream Parts-of their Bodies,

fome-

[a]
fometimes turning black ; when it comes
to this, itis then very dangerous 3 -befi
other Remediés, they muft be kept very
warm :> Thefame Diftemper comes alfo by -
violent'‘Colds, ‘buts more eafy to cure
taken in Time; andis calPda Swelling, 1
theo frit degree only white, which if We
prevented turns tora red, andoas in the Sur-
feit, foin this; it laft ofall turnsto a black
Swelling, which is saa hard tocure; there
are few which furvive the laft degreeof this
- Di8emper. Therefore it 1s bet, at frit,
to prevent its progreis, before it gets too
far. Moulting is natural to all Birds, and
yet while it laits it may be counted dange-
rous, unlefs propea Care be taken ; for in-
deed we may compare the firft Moulting to
that of Childrens breeding their Teeth, and
equally as hazardous and mortal to the
Birds, as to the Children, but fome Seafons
are more favourable than others, that is
when moulting Time comes in very warra
and concludes with temperate Weather,
there is lefs Danger. You may difcover
when they begin andare in Moult, by thefe |
Symptoms, they will appear rough, melan-
choly, and often fleeping in the Day, with
their Heads under their Wings ; you wiil
find the Cage they are in ail covered with ©
Down and. {mall I Feathers, for the young
Ones only the firft Year caft their Down
and

f 82 ]
and {mall Feathers, and the facond, their
Taithand Wing Feathers; they fokbeltinds

grow very fick by means ‘Of a little Pimple

;

growing onitheir -Rumps, cali’d the Pip on

the: ‘Fail

The beft Way isto let it have its Courfe,
and break itfelf, unlefs the’ Bird is bad in-
deed, then he muft have fpeedy Relief, as
fhall be mention’d in its Place,

They have fometimes yellow Scabs about

their Heads, and fometimes their Eyes ;

when this Diftemper fpreads, nothing but
Time and cooling Food will carry it off.

Several extraordinary Remedies for the Di

Fiempers before-menticned.
I T were to little Purpofe to know what
Diftempers Canary-Birds are troubled
with, unlefs you were acquainted with fome
Things which might give them Eafe.

The firft is the Surfeit, which you-will
perceive by blowing up the Feathers on the
Felly, if it be {well’d, and if fo-far zone,
it will be black. Give your Bird at firth
a good Share of whole Oatmeal among* his

Seed ; repeat this three or four Days,’ in or-
dor fo cleanfe him; putatthe fame’ Time
fome Liquorice in hig Waters: but if you
perceive him to-laxatave or lodfes inftead
of Oatmeal give him Maw-Seedand bruifed
Ficmp-Seed, becaute thefe are aflringent.

You |

ge:
may give hima little Groundfeland Saffron
in his Water, and boil’d Milk and Bread,
with Maw-Seed in it, is very good.
Thisisan excellent Pafte fora Bird, ei-

ther under the Diftemper call’d a Surfeit,
_ orthe common Swelling: Take a Pinch of
WWiillet-Seed; the fame of Hemp, asalfo of
Maw, | Rape and Canary ; let thefe juft boil
up, rince them in cold Water, tocool them;
then boila new-laid Ege hard, bruife the
white and: Yelk together, take about a
quarterof the Ege, making it very {mall,

put itto the Seeds, and add as much more
{ettuce-Seed as any one of the others, Give
this to your fick Bird, it has had good Ef-
fects on many. But you mult obferve, in
the Morning early, before you give this
Compofition, to let your Bird drink two or
three Jimes Water in which you have put
fome Treacle, which you may order thus ;
take out your leaden Pot or Glafé over
Night, when your Bird js at Reft, put the
quantity of two Peas off reacle in his Wa-
ter, but let his Water bez clean’ from an
thing elfe, andwhen you have obfery’d him
to drink two orthree Times, take out the
Waterand Treacle, rince your Pot and put
in fome clean Water ; this do three or four
Mornings before you eve him'the above-_
mentioned Compofition,

figw

Bigs Phe:
How to order them when in Moult.
ARM TH and good nourifhine
Food are their greateft Friends in
this Diftemper, for that Reafon let your

Birds either be where the Sun fhines very

firong on them; or if does not, let your
Place or Cage be kept very warm during
the whole Time of their Moult; let them
be where no Wind can come on them, for

the leaft Coldnaay chance to kill them, Let

them have as many nourithing Things as
youcan, as Naples Bifket, Bread and Kee,

and fome Saffron in their Water, bruited ~

Hemp-Seed, Lettuce-Seed and Maw-Seed.
If the Wether is very hot, during the
Time of their Moult, change fometimes
the Saifron-Water for other, in which fteep
a fmall Piece of Liquorice, and give them
Plantain and Lettuce-Seed together; you
mutt not give thefe laft Things ifthe Wea-
ther be very cold. The Reafon fo ma-
ny Things are prefcrib’d is, that fick Birds,
as well as fick Men, ought to be humour'd
with what pleafes them, which often proves
the belt Phyfick; if your Bird fhould be
very bad, let him have Naples Bifket tteep’d
in White-Wine, and force a imall Drop
down their Throats, finely temper’d in your
Mouth ; this laft muft not be usd, unlefs
his Caie be dangerous. When yourCanary-

Bird

*

[ 85]
Bird is troubled with the little Pimple on
his Rump, called the Pip, and you obferve
Tokens of Sicknefsin him, when it is ripe
and full of Matter, take the Point ofa fine ~
Needle, and let out the Matter with as
much Gentlenefs as youcan ; {queeze it all
out ; after take a Bit of Sugar moiften‘d in
your Mouth, and put it on the Sore, will
heal it. There isa Diftemper that os
times comes on their Heads, a yellow kind
ef Scurf, which fometimes fwells, andis
full of Matter, cover’d with little Scabs ;
this muft be fuppled with Oil of Sweet Al-
monds, {weet Lard, frefh Butter, as itcomes
out of the Churn, without Salt or LApOR
Greafe; anoint it withany of thefe ‘] hings,
and adminifter the fame Food, as Lettuce-
eed, €5¢. As I have in fome Places pre-
loib'd cooling or cleanfing I hings, and in
others what is warm, dry and nourithing, I
think it not amis to explain myfelf, Art,
as to what is cooling, as Chickweed, but be
-hot over lavith in this, give Plantain and -
Lettuce, or either of thefe, and fome fcald-
ed Rape-Seed, and put a fmall quantity of
whole Gatmeal in their common hardSeeds,
_and for their Drink, Water witha {mall Bit

of Stick Liquorice.

_ All thefe are fine cooling Things, but
muit only be given in proper Seafons, that
is, when the Spring is pretty forward, juft
H before

[ 86°] q
before Ereeding-Time, or in extreme hot
Weather, but don’t continué’ thefe above
two or three Days, left you make them
feower too much, which if they do, draw
fome of their Tail-Feathers; put Saffronin
their Water, Maw-Seed in the-Tin=Pan,
turning the Drawer, you’ put the! Victuals
in upfide-down, covering ail'the: Top: of
the Drawer with nothing but “bruifed
Fiemp-Seed. This 1s a fovereign Remedy
for a Loofenefs, tho’ fome will give them
a Head of Groundfel.

As to what is counted the Nourifhing
Food, and Drying, Naples Bifket-alone,
ormixt with hard Koo,

Bruifed Hemp-Seed, Mdulet-Seeds,-
Maw-Seeds, Bread and Eggs, and Rape-
Seed, mixt together, the Rape-Seed being
{calded to mix the betterwith the Breadand
Ege, inthe fame Manneras I have direct-
ed feyeral Times before, - While the cold
Winter Seafon lafts, let them have fuffi-
cient of thefe warm and nourifhing Things;
and now and then a little Saffron in their
Water: 7 ved Lovley

There are fome that make ufe of feveral
Things not here mentioned, whichis more
the Enfecisof Fancy than good Judgment ;
and by fuch Sort of Practices over-do the
Bufinefs, by killing their Birds with what
is not proper for them, which makes out |

an

page)
an old Englifh Proverb, That too much Csok=
ing [poils the Broth,

I am confident from thefeDireCtions, the
Cafe will be different, by reafon}, have
mentioned nothing but what I have weil
experienced, and 1 know to be ufeful; and
as-by thefe Directions voung Fanciers may
may be fuccefsful, which may itill encreate
the Numbers of curious Perfons, who fer
want of Inftructions, have been fearful te
venture on this fo innocent and deightful
Recreation, which I do think, by means

ofthis Small Trac, they may without fear
Ste to keep and manage any tort of
Birds herein mentioned; but if they find,

eany Difficulty, or any thing that may ap-
pear to be obfcure, throughout the whole,
orifany thing may feem wanting to the
Satisfaction of my Readers, I do promute
to any Perfon that will give themfelves the

Trouble to come to my Houfe, mentioned
in the Title Page, to give them all the Sa-
tisfaction or IitnoStines lam capabl eto do
by Word of Mouth’: I promife this for the.
Value I have for all fuch, who like myfelf,
take Ple fure in fuch pretty; innocent, har«
PREORE and delightful little Crea.ures.

mes, : H 2 , The

C8 oy

T he Red-Bi rd,

S. commonly called a Virginia Nightine
gale, they are very plenty in Virginia.g
they fing a very pretty Song, and. fome-
thing like our #ygli/h Nightingale, but
not fo well 5 they are very beautiful Birds,
and ofa pEStY, large Size, and almoft as
big asa fmall Thruth ; they are ofa very ~
fine Red upon their Breaft, and havea red
fail, anda very fine large Topping upon
their Heads,, they are all over of 4 reddith
Colour ; they catch them in Virgimi , im
the Snow, with a Snare, as we do Larks
bere in Englands they {weep the Snow a--
way, and bait the Place with Virginia
Wheat, or the Chaff of t, as we do with
Chaff or Oats for Larks in England; when
they take them, they commonly feed them
with Virginia Wheat. W hen we have
them in En gland, we feed them with Hemp
and Canary-Seed ; if you car. break them
of the Hemp, and feed them on Canary,
it isthe beft. I keep them ina large Cage,
and give them a little Wood-Lark’s Meat
in the Pan, and now and then-a little of
our Nightinga le’s Food,- efpecially in the.
time of Moulti ie; OF A thes fhould be
lick, I give thema Spider ora Meal-

W orm,
? hee

[ 89 J
The Cock is ofa very Thoauciel Colour,
and the Hen more pale,’ Ub e Hen fings
finer than the Cock, but not fo loud nor fo
long. T have, known feveral attempted to
breed them heré in: England, and not bred
many | to Perfection.

uy flatter myfelf, that very few will call
_my Judgment in queition, when they con-

fider that Phave been'a Dealer in Birds for
| Forty Yeaispaft, andfocontinue, There-
fore as | faid before; I {hall be ready and
willing to make amends for whatfoever
may feem wanting here, to all Perfons that
willbe pleafed to come to my Houle, as
aforefaid, where there is never wanting a.
fufficient Number of thofe charm ing Cho-
rifters of the Grove, to delight all thofe
who are pleafed with their harmonious,

Wi ufic.

FBR bicharasH shy Bh

CONTENTS,

F the Nightingale. page 7
Concerning their Food. 12
How to find their Nett and take it. 14
The Wood-Lark. 16
How to take them in January. © 19
To know the Cock fromthe Hen. 21

MA pleafant Stor ‘y of the Weood-Lark

and Nightingale 23
Fhe Sky-Lark Bn
Hew ta Feed them 25

How to kuow a Cock frome Hen © 28
To take Branchers or Puthers >> Ibid.
The

The CONTENTS.

The Brancher

29
To take them in Flight. 30.
The Tit-lark 32
The Robin-Red-Breaft 36

What Difeafes “Robin-Red-Breafls

are fubjec& to, and how to cure

then. : 38
The Wren 39
To know a Cock from a Hen 40.
The large Tom-Tit, by yome called

Joe Bent As sa58 4l
The Red-Start oor bik:
The Black-Bird | A2

Lo know the Cock from the Hen. 43

The Thruth, in fome Countries called

the Throftle : 4A
The Sterling. 3 46.
To know a Cock from a Hen Ay
: ; The

Ae Ces

The CONTENDS;

The Sparrow d-ra91D ae
To know a Cock from a Finch dA Ge
The Linnet — yoy Woidy
How to Feed them 1 5
Jo know a Cock from a Hen +) 5h
How to catch Branchers. ©. 5

How to Stop a Linnet, or any, other
Bird, and make them Sing, after

they have Moulted off erro
The Goldfinch 55
How to Cure them when Sick 5a
To know a Cock froma Hen Ibid.
The Bullfinch | S58
To find their Nets. Ibid.
How to Feed them Ȥ9 >
To know a Cock froma Hen 27 69
Tbe Chafinch |, 61
To know a Cock pa Hen. 63

TheCON TENTS,

The Green-Bird 63
. The Aberdevinte 64,
The Twite. . Ibide
The Red-Pole | 65
The Canary-Bird 66

How to chufe a Canary-Bird, and to
know whether be bath a good Song,
likewife whether a Cock or Hen 67

To chufea Bird in Health ~ 68
To chufe a Bird for Song 70
To know a Cock from a Hen 72

Concerning the Canary-Birds when
‘they begin to Build, or sthofe you
intend for Breeding we

How to order them to. make their
Nefis 7 GH?

Of the feveral Diftempers incident to
Canary-Birds, and bow to Cure

them ! Ibid,
7 Several

exir sordinee Remedies! fe
» tbe Ditternpers ae ‘ore snentioned 82 |
How foorder thea when t a Moult | Sar
"The ites | ott Sy ae

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