New additions to the art of husbandry comprising a new way of enriching meadows, destroying of moles, making tulips of any colour : with an approved way for ordering of fish and fish-ponds ... with directions for ordering and breeding all sorts of singing birds : with remedies for their several maladies not before publickly known

NEW ADDITIONS
TO THE

Art of HUSBANDRY.

Comprizing

A new way of Enriching Meadows,Deftroy-
ingof Moles, making Tulips of any Colour.
With an approved way for ordering of Filh and fi(h-
Ponds, and deftroying the Hern i and to take
Carp or Tench in any muddy Pond.

Howto take all manner of Birds, Small and
Great with Birdlime.

To makeCabbidges and Garden-Beans grow
large in any barren Ground.

A new way to deftroy all manner of Field Mice.
How to make Arbors become aslhady in one Year
as in feven. To water an Orchard after a new
falhion. To make old decayed Fruit-Trees be¬
come great Bearers,and watrilh Fruit to become
I firm and fweet. Alfo how to Order Melons,

: Cucumbers, and Pompions.

With a brief way to Set and Sow all manner of Phy-
fical Herbs, that they may thrive and profper.

1 And the true way for drying of Herbs, in plain and
eatie Direffions; and aH to be performed
I with very little Charge.

jVVithdireftions for Breeding and Ordering all forts of Sing-
I ing-Eirds; With Remedies for their feveral Ma’j-
I dies, not before publickly made known.

LONDON, Printed for SMMWinEiV/ik’i’/fo', attlieSign
of the Printing Prefs'in CorithU, 158^.

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NEW ADDITIONS

TO. THE

Art of Husbandry.

How to enrich and ma!^ Barren, MoJfj, Spi'
ry Meadows become Rich, and bear Knot-
grafs, that fo one Acre fiall be worth three.

W Hen you intend to undertake this
profitable Labour and Improve¬
ment ■, confider the Meadow how
it lies, low or high upon a level
or defcending, and whether any River or Ditch
lie convenient to water it or not j and if it be by a
River, if you can convey the Water out again, ha¬
ving once turned it over the Meadowjthen be mind¬
ful of the burden it bears, whether Spiry,or Rulhy,
or Clean, being only over-topped with abundance
of Mofs 5 if the Meadow lie defcending, you have a
great deal the advantage of a flat Meadow,by reafou
the Water having over-flowed the Meadow fome
certain time, leaves a great foyl after a fudden Rain,
A 2 ' and

4 Additions to the

and upon the fall of the Water finks from the Mea-

,dow, and fo the Meadow becomes dry with litde

or no trouble, and fo the Water not lying long up¬
on the Meadow (without it runs) makes the Mea¬
dow become very fruitful; which if it lay fome
certain time without draining, would fo chill the
Ground, that it wpuld not be one farthing advan¬
tage for the watering. Now the flat Meadow that
lies lower than the ^iver mull be ordered thus j
You muft make one large Drain through the middle
of the Meadow, and feveral leading Drains to it,
then the River lying higher, the Meadow will over¬
flow with little trouble : But then the chief Work
and Labour will be how to drain this Meadow dry,
that fo the water may not lie fugging upon the
Ground j it not only maizes the Ground breed Mof-
fy and Spiry Grafs, but alfo it will prove fo rotten,
that it will not bear a Cart to carry off its Burden,
therefore order it thus;Having made y ourTtenches,
and a large one in the loweft part of the Meadow,
if any be, then having a large Trench made to car¬
ry about a foot water, if you can make it put of a
whole piece of wood or Timber, for it is much bet¬
ter than Planks, and will laft far longer; when you
haVe hewed your piece of Timber, made it with
what Current you can, then clap a good Plank to¬
gether at top with Pitch and Tow, then nail him
while it is warm, and it will lie many years before
it decay •, having thus fitted your Current to con¬
vey the water from your fiat Meadow, lay him
crofsthat River two foot lower than the bottom of
the Meadow, and then the water will drain under
the River into the next Ground, where you mull
make a large Drain or fmall Ditch to convey it fur-

Art of Htfshaudry. 5

ther, where you may have more conveniency to dif-
pofe of your water 5 thefe low Meadows which are

commonly .the worftby rcafon the water lies on till
the heat of the Sun dries it of, which if the water
cdiild be conveyed off quickly, would be extraor¬
dinary rich, which I never could fee a better way in
all my Travels than this,to perform with fpeed and
cheapnefs; they throw out the water of flat Mea¬
dows in Toland and Sprnjia over the Banks with
certain Wind-mills,which is a great deal of trouble
and charge. Having now finiflicd this work, to lay
your Meadow dry when your pleafure is, without
it beextraordinary Rainy weather, the next thing
is to deftroy your Mofs, Ruflies and Spiery Grafs,
which moft Meadows that lie low are fubjeft to :
Towards the latter end of fcour all your

Drains both great and fmall, and lay it as dry as
poflibly may be, (mending the Banks of the River,
if any be wanting againft/T/4re/r,which very fefdom
proves otherwife than a very dry windy month i
when you have layed it dry for fome certain time,
and you fliall then begin to perceive the Mofs and
Rowel to grow Ruflet and Dry, then obferving
your time to be dry and Windy, carry down a bun¬
dle of Straw or Fern, ftrew it upon one fide, that
fo having fet it on fire the Wind may drive it quite
through the Meadow j and where you perceive the
Mofs any thing damp or wet, ftrew fome Straw or
Fern upon it, and fet it on Fire, and you will find
in a Ihort time your Meadows to be burnt as finooth
as a Bowling-Green, Having thus devoured by
fire your Mofs and courfe Grafs, then with a Har¬
row, harrow your Meadow over once or twice,
then take fome Hay-Seeds and fow up and down

5 Nevp Additiotis to the

the Meadow, then with the Mold that comes out
of the cleanfing of the Ditches, fpread all over the
Meadow, that fo the Hay-Seeds may be covered ■,
and when you find the Hay-Seeds fprung up and
fetled, if the weather be very dry, you may turn
the Water over for a night, and turn it out again,
aud be fure you leave no Handing Water, for that
will prcfently kill the young Grafs. Obferving thefe
Rules, the next year you will find that Improve¬
ment, that one Acre will be worth two, and a dou¬
ble burthen with much better Grafs; for the Mofs
being burnt away with the heat of the fire, which
will fo purifie the Mold, and alfo Hay-Seeds being
fown, willfpring up with the tender Grafs, which
before the Mofs would never fuffer to fpring up J
This truly managed, hath proved beyond what fe-
veralhave expefted.

How to deflroy Moles^ bei/ig the quicl^fl and befi
way at frefent discovered.

I N the firft place you muft have a Paddle, which
mull: be put upon a Stick five or fix foot long; I
need not deferibe which way to make a Paddle, for
there be but few which do not know how to give
direftions to have them made according to their
minds, for there be feveral falhions, but they tend
all to one thing,which is the difeovery of the Moles
haunts i Taking your Paddle, go out in a morn¬
ing and walk round your Grounds, and fee what
Haunts be towards the Ditches and Banks, and
when you have difeovered the Trenches with your
Paddle, tread them down, but nottoo hard 5 then
look into the middle of your Grounds, and vi . w if

Art of Uusiavdyj’. 7

no Hills be new raifed ^ which when you find, and
the principal Trench leading to it^ having digged
with your Paddle the Earth into the Trench, tread
it down with your foot indifferent hard, andfo go
over all your Ground after the fame manner,looking
very well the Ditches and Bankfides, for if it be a
fmall Ground, though he have many Hills in the
middle, yet it is ten to one but he hath a main
Trench leading to the Bank or Hedg: Having thus
prepared your Grounds, get Weathy or any other
Wood,as Alder,boared thebignefsofaMole, and
the length of a Mole, (they ate bought for eighteen
pence a dozen ready made ) ^ but being a pleafure to
make them in the Winter nights, I fhall endeavour
to give you the plaiiieft direftions I can ^ Having
fome Alder or Weathy about the bignefs of the
fmall of ones Leg, faw them into pieces about five
inches long, then bore them through with an Auger,
one bigger than another, till you think he may be
the bignefs of a Mole, then faw him half through,
leaving an inch and half at each end, fo the piece
that comes out will be two inches, you may cleave
it off with a Chiffel \ with your Piercer bore a hole
juft in the middle and at each edd. When your Traps
are finilhed, hang them up in the Chimney corner
that fo they may grow dry and tough; you muft at
each end at the infide of the Trap, about half an
inch from the end, make a round Ring about half a
quarter of an inch deep, that the Hair may lie in
the Hollow at each end, that fothe Mole coming in
may not flidc or drive the Hair before him; Then
go into fome young Cops, and cut twenty or thirty
Tapcr-Haflc or Dog-wood- benders,Rich as are ufed
!o be fet in Springes for Woodcocks or Snipes,then

8 AdclHiotis to the

twill fifty or fixty Horfe-hairs together, about half
a yard long, then tie a ftrong piece of packthread
to both the links of Hair, that fo the Benders may
ftrikc both at one timein the Holes at each end of
the Trap that was made with the piercer, you muft
put in each link of Hair, and fit them to the Circle
that was made hollow at each end, that fo the mole
paffing through the Hair may not put it out of or-
de)‘. V Vhcn the Hair is cxaftly in, fill up the hol¬
low Circle with a little Earth or Clay, that fo the
mole may not draw the Hair out with his Claws as
he palTes by.

The Hole that is in the middle of the Trap,ferves
to keep the Benders ftreight 5 you muft put in one
end of the packthread that is faftned to the Bender;
you muft leave an inch of packthread to go through
the Hole, and you muft faften it with a forked ftick,
about two inches long, the fork an inch long, and
the other ftreight part an inch more; the fork muft
Hand within the fide of the Trap, exaftly perpen¬
dicular when it is fet; It is the Nature of a mole
to turn any thing out of the way with his Nofc and
feet that lies in his Trench ^ fo as foon as ever the
Mole fiiidsaftop, he works out the Stake with his
Nofc and Feet ^ and before ever he is able to retreat
backwards,the Benders ftrike and very feldom fails
to hang him by the middle, and never by the Neck,
fas fome have written) You muft be fure to
make the Trap fall: into the Ground, otherwife the
Bender will be fubjeft to put the Trap out ^ you
may faften it with Stones put at each fide of the
Trap, or frnall Turfs, or forked Sticks; cover it
very clofe that no light may come to it to make the
Plole fearful, After you have thus planted a dozen
or

Art of Husbandry. 9

ormore, according as your Grounds are infeftedj
once a day you may look over them, and fee what
execution is done; they will ftand four or five days
without altering if theBendcrs be good. , It hap¬
pens now and then, through the rottennefs of the
Hair-grin s, that a Mole when he hath been hanged,
with much ftrugling breaks the Hair-grin ; and
then he grows fo cunning that he will hardly ever
come through again, but continually heave up the
Trap out of the Ground •• I have feen fet in a Gar¬
den three Traps, in his Trench, one within a yard
of another, and he hath heaved them all out of the
ground •, Therefore I would advife you to have a
Spike Trap or two, that fo when a Mole hath been
bauked with one of thefe Box Traps, the Spiked
one will not fail to have him •, thefe Spike Traps arc
fo generally known and made, that there needs no
defeription : only by the way, have fix Spikes to a
Trap, and let them ftand triangular at each end,
and you will not fail of him let your Spikes be
round and not fquare, and they will go into the
Ground cafier and quicker than your fquare,

Another my of taking Moles in March time.

A Fter you have taken a Doe-Mole, which you
cannot fail once in two or three days, then get
a good handfom earthen pot about twenty inches
deep, and having made a hole in the middle of a
main T rench, plant the pot that the top may be
juft even with the bottom of the Trench, then fill
It half full of mold, and put fomc great Worms
in, then put in the Doe-Mole, (if you fhould not
put in Earth and Worms, the Mole would work
her

10 Nerv Additiom to the

her felf to death in twelve hours, as I have often
tryed ) but tirft rub her about the top of the Pot,
and let her run of each fide of the Trench, then
force her into the Pot;, thofe that know the nature
of your-Buck-Moles, that at yWiercfi they will run a
quarter of a mile after a Doe, and you will find in a
fhort time, that not one Buck-Mole will be left in
the Ground where the Pots arc ^ et; you muft cover
the Pot very clofe that no ligh comes in, for if any
light appears, it will fo ftartle the Mole that he will
be very cautious to venture; the Doe-Mole will live
all the month of March if you now and then be¬
llow a few Worms upon her; every time you give
her Worms, you may fearch the Pot to fee what
company Ihe hath got: This is an approved Re-
ccit.

An approved way to make any Tulip of what Colour
yoHpleafe-, never before nmv Printed.

T Here muft be feveral things obferved before
you undertake this Work,

I. Confider the Nature of your Tulips.

2, The time when they blow, fome blow early,
fomelate, to joyn them is to nopurpofe.

3. To have them exaft of a bignefs.

4. Not one forwarder than another.

5. It muft be done at a warm time, or in a cl6fc
Room where little Air comes.

6. The Moon muft be encreafing.

7. with an exafl hand.

8. With a great deal of fpeed, otherwife your
labour will be loft.

But obferving thefc Rules, and my further Dire-

Art of Husbandry. I r

aions j you will not fail of your expeftation; I
aflure you I have feen it experimented.

Now to perform this,you mull: have a very ftiarp
thin Knife, and fome Cruel, Yarn, or Worfted,
which muft be to bind the Tulips when cut^ then
get fome of your fineftfortof Clay, and mix it
well with Cow-Dung, let it be of an exaft temper,
neither too limber, nor too thick, Now having all
your things ready, being two of you together,
match out certain Roots of Tulips which are of one
Nature, their Leaves coming alike, and blow at
the fame time and feafon ; and as near as you can
guefs, of one forwardnefs, and one bignefs. I
ihallonly inftance two forts of Tulips, which are
your Yellow Crown, or Fools-Coat and White
Crown, which are of one Nature, that is, the make
of the Tulip is alike, and come always together.
Having nowchofeout certain Roots of one bignefs,
length and forwardnefs of each fort, take your
Knife and cut the Tulip as exaftly as can bepoffi-
blc juft in the midft of both your Roots, and flit
the very Spindle of each ■, then immediately clap
them up together, that is, one half of the Yellow
Crown, and the other half of the White Crown;
do not leave them open when you have flit them,
but hold them together till you have all your things
ready, forifthe lead Wind take them, they will not
joyn ; then when all is ready, take you half the
Yellow Crown, and give your Companion half
the White Crown 5 then having regard to the Spin¬
dle,be Hire to clap or joyn them exaftly; then with
your Cruel, or Yarn, or Worfted, tic the Root,ve¬
ry firm together; then flay them up very well all
f-verj and lav them by for a week or ten days; then

1 2 Neil) Additions to the

cut the Clay from the bottom and top,- that fo the
Rootsmay (hoot out, and the Spindle alfo, for the
Roots and the Spindle will be very faint for the firft
year; aS foOn as you have cut the Clay from the
top and bottom, fet them into the Ground, and co¬
ver the Earth, fb that the Froft may not frieie the
Earth about them; for if they be frozen all your la¬
bour is loft, they feldomcome up with more than
one Leaf, for the firft year, for very little more than
the Spindle of your Root joyns together, without
the Roots match very exaftly; but wb never regard
only the Spindle joyning, which caufes the altera¬
tion of the Flower; you will find the Roots not
like other of fets, for thefe will be long like a Date-
ftone ; when you have taken them out of the
Ground, put them into Sand, that fo the wind
may not come at them to flirink them,

Conccwifig Fifu and FiJIi^VondSf hoxt to
improve them,

I N the firft place you muft confider the feituation of
your Pond,and what feed will arife by any Cur¬
rant of water to it j then whether it be a Breeder
or not: Now if your Pond be a Breeder, then you
muft exped to have no large Carps, for the multi¬
tude of their young will ovcr-ftock the Pond, there¬
fore a Store Pond is ever accounted better than a
Breeder; butobferving this Rule, you may make a
Breeding Pond become a Store pond, when you
cannot make a Store pond become a Breeding one,
and you fhall have a gallanter grown Fifh out of
your Breeding pond, than out of your Store;
V Vhen you fue your pond,confider bow many bun-

jirt of Husbandry. 15

dred of Carps it will keep ; then put in all Milters
or all Spawners, fo you will have in a fliort time,
large, well-grown fat Fifli, faraboveyourexpefta-
tion; for putting all Milters, or all Spawners, there
will be no encreafe of Carps, but of other Fifh
they may abundantly multiply, which is a'Filh cal¬
led a Roach: Therefore I would advife all Gentle¬
men that have Breeding Ponds, to fue them once in
two or three years for fear of Roaches, though ne¬
ver any were put in, which may feem a Riddle, but
I fhall quickly unfold it ; There be feveral Ponds
which are haunted by your wild Ducks which ufu-
aHy come at Nights to feed with the Tame ones
that belong to the Ponds, now thefe Roaches are
brought by the wild Ducks,for the feeding amongft
your weeds in Rivers, the Spawn of your Roaches
will hang about their Feathers and Feet \ and they
ufing to come at night to the Ponds to feed, wafheth
olF the Spawn from their Feathers and Feet, that fo
in a few years (though you put not one Roach in)
you may find multitudes of them, and lean ftarved
Carps; therefore if you have any fuch fufpition
that your Pond is infefled, immediately caufe it to
befued, for the longer you tarry, theworfe your
Carps will prove. 1 {ball relate a very true thing
that I was an eye-witnefs of \ A Gentleman not far
from London., had a good handfome large Pond of
about three or four Acres of Ground, which 1 was
prefent at the firing, and I never faw better grown
Fifh every way than he had, being betwixt two and
three hundred ; I advifcd him to put in two or
three hundred of ftoresof Carp about three or four
years growth out of a Pond that was over-docked,
and to put fixty of thofe he had taken our, which

14 New Additions to the '

accordingly I faw done, for I did fancy to have
ftately Carps the next filing. Now after four years
was expired, 1 advifed him to fue his Pond to fee.
what Monfters four years addition to their growth '
would produce, thofe fixty Carps were from Eye:
to Fork from fifteen inches to eighteen inches when
he put them in; now having fued bis Pond,he found
almoft the whole number of his Carps, but they
were in fuch a lean condition that he did not know
them, for they were Monfiers in Nature, for iheit
Heads were bigger than their whole Bodies, and 1
think almoft as heavy; and ah this came by his own
folly, by putting in but U . nty Roches , and when
the Pond was fued, there were bulhels of fmall
Roches, and thefe Roches eat up ail the fweet Feed
from the Carps, for Roches are like Sheep to great
Battel, which eat up and devour all the fweet Feed,
The Gentleman was very much fruftrated in his |
expeflation, and the Fiih-monger which came from 1
London to buy a penny-worth; as foon as he percei-'
ved the Monfters, got up hisHorfe as one frighted
with a ftrangc Apparition, and never bid the Gen¬
tleman farewel. Now pray obferve one thing by
the way. That Ponds which will not breed one
Carp, Roches in one year will multiply by thou-
fands; therefore there is a care to be taken every j
year to view your Pond, and obferve if any fmall
Fry appears, leaft when you come to fue your Pond,
you be deceived in your expeOation.

At of Husbatidry, 15

How to make Carps ^row to an extraordinary
hignefs and length.

W Hen you find your Pond begin to grow low
in Water,which is commonly about r^pril,
then take an Iron Rake and rake all the fides'of your
Pond where the Water is fallen away, then fow
your Hay-Seeds and rake it well, and you fhall find
by the latter end of Summer there will be a very
great growth of Grafs ^ which when Winter comes,
and the Pond being raifed by Rain to the top, will
over-flow all that Grafs •, and then the Carps ha¬
ving Water to carry themfelves to the feed, will fill
tbemfelves, and in afhort time become as fat as
Hogs that are put up a fatting \ fo ferveit every
Summer till yon fue your Pond, and you will find
no River Carp to furpafs them in fatnefs and fweet-
nefs, and then I am confident you fhall have norea-
fon to complain of your charge and trouble \ I will
prove that ordering your Ponds thus, that two
years fhall be as good as four. This is an approved
way to make Carps thrive.

Jn approved way how to take Carps or Tench
in a Muddy Pond.

I Do not write this enfuing Secret to teach Men
how to Rob Gentlemens Ponds,but that Mafters
of their own Ponds may be able upon cafes of nc-
cefiity to fupply themfelves with Fifh, without be¬
ing put to fo much trouble and charge as to fuc
their Ponds : In the firft place you muft provide
your fclf with a very large good Cafting-Net, well
. leaded,

16 Additions to the

leaded, let not the Melhes from the Crown to a full
yard and a half be too fmall, for then if the pond
be any thing of a depth, the fifli will ftrike away
before the Net comes to ground; the whole Net
ought to have a very large Meafh,. well Leaded,
and deep Tucked.

The fecond thing requited, is to make the place
clean from Stakes and Bufhes, and try with your
Net before you intend foe the Sport: If your Net
hang, then all your labour is fpent in vain ■, there¬
fore clean it very well with a Rake before you call
your Net, once or twice, that there may be no ob-
firuftion; Then proceed as to the baiting of them,
for you muft not imagine that Carps or Tench will
come to that place more than another, except you
do ufe to feed them / which order thus: Take a
quarter of a peck of Wheat, baking it well in an
Oven, putting in two quarts of VVater at lead;
when it is well baked take two or three quarts of
Blood, and mix this Wheat and Blood together,
then put inasjnuch Bran as will make it into a
paid •, then to make it hold together, put fome Clay
to it, and fo mold it well together with a quart of
your Lob-worms chopped in pieces and worked inr
to the pade; then roll it in pretty handfom Balls,
and throw it into the pond within the compafs of
your Cafting-Nct j but between whiles throw in
fome Grains; and when you think the Fifh hath
found out the baiting-place, when you intend to
filh, bait it with thefc Ingredients made up into a
pade that I have direfted; bait them in the morning
betimes, then come in the dusk of the evening, and
cad your Net over the place where you baited;then
take a long pole with a large fork made for the piir-
pofe,

Jrt of hlHshandry. tj

pofe, and the Net ftill lying, ftir all abouttheNet,
for the Carpj and Tench are ftruck up to the Ears in
Mu.i, andft*nd exafliy upon their Heads; let the
Net lie a quarter of an hour at leaft, ftill ftirriog ■
with your Pole, if your place be not to deep ; when
you have covered the Fifli, you may go into the
Pond and take them all out with your hands,’which
Ihavefeveral times feen done ^ but if it be, when
you find the Carps begin to ftir, ffor they cannot
lie long in the Mud J then lift up the Crown of your
Net bolt up-right with a long-StafiT, that fo the
Filh may play into the tuck of the Net, If you
Ihoulddrawup your Netprefently after you had
call it in, it were a hundred to one if you had a
Carp; but letting the Net lie, the Mud will choak
them in half an hours time and likewife you rauft
keep flirting them up with your long Staff, till you
find them flruck into your Tuck, which you muft
keep lifted up after your flirring them. I fliall re¬
late a fliort Story of what I fee done •, A Gentleman
had fpecial Carps in his Pond, but knew not which
way to take one, but by chance with Hook and
Line; I did defire him we might eat two or three
of his Carps; he anfwered, with all his heart if I
could tell how to take them; 1 prepared (bme In¬
gredients, and having baited a place convenient in
the morning very betimes, and in the dusk of the
evening we came with our Calling- Net, and at the
throw covered a very greatparcflof Filh,aSby the
fequei of the Story will appear, butnotonefeemed
to flir or wag under the Net, being all flruck in¬
to the Mud^ The Gentleman laughed, and faid he
was like to have but a flender Supper of Fifh, and
that he was afraid he fliould have been forced to
■ B fend

l8 New Addiims to the

fend out for Butter to make Sauce, I defired him
he would have patience, fo the Fifh were a-fleep,
but I did not queftion but to awake them half an
hour hence ; for the Gentleman having fmoaked a
Pipe of Tobacco, a Carp began to play in the Net,
I think, fays he, they have been a deep indeed,that
could not underftaiid there was a Net over them all
this while then I began to ftirwith my long Pole
to awaken them, and before you could tell an hun¬
dred they began to dance in the Net then 1 lifted
up the Crown for them to play into the Tuck j and
when I thought they were all out of the Mud I be¬
gan to draw, and at one draught drew up in the
Net feventy odd Carps great and fmall, to the ad¬
miration and great fatisfaftion of the owner and
the reft of the company, having in all their life-time
not feen the like before, ProbMim efi.

An approved my to take a Hern.

A Hern being as greata devourer ofFifli as any .

is, I will affirm ten times as much as the Ot¬
ter, and (hall deftroy a Pond more in one week,
than an Otter ffiall do in three months, for I have
fecn a Hern that hath been fhot at a Pond to have
feventeen Carps at once in his Belly, which he will
digeft in fix or feven hours, and to filhing again .■

(1 fee a Carp taken out of a Herns Belly nine inches
and a half long)-, for fcvcral Gentlemen that have
kept them tame, have put Fi(h in a Tub, and tryed
the Hern how many fmall Roches and Dace he
would eat in a day, and they have found him to eat
above JO a day one day with another.Qne Hern that
haunts a Pond, in a year (hall deftroy a thoufand
Store-

Art of Husbofidry. 19

llore Carps, and when Gentlemen fue their Poads;
think their Neighbours have robbed them, not in
the Icaft confidering aHern is able to devour them
jn half a years time,if he put in 1500 Stores. Now
the bed way to take this grand Enemy to Fi(h, is
thus^ Having found out his haunt, get three or
four fmall Roches or Dace, and have a ftrong-Hook
with a Wire to it ;draw the Wire juft wit&n-fide
the Skin of the Fi(h, beginning without-fide of the
GuillsrunningofittotheTail, and then the Fi(h
will lie five or fix days alive, for if the Fi(h be dead,
the Hern will not touch him \ let not your Hook be
too rank, then having a ftrong Line with Silk and
Wire, about two yards and a half long, ("if you
twift not Wire with your Silk, hisfharp Bill will
bite it in two immediately) and tie a round Stone
about a pound weight to the Line, and lay three or
four Hooks, and in two or three nights you (hall not
fail to have him if he comes to your Pond \ lay not
your Hooks in thedeep Water where the Hern can¬
not wade to them, for if you do, they may lie long
enough before you fee the cfFedf of your pains: co¬
lour your line of a dark green, fora Hern is a very
fubtle Bird. There are feveral other Devourers,
as your Otter, Water-Rat, Kings-fiflier, More-
Hens, Balcoots, and your Cormorant; but none
like the Hern for your Ponds and fmall Rivers.

An excellent veay make all manner of fmall
Birds rvith Bird-lime.

I N Winter, and efpecially in a Snow, all forts of
fmall Birds will begin to flock together,as Larks,
Chafinehcs, Lennets,and Yellow-hammers 5 which
B 1 when

20 iVfH? Additionj to the
when you fee about the Houfe or Field adjacent,
having your Bird-lime provided of the beft fort,
arid not too old order it thus, take an Earthen

Didi and put Vour Bird-lime with feme Capon’s-
greafe or frelhLard \ put to a quarter of a pound
of Bird-lime, half an ounce of Capon’s greafe or
Lard', then fet it over the fire, and let it melt
gently together \ for if it boil, you take away the
ftrengtj;! of the Bird-lime. Having thus ordered it,
and made it fit for ufe. Then go ihto the Barn, and
chufe out an hundred of large Wheat ears, and cut
the Straw about a foot long befides the Ears; then
from the bottom of the Ears to the middle of the
Straw, lime it about fix or feven inches ; let your
Lime be warm when you lime the Straw, that fo it
may run thin Upon the Straw, and lefs difcernable
to the Birds: When you have fodone, go into
your Field hard by your Houfe, and carry a little
Bag of Chaff and threlhed Ears, and fcatter thefe
fourteen or fifteen yards wide,fit is beft in a Snow);
Then take Ears that are limed, andftick them up
and down in the Snow, with the Ears leaning, or
atthe end touching the ground ; then retire from
the place, and drive them from any other haunt,
and you will prefently fee great flocks of Birds come
to the place, and begin to peck the Ears of Corn,
and fly away with them ; which as foon as he
mounts, the Straw that is Bird-limb’d laps under
hisWing, and down he falls, not perceiving him-
felf to be hanged •, for I have feen many eat their
Ears when they have been faft limed under the
Wing; therefore you muft not go when three or
fbucor more are taken, but let them alone till a do¬
zen or two are hampered j here in the Field you
, take

Art of Husbafidry. 21

take moft upon Larks; I have taken fw dozen in a
morning. You may lay fome near home to take all
manner of Finches and efpecially Sparrows (which
is the Farmers Enemy of all fmall Birds) for they
will not come into the Field fo far from the Houfe ^
let me tell you, Every dozen of Sparrows ypu take
in Winter, (hall fave you a quarter of Wheat before
Harveftuherefore (tick your Ears about the Houfe.
tops, and though you never have the Birds, yet the
deftruOionof them will be a great advantage. Ha¬
ving had this morning-Rccreation, go and bait the
place with a Bag or two of more Ears and Chaff,
and let them reft till next morning \ then take fome
frelh Wheat-Ears again, and ftick them as you did
before. When you bait in the afternoon, take away
all your limed Ears, that fo the Birds may feed
boldly and not be frighted againft next morning.

A true and exoB way to make your hefi Water
Bird-lime to take Snipes, or any other
that delighteth in the Water.

B uy a pound of the ftrongeft Bird-lime ypu can
get,and being wafhednine times in clear fpring
Water till you find it very plyable, and the hardneft
quite extinguifhed, then beat out the Water extra¬
ordinary well till you cannot perceive a drop to ap¬
pear ; then caufe it to be well dryed; having fo
done, put it into an earthen Pot, and add there¬
to as much of the beft Capon-Greafe witihGut
Salt as will make it run ■, then add two Spoon¬
fuls of ftrong. Vinegar, and a. Spoonful of the
beft Sallet-Oil, and a fmall quantity of Venice Tur¬
pentine, and boil them all gently together upon a
ibft fire, ftirring it continually •, then take it from
B 3 the

22 Neva Additions to the

the fire and let it cool •, and when at any time you
have occafionto ufe it, warm it, and then anoint
your Twigs, or Straws, or any other fmall things,
and no Water will take away the ftrcngth: This

fort of Bird-lime is tbe belt, and cfpccially for

Snipes and Felfares,

Hov} to take Snife.i and Felfares with this
Water Bird-lime.

W ith this Bird-lime fo ordered, take two
or three hundred of Birch-twigs,and lime
forty 8r filty of them together very well •, then find¬
ing out the haunt of the Snipes,which you fhall per¬
ceive by their Dung; and in veryTiard Weather,
where the Water lies open,they will lie very thick;
then obferving the place where they moft feed, fet
two or three hundred of your twigs at a yard di-
ftance •, let them ftand Hoping, fotne one way, and j
fome another; then retire two or three hundred pa- i
ces from the place, and you fhall find there fliall not
one Snipe in ten mifs your Twigs, byreafonthey
fpread their Wings, and fetch a.round clofetothe
ground before they light: when you fee any taken
ftir not at firft, for he will feed with the Twigs un-1
der his Wings; and as ethers come over the place,
he will be a caufe to intice them. But when you fee
theCoaft clear, and but few that be not taken, go
and take up your Birds, and fatten one or two, that
the other flying over may come to the fame place;
if there be any other open place there by, put them
off from thofe Haunts; they will lie where it is
open and a Spring very much, for they can feed
in no hard place by reafon of their Bills y in a
Snow

An of Husbandry, 23

Snow you fhall have them extraordinary thick in
fuchaplace.

Hew to take Felf ms,

W Hcn time is, which is about

take your Gun and kill a Felfare or two,
and then lay them or fet them in fuch order that
they may feem to fit alive upon a Tree •, then having
prepared your Twigs, about two or three hundred
or more, take a great Burcheti Bough, and cut off
all the fmall Twigs •, make little Holes and Clefts in
all places about the Bough, and there place in your
Twigs; then fet the Felfare upon the top of the
Bough making of him fall, that he may feem to be
alive,(let this Bough of Bird-lime Twigs be fet near
where they come in a morning to feed,for they keep
a conftant place till their Food is gonej that fo 0-
thers flying but near, will quickly efpie the top -Bird,
and fall in whole flocks to him I have feen at on e
fall almoft two dozen taken.

HoVf to take Vid^eons with Lime-twigs,

W Hen you find any Ground much ufed with
Pigeons,which is a very great devourer of
,Corn;get a couple of Pigeons dead or alive,if they be
dead, order them to ftand ftifFas if they were,living
anda-feeding ;; thenat Sun-rife take your-twigs,
what quantity you pleafe, let them be very fmall
(wheaten draws are as good or better) & place them
up and down where your two Pigeons are fet, and
you (hall find that fport at every fall that is made that
you may quickly be rid of them without offen-
B 4 ding

24 -Additions to the

ditig the Statute; two or three dozen is nothingto

take in a morning, if there.come good flights.

How to take Crowes-, Pyes, endClcads
with Lime-twigs.f

T 7 Hen you havea Horfeorany other Carrion
V V that is dead and ftripped, and when you
have found that Crows, Pyes, and Kites have found
out their Prey, over-night fet your Limc-twigs up
and down the Carrion, let them be very fmall and
not fet too thiek, for they are very fubtle Birds;
when you perceive one to be faft:, ftir not, for many
times they have been caught, and have not been fen-
fible of it; Likewife you may joyn to a Packthread
feveral NoofesofHair up and down the Packthread,
and peg it down about a yard from the Carrion,
for many times when they have gotten a piece,they
will be apt to run away to feed by themfelves; and
if your Noofes be thick, it is two to one but fomc
of the Noofes catch him by the Legs.

How to take Crows and Rooks when they
pull up the Corn by the Roots.

T Ake fome thick brown Paper, and divide a
(heet into eight parts, and make them up like
Sugar-Loves; then lime the infide of the Paper a
very little, (^letthem be limed three or four days be¬
fore you fet them J then put fome Corn in them,and
lay fifty or fixty of them up and down the Ground,
lay them as rnneh as you can under fome clod of
Earth, and early in the morning before they come
to feed •, and then ftand at a diftance and you will fee
excellent

Jrt of Husbandry. 25

excellent fport, for as foon as Rook, Crow, or Pi¬
geon comes to peck out any of the Corn, it will
hang upon his Head, and he will immediately fly
bolt up-right fo high, that he ihall feem like a fmall
Bird, and when he is fpent, come tumbling as if he
was Ihot in the Air: You may take them at plow-
ing-time when the Rooks and Crows follow'the
Plow, but then you muft put in Worms and great
Maggots.

Hevf to make Hogs thrive.

I T is always obferved among Country-Men, that
a Hog never thrives when his Hair flares and
looks rugged like a Bear, thereforeobferve this Rule
once.a month, and you lhall have the bell Hogs
in the Country. Take half a peck of Allies or a
Peck, and boil them into a Lie then having an
old Curry-Comb ready, lay the Hog upon a fourm,
then wet him well with the Lye, then Curry him
with your Comb till you find all his ScurlF wafted
from his Skin, then with Water wafh him as clean
as a Porket, and drew him full of dry Alhes, and
this will kill all the Lice, and make them thrive ex¬
traordinary. If you do not believe what I write,
try one or two and you fhall eafily perceive a very
great difference in a months time; the greateft
thing that 1 know which hinders the thriving of
Hogs, is to let them lie too long in Straw, for if
they have but a dry houfe,and a drie place to lie up¬
on ^ never trouble your felf for Straw, for it makes
them Loufieand full of a dry Scurf which hinders
their growth.

26 Additions to the

How ts make Cabbage-Plants grow £re4t Cab¬
bages in very Barren-Ground.

T Here be feveral poor People in this Kingdom
which are ready to be ftarved, which live neat

Heaths, (were it not for the convenience of Firing,
which they have at a cheap rate) by reafon the :
ground is fo barren, that they know not which way
to make any thing grow or thrive •, for having plan¬
ted the beft fort of your Cabbage-Plants, they turn
all into pitiful Coleworts, and fo reap little benefit

or none at all, though they lay a load of Dung up¬
on every Pole, the Ground is fo drycd and fo bar¬
ren. Now I fhall direa you how with half a load
•of Dung allowed to every Pole, to have as large
and big Cabbages, as if you laid fix load upon a
Pole y Having got two or three hundred of good
ihort-knotted, and well-ftocked Plants, for other-
wile they will turn to Coleworts in the beft of
Grounds, then confider how many Plants a Pole
ofGroundwilltakeuptofet them at a convenient
diftancci then fet them out, and dig as many holes
about half a yard wide as you intend to fet Plants;
then fill up the Holes with Dung, and put foine |
Earth into every Hole, and mix it well together
with the Dung , let three quarters of it be
Dung, then plant the Cabbage in the midft of
the Hole, (let there be half a foot of Dung and
Mold below the Root of the Plant) and theri water
it very well three or four times in a week, if need
require, that fo the Plant may take good root 5 upon
any dry time, you muftgive him vvater, that fotlic
Cabbage may not be at a ftand; and when you fee 1
him begin toturn’in his Leaves, for leafing, heave;

Art of Husbandry. ^ 27

up the Earth to the Cabbage, fet them not too
thick, that fo they may have room to fpread j thir¬
ty in a Pole will be fufficient , for the richeft
Ground, if they (land too clofe, produce little thing
elfe but Cole worts ; In fetting of thefe thirty Plants
half a load of good Dung will do it to every Pole
fo every year the Ground will be inriched with lit¬
tle or no charge confidering the Crop it will bear;

1 have my fell, Dung being fcarce, (as always it is
in barren places j with two load planted four Pole
of ground, which was very barren, being upon a
gravelly Heath, and feveral of my Neighbours com¬
ing by in the interim, laughed to fee me plant Cab¬
bage-Plants in fo barren gravelly Soil ^ for they not
feeing the Dung put into the Holts, never imagined
that 1 had fet my Cabbage-plants in almoft all Dung
and fine Mold ; but when they came towards Win¬
ter to fee the fruits of my Labour, they flood like
Men amazed, and would not believe their own
eyes, but thought the Plants enchanted, (there was
eighty odd leafedCabbages,andvery many weighed
above 20 pound a Cabbage); which to fatisfie their
curiofity, and being willing to further them what I
could, I pulled up one and fliewe'd them exactly
which way it was performed; and fince hundreds
have learnt it, to their great improvement of their
little ground.

Many of your poor People by all thefe Heath-
fideskeep a Cow, which makes them two or three
load of Dung in a year; which being laid upon five
or fix Pole of Ground, and fpread abroad, and
fpiked in, only refrefhes the Ground and that is all,
for the barren Ground being only fprinkjed, eats
out the heart of the Dung and produceth no crop ^
• buf

3 8 Ncn> Additions to the

but this way in time will make the Ground good
with no charge, confidcring the profits as you will
find by experience toarife.

To make Garden-Beaus in a Barren SojL

T Akeyour largeftfort of Garden-Beans, and lay
them twelve hours in the ftrongeft Brine; Then
having digged your Ground very well where your
Cabbages grew laft year, obferve the Rows where
the Cabbages ftood •, then hew a Trench through
thefe rows pretty deep,but not wide, and'eaft in four
or five Ihovels full of good Dung, and mix the
Earth and Dung together-, then lay your Beans a
foot apart,and cover them over not too deep in the
Ground, forlhavefeen by experience one fort of
Bean in the fame Ground, and being fet deep, hath
not thrived half fo well as thofe that have been fh»l-
lower, for I am of opinion that they fpend much of
their ftrength before they get out of the Ground,ex-
cept the Ground be extraordinary good and deep;
for you muft take notice that a Bean hath a down¬
right Root, and if it be fet deep, and the Ground
poor that it roots into, how can you expefi any
thing of a crop again ? You that live in barren
Soils, obferve this way of planting your Beans, and
with little charge you fhall find an extraerdinary
crop crown your Labours beyond what you can i-

magine or think-, and in time your Ground will
become good, and you will be never fenfible of the
charge thereof; If it fhould happen to be a dry
time, keep them watred three or four times a week,
and you (hall at laft find the benefit of a little trou¬
ble.

Art of Hiishandr)'.

29

Jit approved my to deflroy all manntr of
Field-Mice.

j Know not a greater Enemy than your Ficld-
-* Mice to your Garden Beans and Peafe, as many
poor People and others have found by experience;
having found their Beans and Peafe, dug them up
when they have been an inch above-ground. Now.
todeftrovthefe Vermine,getan earthen Pot about
two foot deep, and at the bottom pat Wheat-Ears
and Hemp- feeds,with a few Peafe,and have a Board
that may play into the Pot, being baited at one end
with Oatmeal and Lard, that fo thofe that will not
venture in, may be deceived by the Board; lay feme
Peafe-haume over this Pot, fet it upon flicks,that fo
it may lie hollow, that the Mice may not be afraid
to play about it: This is one way of deftroying
them, but none ofthebeft, for they lie flattered
up and down the Fields, and never venture far from
the Hedge-fide.

Another approved way, which is the beji 1 ever
faw to defray Field-Mice.

F ield Mice is one of the greateft Enemies the poor
Gardiner hath, for he is worfe than a Mole,for
hewillflratch up Beans and Peafe when they are

an Inch or more above the Ground,which hath pro¬
ved Q very great lofsto him, being difappointed in
his early Crop; I have feen in one night whole
rows of Beans and Peafe lo deftroyed with thefc
Field-Mice, as if a Hog had been amongft them ;
and the Gardiner making a lamentable complaint to
. rae,

50 Additions to the

me, told me how he was deceived iff his Crop, I
am forced te plant them near the Hedg for warmth,
and thefe Mice if they find them not at firft , yet
they never fail them when they appear above¬
ground: i told him for his firft half bulhel ofPeafe,
f would dired him fuch a way, that in five or fix
nights time fhould deftroy all his Enemies: He be*
ing content thus,! inftrufted him, I bid him get a
piece of Deal-board and cut it into thin dices, and
make them pretty fmooth,and cut twenty pieces of
fix inches long, twenty pieces of two inches, and
twenty of three inches long; then cut a notch in
the fide of that piece which is fix inches, about
two inches from the end, and a crofs notch upon
the flat fide within half an inch of the end; then
the other oft wo inches to cut it taper at one end,
and a crofs notch on the flat fide made within half
an inch of the end •, then the Stick that is two in¬
ches and a half muft be taper at one end, that fo
the crofs notch may in the ftick of two inches, reft
upon the top of the two inches and a half ■, and
then the two inches muft at the taper end go into
the Stick that is fix inches, and the notch of the
fide will be a ftay to hold upthe Tiles j then take
forty Tiles, and they will ferve for twenty Traps,
and fit them as near as you can to fallclofe toge¬
ther : Then take your three Sticks, your fix inches,
three and two inch (ticks, and place your three inch
ftick to the edge of your undermoft bottom Tile;
then Cake your two inch ftick, and place the notch
of it upon the taper end of your three notcht ftick;
then take your lix inches ftick, and fet the taper
end of the two inch ftick, in the notch that is at the
end of the fix inch ftick then the notch of the fide

Jlri of Husbandrj, 31

of the fix inches, muft hook into the fide of the
three inch ftick, othcrwife, the weight of the Tile
will make the flicks fly all apart; if it ftand when
it isfet exadtly like a figure of four, you fliall fee
every partexaftly in theFrontice piece; you mult
bait the end of your fix inch ftick with' Lard, and
dip itinto Oatmeal, bait but your uppermoft fide;
then having fet them all along the Hedg-fides, you
willfindfuchadeftruiflion, according to the num¬
ber you fet, that is not imaginable, for the Trap
very feldom mifles .• And when you go in the mor¬
ning to fee your'Traps, take a little Lard and Oat¬
meal to refrefh them where the Mice are caught:
the Traps will ftand a month without baiting, or
new fetting, except fome body throw it down, or
many times the Wind, if it be very high, may be the
occafion of its fall: I have taken abundance of little
Birds called your Titmice, which is a very mifehie-
vous Bird to Buds of Trees. The Gardiner with
fifty Traps, deftroyed, in four nights, about one
hundred and twenty Mice, and continued lefs for
eight days together; he had not a Bean nor a Pea
tucked after he fet thefe Traps. I will undertake
to deftroy five hundred Field-Mice in lefs than a
fortnights time, with a hundred of thefe Traps:
You will find this Trap the greateft deftroyer of
thefe Mice that ever was made ; you may make
twenty of them in an hour, and fet them in an
hour more ;do but experience what 1 have writ, if
you be troubled with them, and you (hall find every
tittle thereof true; your fix inch ftick muft be very
thin, othcrwife it will caufe the Tiles to lie hollow
and then the Moufe will make his cfcapc; but if
thin, and the Tiles fall clofe, you lhali find him as
flat as a Flounder, y}

!A(f jv ^dditioHs fo the

Jtiew VIAy to make JrhoHrsto become Green
, And Shady in one Tear.

F Irft, Set out the proportion of your Arbour for
Length, or Breidth, and Height; then imploy
fome of your Servants or Country-men to gather
theftreighteft and fmootheft white Weathy Rods,
without knotSi three or four inches about; then
make holes with a Crow of Iron, and place your
Rods about a foot and a half diftance, more or Icfj,
according to the fancy that bed pleafes the Planter,
and at lead two foot into the Ground : when you
have fodone, let your crofsRods which makes the
fquarebeof the durabled Wood you can get; aad
at every crofs Joint bind them fad with your weathy
Bark and not with Wire, becaufe thofe that daiid
in the Ground fhould grow and not be cut into
with the Wiret let your Rods which ftand in the
Ground be taper at one end,and then your Arbour
will come over with an Arch at the top ; I would
advife you to let your Rods which dand in the
Ground be of your white fort of Weathy, and theu
they will not decay in a ihort time, for they will
grow, and be fome addition of fhade; but for your ■
crofs Reds, the durabled wood is the bed: If your
Arbour Ihould be made of Rods, which will not
.grow in three years time or lefs, all your Labour is
lod, which hath been too much the indiferkion of
Gardiners for many years; ifthe crofs Rods fail in
two or three years, you may quickly fupply them
w'ithout any prejudice to the Avbour. After your
Arbour is thus made, then imploy fome of your
Servants or Labouring-Men to go into .the Fields,

I Art ofRushatidry. ^ 33

;and take up ten or twelve of your wild Vines or
Brioiiii.'s, every Country-man almoft knows them,'
they ufually grow by Hedg-fides or in Pitches j
‘they bear a Leaf like a Vine,and the Roots are com-
Imonly as big as a Man’s Thigh j they that tike them
[up muft do it with a deal of care, for the Roots are
Ivory brickly, and will break off if they benotcare-
Iful: Now having gotten ten or twelve Roots, cut
ithemfmoothatall the little ends, and fet them abdut
two foot diftance or lefs, according as you will have
Ithe Arbour (hado wed; and if it be a very dry time,
Iwater them three or four times the firft year, but
very well when you fet them, and in three months
time you will have an Arbour fo thick and fo plea-
fant, for the fhadow and fweetnefs of the Flowers'
lit bears, that People will hardly believe their own
pyes, but think it an Apparition ? which the other
ifort of Arbours made all of dead Rods, in two or
three years will decay and all come to nothing; but
this way will continue many years, being every
Way beneficial.

' Hovt to Water an Orchard after a new fajhion.

[TTEre I fhall (hew you how to water feveral Qr-
Un. chards for very tittle coft j but no Body is fo
gnorant to imagine that every one can be fo,except
they lie convenient-, If youf Orchard lies upon the
fide of a Hill near any High way,and the High-way
lie fomewhat higher than the Orchard ^ then pro¬
vide againft any good (bower of Rain, (which in
we commonly have enough) make one great

f rench through the Hedg, and from that Trench
ake fcvcralfmall ones which may lead to every
. C Tree,

54 Additions to the

Tree, to conduit the Water from one.Trce to ano-,
ther throughout the Orchard, one fuch watering i
(hall enliven your Trees more than ten (howers p( ;
Rain. When you go to turn the Water into the
Orchard, youmuft make a Dam crofs the High-|
way;othcrwife yOurTrees may be parched for want
of Water: If your Orchard lies drooping upon the
fide of a Hill , and the next adjoining Ground
higher, though no High-way lie near it, yet taking
your opportunity, may do thus ^ View round your
Orchard, and confider which end lies moft conveni¬
ent to carry your Water throughout your whole
Orchard* for you muft begin with the higheft part
■firft :; when you have thus taken the level of yout
Orchard, fee where the greateft Current of water
may fall, and from that place begin your main
Trench, and let it go through your Orchard; and |
from this large Drain caufe another Icfs to water the j
firft row of Trees, andfo tothefecond ; if youi
find your water prove fcanty, and you cannot \va-'
ter all your Orchard at once, order it for twice)!
thus Make a fide Trench that may carry the water j
to the third or fourth row, and never fpend any;
upon the firft row at all y Now if you have no:
High-way, not convenient Lane nOr Ditch that;
carries any courfe of water, that may prove anjj
way beneficial to the watering of your Orchard ij
yet if your Orchard lean any way, with Trenches
made to the Trees upon any fudden (hower,agreal
deal of Water may be conveyed to them, that fall
in the Ground where they ftand; fo let any OrcliarJ
ftandalmofthowit will, with skill, care, anddi-|
ligence, and fmall charge, you will be able to caufr j
your Orchard to return treble profit for the fitr
, yeaty

Al t of Husbandry i 35

years expence; But fiippofe your Orchard lies
on an exad Flat, yet if the Country-Man beftovyed.
'a fmall Tub of water to every Tree, (cfpecially jf"
[old and big Trees) he would find the profit of ,it
jat the years end; foryourtiuftobferve, wh,e 03 .^„
Tree grows and fpreads,: it keeps the Rainfroiji
theRoots, - . .. .. .

' I fha'l fiO^d faithfully relate what was the event
of this kind of watering. -There was a Farmer
that took a final! Tarm in Onfordjfiire, abouttwenfy
pound a year, not far from Reading, he took a.Leafc
of five years, and lived twd years in it,andf(?cei-.
Ved no benefit Worth mentioning of his Orchard t
I riding that way, with aFriend .whieh was hjs ac¬
quaintance, he called in to fee the Farmer .;, and
having a little refrelhed our felVtS, we.walkcd Qi|t
to fee his Ground, which was very poor 5 land at
laft going into his Orchard, the poor Farmer
fetched a great figh : 0, fays he, would all thefc
Trecs were chopped up by the Roots, for this Or¬
chard is fpecial good Ground, but I have no benefit
of it ^ for if I low it, the (hade of the Trees and
Birds devour all my Corn, and i have nbt had twen¬
ty Bnlhels of Apples this two years off from it, and
1 took it for the benefit of the Orchard, which was
between three and four Acres of Ground .• Country-
Man (fays 1 ) you know not what Riches you have
near you, for I willdireft you a way to make this
Orchard pay all your Rent,give me but a Hogfhead
of Sider; But (fays he) my Orchard muft fitft find
Apples: I perfwaded him to take a Leafe of one and
20 years,for I told him he had the beft penny-worth
in Oxford-lhire i but his anfwer was, I wifh I was
well rid of this: Well, if it be fo, obfervem.y
. C 2 Di-

g6 Nerfi Additions to the
Direftions, and yon need not fear but your Or*S
chard will pay your Rent j fo having viewed his
Orchard round, within a little fpace diftanc from,
his Orchard went the High-way ; I told him the'
convenience of this High-way would pay his Rent;:
How can that be when I fell neither Beer nor Ale!
idefired him immediately to get me two or three!
Labourers and 1 would direft them I brought the
Water from the High-way, by making of aDaiii|
through the middle of thefmall Ground into the
Orchard', then from that Trench I caufed them to
cutoutfeveral other Trenches, leading to every
row of Trees, and made them dig a yard round
every Tree thatthe Water may have time to foals
into the Ground, having goodcompafs round tbt
Tree : Notwlthftanding all this, he had not fo
much-Faith to take a new Leafe, but firft defited
to fee the event of this new Invention : This was'
about the middle of February ; I direfted him aifo
to fmoother his Orchard with Muck and Fern,
(which way to order is treated of in another place)
and continue it fo long as the wind Ihould hold any'
way Eafterly or Northerly. At the latter end of ’
September^, Bufinefs calling me that way, I called,;
upon the Farmer to know how his Orchard tbri-' j
ved; with a merry countenance he replyed, I havi
•Apples enough to pay my Rent, and punauallj
performed his promife with an over-plus ;I advifeJ;
him now to take a new Leafe, which then was tot:
late, for his Landlord had been there and lien tin;
Improvement, and would not let him a new LcaH
under 30 /. per Annum 3 for he was of an opinioi) I
this way would not fail in caufing the Orchard Mi
bear; the Leafe being cKpired, the Landlord keepsi
till,I

Art of Husbandry. 37

the Orchard, and lets the Ground tor 15 /. per
Annum. The Orchard is duly worth to him twen¬
ty pound a year more ; that year when the im¬
provement was made he had about fixty quarters
of Apples j he fatted his Hogs with the worft, and
fold the bed at a good rate; All his charges amoun¬
ted but to 18 s. and 9 L

Him to order old decayed Trees, to make them
hear as well as ever.

A Boutthc end of OBoher, or beginning of Afff-
vemher, or later,until the rifing of the Sap,cut
kh fuperfluous branches as feem too thick in the
niddle of the Tree,or thofe which through extraor-
iinary high Winds have been bruifed or broken 5
hen having a feraping-KnIfe, ferape off the Mofs,
hat grows about the principal Limbs of the Tree,
vhich with a Knife made convenient for the purr
»ofe, a Man will cleanfe forty or fifty in a, days
ime j for this Mofs is full as bad for the Apple-
Trees as Ivy is for the Oakthis being performed,
lig the Earth a yard round every Tree, and a fpit
leep, which let lie open all the Winter till the mid-
ile of March j then give your Orchard a good wa-
ering, aad if you cannot conveniently, then get a
mall Cart with a barrel, and beftow a barrel of
i'aterto a Tree and fill it up with Dung, and lay
he Mold upon the Dung; then about the latter end
f give each Tree a barrel full of Water, and
ou lhall find the Trees fliall flourilh and (hoot out
licnes to admiration, and fhall bear again as well
sif it was in its prime •, fomc may fay, TheRe-
ledy is worfe than the Difeafe, thinking it . too
C ^ great

^8 '^w Jfdditwis to the |

great a charge; To which I anfwer, 1 will hirci'
Mari by the groat, ihall at any time ondertake iIk
^ effotftiance of all that belongs todreffingaiidor-,
<J^iit;'f;'of‘theniforfourpencea Tree ; and I que-
fti&n not bat every Tree will afford ten times asi
flWCh advantage in the firft ycai s bearing.

How to order an Orchard that it Jliall
never mifs Bearing.

I Have feen feveral Orchards that have been blow.
dS'W.hitc as a fheet, but when the BlbfToms havi
fbere hath been no appearance of Fruit;
thtrefore follow thefe Direaions, and your Ttetj
•ftall not fail to be extraordinary well hung, fotj
tari'aflriifcyouof myown knowledg, .and feverf;
^r’thers Experience, that, when moll Orchards hati ■
-ittifdarried, their Trees could not ftand under thdi
burden .* When you perceive there is an Eafterly oi;
North-eafterly red wind, which was ever accoiiit ,
tea a hiking Wind, if you live near any Heattif,
Ground, then in Summer dry three or fofir hinidtei
of Turfs ^ but if yoii arc not neat any Heatli)
Ground, thentakethreeorfour good arms full 4
liiuciik Straw, Hay, or Fern, not tab wet, nortof ■
dry, and obferving which fide of the Orchard tb
Wind blows bn ; then laying a good arm-fulls:
Muckle in three or four places, according to tbl
blgnefs of your Orchard, get fom? dty Stidi
^md having kindled them, put an arm-full of Miitj
•kle upon the Fire, and it will fmoafc and fmoothtrl,
and the Wind WiM drive the Smoak through ibf
whole Orchard; continue it till the Wind turnoifj
of the E'afterly quarter, and it will prefervetb^

Art of Husbavdrj. 5^

Trees and Fruit from Elites, and all manner of Flies
and Caterpillars, which thofe forts of bliting Winds
ufually'bring i when you find the Wind changed
to Weft, North-Weft, South, or South-We-ft, you
may forbear making any finoothcr, for thofe winds
never hurt obferving this, you fhall find that not
once in ten times you (hall ever mifearry y but on
the contrary, have your Trees fo furnifhed with
Fruits, in the word of years, according to your
hearts defire. After the fame manner you may
preferve your Wall'Fruit from Frofts.

A tm vtay to make Watrifi Fruit become
firm, found, and [met.

T iT 7 Hen you find that^our Apples are watrilh,
V V puffie,orhollovv,and will not keep,which
if the Grouttd lie low or near a River, all forts of
Apples will be fubjeft to, and then they eat very
unpleafantand will not keep, though it appear a
fair handfom beautiful fruit to the eye ; Now to
caufe your Fruit to eat firm aild pleafant, obferve
thefe direftiOns ■, About the latter end-of OBober,
or beginning of November, dig round every Tree,
about a yard and a half from the Body, and a full
Spit deep or more •, then fill up the place with the
beft Chalk, and let it lie open all winter, that the
Froft may chaften it, that fo it may incorporate
with the Earth, and about the end of March throw
the Earth upon the Chalk, and water theOrchard
if you can, and you will find in one year fo great a
change, and extraordinary benefit accrue to the
Fruit of your Orchard, that you fliall hardly be¬
lieve your own tafte, and the Apples will be wh 4 l-
, C 4 foraer,

40 [Additions to the

fotner, pleafanter, and keep feveral months longer
than ufually they were accuftomed to do : if x^oii'
will not ferve all your Orchard, experimcnc three;
or four Trees, and you lhall quickly find the diife- i
rence of the Fruit.

The true my of Planting and Ordering of Meloni^
Cucumbers^ PompionSf and Colli flowers. j

I Shall begin with the Melon 5 Firft, 1 fhall tci
you the reafon why we make Hot Beds ; and
that is this, T0 get them forward againft Summer
comes, thatfothe'Fruit may have time to ripen;
In Spain and France they never make a Hot Bed,
by reafon their Summer is long and hot j Melons.
that grow in thofc Countries far furpafs ours in
Tafte and Colour. Now your Cucumbers ripen
far fooner, and Pomplons in half the time, though
they be an extraordinary large fort of Fruit 5 for
they arecommouly fctinMay, and ripe in ^- uguji:
Now for your Melon and Cucumber, you muft be¬
gin to make your Hot Bed in the middle of Februan.i
or latter end (which 1 ever found foon enough);
having provided your felf of a warm place, being
fenced about with a clofe Pale, Wail, or Hedg, a-
bout fix or feven foot high, and being at fuch a di-
ftance Irom the Bed that the Sun may ftiine over any
time in the day, and efpecially in the morning;
Now the inclofed being finifhed, you muft bring j
fix or feven load of Horfe-dung, fix or feven days
old; and thus you muft raife your bed, and fet up
Stakes the length and breadth of your bed y then
take your Dung and fhake it, that it may not lie
ijordcr in one place than another fix or feven load

Art of Husbandry. ' 41

will make a bed 7 or 8 foot long, 3 foot high, and
3 foot over \ tread it not extraordinary hard,let it as
near as you can be all over of an equal hardnefs,
for elfe one Seed will be up before another; having
raifed your bed to the higheft, get a load of pure
Horfe-Dung, without Straw, and lay it at the top,
and wet the Horfe*Dung, and beat it very fmooth
with your fpade •, then fift fome pure Mold, being
laft years Dung rotted: for if it have any Earth in
it, the Melons will not thrive kindly, but moft part
will be fubjeft to pine away 3 therefore get the
richeft Mold you can have fifted on, aboutfour in¬
ches or five thick 5 your Melons and Cucumber-
Seed being fteeped in Milk twenty four hours, put
them in at two or three inches diftapcc with your
finger, and about an inch and a half deep. 3 then
having fome Melon-Glafles ready, cover them, to
draw up the heat to the top of the Herb* 3 Glafles
are the bed: of things to bring up early Melons, for
they keep out Wind and Weather, and let in the
Sun to comfort them. But as fome have direfted to
place Forks, and lay Sticks upon the Forks, then
cover them with Straw, it avails little 3 for a good
foower of Rain, or a fmall Froft, puts an end to
yopr trouble; your Mat-covering is far better, and
coyer the Mat over with Straw 3 no early Melon*
are to be brought up without Glafles 3 thofe that
cannot go to the charge of all Glafs, rnake them
thus, Make three parts of them Wood, and one
part Glafs, and let the glafly-fide always (land to
theSuq, when you open them 3 when you perceive

them to peep above-ground, cover them again a-

bout a quarter of an inch with warm Mold from
the bottom of the bed; and when they are foot
above-

42 New AdditioiJS to the I

above-ground, cover up the Stakes clofe to thel
Leaves, and when the Sun appears, give themfome ^
about ten of the Clock till eleven, and cover your i
Glalsover withTome Straw that the Sun prove not ^ ,
too hot ^ open that again about two till four j ob- ;
ferveftill as the Plants rife, to raife up the Earth
to the Leaves; When you find the Bed begin to de-,
cay, immediately rernove your Plants into another
Bed, otherwife yUur labour and former pains will |
be loft, foryou fhall find the Roots in aftiorttimci
toperilhand ^eiiay forwaiit pf heat i which when
they come into h-frclh Bed, they will mount away
and grow,mote in one day than in fix before in the
other Bed; Tf^you find the Bed to grow dry, fteep
fome Watetiri Sheeps-Dung, and having made it
Blood-Warih, water them once in twelve hours ot
niordi according as you fhall find occafion ; Now
haviiig taken put all your belt Plants, and planted
them about four inches diftance in your new Bed,
then ftir all your Mold of your old Bed, and if it
be too dry wet it, and then rake the Earth very
even, and fowyour Colli flower feeds in rows, not
too thick ; if you fhould fow them with the Me- v
,lons and Cucumbers, they would run up fuch a
^height with the heat of the Bed, that they \v6iild
never flower worth a farthing, but being fPwed
when the Bed is almoft cold, they will come up
green and be brave ftocky Plants; when they have
three Leaves or more, plant them out into the other
Melon, ( which will be then time to remove the Me¬
lon-Plants to ftapd all the yearj and plant the Col¬
ly-flowers up to the Leaves, and water them witli :
Water wherein Sheep or Pigeon-Dung hath.beeiii,
foaked, and you (hall find them thrive abundantly.:

Art of Huiha>:dr)’. 43

Thus much for the Colly-flower. Now to Plant the
Melons where they (hall ftand all the year ; dig a
large Trench about four foot deep, and three foot
over, and place therein foine Dung that will heat;
about three? foot deep let the Dung be, then make a
fcji'are hole about a foot deep, and half a yard
fquare, and put fomc very rich Mold in about half
full i then taking up your Melons very qarefully,fet
three Melons to a Hole, (or two and a Cucumber)
and place them triangular, and fet deep with fomc
of their warm Mold, that the tops pf the Leaves
may be level with the. top of the Bed ■, then fet your
Glafles upon them and cover them very warm, and
water them with Dung^water for.two or three days
after you have fet them, let the Water be Blood-
warm^ if it fhould prove a backward Spring, you
muft keep them very warm, and not leave themyijw
covered till all the Frofts be gone you muft feivc
your forward Cucumbers after the fame manner:
But for your latter Cucumbers order them thus;
■About the latter, end of Marehi .pr beginning of
April-, dig a Trench as you did for the Melons, and
.fill it with new Horfc-Dung •, your Trench may be
from 3 yards to ,20, fill it up with new Horfc-
Dung, and make ftjuare holes as whets ydu planted
the Melons, and fill the Holes with rich Mold, and
fet the Seed two inches deep into the Mold j you
may fet a dozen Seeds into a hole, and cut the wdrft
away ; when they come up, cover them with
Straw or Cabbage-ieaves to Ihelter them from wind
and Weather till they have got four or five leaves,
and then you may truft them, and not fiil of Cu¬
cumbers in abundance. Plant your Pompion upon
aDunghili,f you can, if not, dig a large Trench

44- Additions to the

and fill it with Dung that may a little heat, and
make fquare Holes, and plant three in a Hole (tri-
angular j in Mold, and when you perceive them
above-ground, water them very, well with Dung,
water, and they will thrive exceeding well; when
youfeeaPompionkernel’dand grown to thebig-
nefs of a Goofe Egg, and the Runner Ihoot for¬
ward, and produce another a yard beyond him,lay
the Runner half a foot or more in the Ground, and
it will fliootout Roots and nourifhthe other Pom-
pion, for that next the Root intercepts all the Sap
from the other, and in two or three days will pine
to ivothingj obfervingthis direflion, you may have
nine or ten upon a Root, otherwife very feldom
above three. Ihavefeen nine very large ones upon
a Root. Now your Colly-flowers having fix or fe-
ven Leaves are ready to be planted, and order them
thusj Dig as many Holes about a foot fquare and
deep, and a yard apart, and make aHole between
every four, then put a fliovelful or two of good rot.
ten Dung into every Hole,and mix it well together;
then taking up your Plants very carefully v/ith the
Mold, fet them in fo deep that the tops of the leaves
may not be fo high as the Ground, and water them
very well, then lay a Cabbage-leaf over every hole
to keep the hot Sun and cold Air from thenh; if it
be.a very dry time, water them often, or elfe you
will be deceived in the flowering of them.

\Jrt of Hrtsbakdry. 45

Hovf to order Gooje-herries and Currans.

\)\1 yourGoofe-ber-

V V ryandCurran-garden,chufeontthofetrecf
that are ftreight and without knots, and plant them
in Ground'well dunged, they thrive bift in a fandy
Mold i after they have flood one year, if there b«
any young Shoots, cut them all'off very clofe to
the Body, and fuffer not a bufliy head, but let it be
very thin kept, and then the Sun fhall ripen him
and he wiii grow extraordinary large; Order your
Currans after the fame manner, and Rolh alfo, and
your Garden fhall look comely and handfome, and
bear far better than if they were threc-timesas big}
every two years you muft refrefh them with Dung,
if you intend to have them very large: If you keep
yourGoofe-berries and Currans to one Head, the
lhadow of them will do no injury, but you may
plant any fort of Flowers or Herbs under them,
and they fliall profper and thrive as well as if there
were no Trees ftanding.

How to Treferve and Increafe aS forts of Carna¬
tions and Auriculajfes,

S Everal People that love and delight in Flowers,
and thofe of the bed fort, as Carnations and
AuriculalTes, yet through ignorance and want of
care they very feldom live above two years, fo are
almoft tired and difheartned to renew their former
delights i and the reafon is, kccaufc they have not
the true way of preferving and incrcafing them .•
Fir ft, How to preferve them j It hath been an ufual
. way

4^ AJditms to the

way to fct them in feveral Pots, and in hard Wea.
ther to remove them into the Houfc, which bath
proved fo troublefome and chargeable (for they
muft have a little Houfe on purppre ) that tnoft ate
weary of it, except them that make it their lively,
hood: Now obferve this way, and you lhall have
better Flowers and lofe few ; When’you have
bought your Layers of the beft Flowers, fct them in
a Bed of pure Mold, rooted from Horfe-Dung and
not CoW'Dutig, becaufe it cnerfiafeth Worms,
which will devour the Flowers •, when it draws
near winter, take feme fhort new Horfe-Dung, and
lay it at lead a foot thick allovcr thcBed between the
Flowers, and have fomc Earthen pots about a foot
deep with their bottoms out to ftand over the
Flow'crs to keep the Dung from them, and when
It^ very hard, cover the top of your pot with
a Tile, and it will keep your Flowers from Froll
and weat Weather, which is the deftruftion of a
thoufandin a yearwhen it is a fine day give them
Air and Sun-fhine, and rover them again at Night,
this way fliajl five you a great deal of trouble to re¬
move them into your Houfe in hard weather: Now
to increafe them, about or if you have
Slips upon your Flowers, take a fharp Knife, and at
a Knot cut it half in two, let the Knot be an inch
or more from the Stem, then with a little hooked
otick peg it clofe to the Ground, and cover it over
with Earth like a little Mole.hill; and when yoo
perceive that the Layer hath taken Root, cut it off
With a (harp Knife, and take it up Mold and all and
plant it out, and fo you may encreafe your Stock;
thefe great fort of Flowers will not grow with
flipping as your Glove-Gilly-Flowers: you mull

jirt of Husl/andry. 47

flip your Auriculafles, and prefervc theiji after the
fame manner as I direded for the Carnation.

Jn excellent way to recover any Horfe or Cow that it
fi 'if with Cold-, beino Mired in a Ditch.

I Have feen feveral Beads that have happened by
fome mifearriage to fall into a Ditch or Pond,
and having flayed fome confiderablc time,they have
been fo ftiff as though they had been dead. Now
to recover thefe deadifh ftiff Limbs,order him thusi
If he be fo ftiff that he is not in a capacity to go,
get a Cart and carry him home, then give him half
an ounce of Mithridate in a quart of ftrong Ale,
where a handful of Rue, Angelica and Balm hath
been boiled ; then put him into a hot Dunghil, and
chafe his Joints very well with the Oil of St. Johns-
Wort and Rue mixed together, and by the next
morning you ffiall find him recovered ; but keep
anointing of his Legs for three or four days after,
and if occafion require, put him another night in
the Dung, and give him the like quantity again.

How to order aH Phyfcal Herbs growing here,
to th> ive and. proffer.

^ 7 Ery many People of all forts have been making
V of yourPhyfick-Gardens, not for any great
ufe they have made of them, but moftout of curi-
ofity to ice the variety of p’ants,which net knowing
I rightly to order, have had the greateft part of them
; (for want of fome inftruiftions) been dead and de-
I cayed in two years time ■, therefore 1 have here fet
! down forac certain approved Rules for their prefer-
i , vation:

48 New AddUiens to tie
vation: Firft, When you have made your Garden,
then confider how many forts of Earth, and the
feveral (hady places for Herbs that love it, for you
mufx confider the nature of the Herb what it de-
lights in. 1 fliall give fix or feven Examples which
1 hope will be fufficient for all; as firft, For your
Adder-tongue it grows in moift low Grounds and
Meadows ^ if this Herb be planted in a hot ground,
it may flourilh a little for the firft year, but you may
look for it in the Meadows the next, therefore
plant him in fome moift place of the Garden; An¬
gelica is an Herb hot and dry, if you plant it in a
cold moift Ground, it pines away and comes notto
any thing, therefore the richeft Ground is bell;
Liver-wort is a Herb that delights to grow in moift
fliady places, as by the heads of Springs and Ponds,
and infides of Wells, and is green all the year; this:
Herb mull be planted by fome moift Wall or fhady
Bank, where it fees very little of the Sun, for any
heat or dryth kills it: Rofemary is a hot and dry
Herb, delights to grow in the Sun,and near a Wail,
if that be planted in a cold fpringy place, it pines a-
way to nothing ^ if your Ground be very cold, and
Rofemary fubject to die, mingle half your Mold
with Lime and it will thrive and profper cxtraordi>
nary.’ Obferve one thing, There is no Herb that
grows, if it doth not delight in the Sun, that is
good for the Heart. Harts-tonguc delights by |
High-way Tides in Banks of Ditches, and not in the!
bottoms; plant him upon the Bank of fome Ditch.
Penny-royal delights in a hot and moift place ; plant
it where it may only have the morning Sun, keep it
low, and fuffer it not to grow into long Branches,
for then it ufually dies in the end ; Take rfoiice al-
V ways,

At ofRtisbandry: 49

ways, That-what Herbs.you.plant, order the
place where you fet it, to bs; of the nature of ypur
Plant; that isj thus; If your Herb be hot and
dry, a hot and dry place in your Garden ^ If cold
and dry, a cold and dry place; fo hot and moift,
and cold and moift: you mayiknow the tempera¬
ture of any Herb almoft by the place where you
find him naturally to grow^ for it's contrary to
Senfe and Reafon, that cold and moift Herbs Ihould
thrive in hot and dry places.

Howto gdthcr Herbs^ andatriie waj
to dry thejii.

T Hey that intend to dry Herbs to have them
good, muft obferve their Times and Sea-
fons: Gather your Herbs where they naturally
grow, as yourBetony itdelightsin Woods; ga¬
ther him when it begins to bud out for flowring;
tie them up in fmall Bunches, and hang it crofs the
Lines in the Wind and Sun; the quicker you dry
any Herbs, the far better it is ; gather always in a
dry day, and let it not hang where it can rain up¬
on it, for that will make it look black, and alfo
take away the feent; when you have dryed them,
put them in Brown-Paper-Bags, and before Win¬
ter, lay them two or three hours in the Sun, and
that will very much refrelh them; hang them in a
Avarm dry place, but not too hot, tor then the heat
Avill draw out the Spirits of them.

; Here is but three things to be obfer ved to have
jcKtraordinary good dryed Herbs; Gather tht.m in
i . D the

I

^0 New Additions, &.c.

the Prime, pick them clean from withered rotten |
Leaves, and dry them quick in the Sun and Wind,,
topreferve them, keeping them neither too hot not;
too cold, and air them in the Sun three or font I
times in a Winter.

Thus ! haveinfhort fliewed the Planting, Ga-.
theringi and Drying of Herbs. ,

SOME

Further Additions

Concerning

Singing Birds

W E havingjfoks before of Jbme varie¬
ties for rrojit^ and alfo Pleafure in
ordering offeveral forts of Fruit-
Trees and Gardenings and a fmaU touch of
T^crcation for taking of Fijb and Tiirds ; but
nm I do intend to enter into a Difcourfe of
1 aking, ’Vrefirvings and Keeping aU forts of
"Firds which fing melodioujly with ravijjdng
fweet and pleafant Songs^ wherewith theMd-
Jier may have his T(ecreation and ‘Vleajure^ by
hearing them fing in his Clofess HedgeSs Farks^
or at his Chamber-Window , or otherwije fm
,Hp in fome Cages, Rooms, or Aviaries, with
Outdets for them to take the ^ir made for that
D 2 pur-

52 Of Swging‘"~Bhds.

fiirpojc, to contain theStibjeii of fnchpkafin
and delightfom Melody: And that toe may mi
omit anything, beforeive lay dom any parti¬
cular Manner or Way of taking fich Birds,
toe full take a fiort view of the ?fatun,
Breeding, Feeding, and Difeafes of the fame-,
for in my Opinion it were almoji labour in vain
to takg Birds, if to the end toe may not enjoj
their fiveet and melodious Songs for feme evv-
flderable time for tvithont you kfioro rebut
Meatisagreeahleto them, and rightly to order i
them, and what Difeafes and Infirmities thf
arf fnbjcS unto, and what Means and Reme¬
dies are necefiary to be tifed for their DiUeni-
per attires. In the meantime I intend not hen
to bring, in Fabulous Stories and iFliories cj
their Original Breeding, which phtaped
Poets have vainly imagined and invented^ but
refolve to reft my Jelf contented with this
firong perpafion. That all Birds from the be¬
ginning of tlie World, were miraculoufly crea¬
ted by God’s AlmightyTower, of his own nm
Will and Word, whereby he created all other
Creatures in the beginning of the World.

Of Singifig'Birds. 53

Of the Nightingale.

N Ow every Man hath aimed a feveral phanfiej
feme Make choice of enc Bird, feme of ano¬
ther ; but in my choice and opinion, the Nightingal
hath the fuperiority above iill others, and alrfiod ac¬
cording to the judgment and tonfentof every one,
(he fiiigeth ^ith fo much variety the fweeted and
mclodied dfalipthers. I n^edhot much deferibethe
Bird, by feafort (he is fufficlehtly known to mod
People, by tcafdn'ofhcr plentifulncfs and tamenefs,
and far more kept in Italy than in any other part
of the World, (hough iia mod Countries I have
been, theyliecpthem little br.Hiuch. They appear
to us at the beginning of (none as yet know¬
ing where their Habitation is during all the Win¬
ter) j I have made feveral trya,ls in the beginning,
middle, and latter end of Angufl^ of feveral Nightin-
galsthatl hatip taken, being'fo cstream fat, that
they being turned loofe, could n6t fly forty, yards,
and when down, was not able to rife again, which
makes mod" believe thatthey(fakepp their dwelling
here all the VVinter, and thi’nk them tofleep, for
I have had feveral, when fati Co be three weeks and
not eat one bit of meat, which', in fome fhorf time
begins to makeher Ned; uluatly (he makes it about
a foot and a half or two foot above Ground, cither
in thick Qiiick-fet Hedges, 'of ih Beds of Nettles,
where old Quick-fet hath been thrown together,
and Nettle^ grown through, and makes it of fuch
materials as the place affords-, fhc hath commonly
voting ones at the beginning of the Month of

D 3 uhou

54 Of Sittging-'~Birds,

when all the Earth is befetand fpangled with the
eurious varieties of all odoriferous Flowers, and
pleafant greennefs j and in Groves and thick Bulhes
formed in the likenefs of a Wildernefs, upon which
the Sun in the mor[)ing doth caft his cool and tem¬
perate Beams, from iioon till the fetting thereof;
Ihe naturally delight^ to haunt cool places, where
fmall Rivolets, Fountains,and Brooks areaccommp-
da!ted with Groves., Shades, thick Qiiick-fct
Heciges, and other well-fhadowed places ^not fat
diftaht. I told afore how 1 found theinl^efts made,
but fo^e have affirmed to me,That they nave found
them iipon the Ground, at the bottom of Hedges,
and amongit waft Grounds; and fpme of them that
have found them upon Banks thatliaye beenraifed,
and then overgrown syith thick Grafs, in which
they have built their Nefts yl never fpiind any built
in fuch places, yet I cannot fay Imk other Countries
may make the Birds to differ in their Building,
though not in their Songs. As for the number of
their Eggs it’s uncertain, fome three or four and
fome five, according to the ftrength oTthqir Bodies,
Now the Nightingale which I would a^vife yoa
to keep, let him be of the qarlieft Birds that is bred
in the Spring, fop the earlier the better, by reafon
fhe will become moreperfeft in her Songs, for the
old one hath more tipie to fing over, or continues
longer in finging than thofe that are bred later,
and you may have better hope and aflurance of^long
living, and being brought up and kept with more
eafe and fafety; for having the Summer before
them, they throw off and mue, and caft their Fea¬
thers much fooner and quicker than later in the
year \ for if Ihe caft her Feathers at the end of the
^ year,

Of Sif/gif/g-Birds. 5 5

year, (he is fubjcft to be over-run with certain Ver¬
min which hinders the growth of Feathers, which
the cold coming, and finding her bare of Feathers
caufethherto die ; which happeneth to feveral that
are latter Birds at the end of Summer, and corn*
monly prove moft to be Hens, and if Cocks, fel-
dom worth keeping. The young Nightingals muft
be taken out of their Nefts when they areindilTe-
rent well feathered,and not too little, nor too much}
if too much, they will be fullen •, and if too little, if
you keep them not very warm, they will die with
cold; and then alfo they will be much longer a
bringing up. Their Meat may be made of Lean
Beef, Sheeps-Heart,or Bullocks'Heart; you (halt
firftpulloffthe fat Skin that covereth the Heart,
and take out the Sinews as cie|n as you can, then
fgakthe quantity of White-Bread in Water, and
fqpeeze opt fomeof the Water; then chop it fmall
as if it were for minced Meat ^ lb with a Stidctake
up the quantity #f a Gray Pea, and give every one
three or four fuch Goblets in an hours time , as
long as they fliall endure to abide in the Nefts;
when they begin to grow ftrong,and fly out of the
Neftwheq you; feed them , then put them into a
Gige with feveral Pearchcs for them to fit upon,
and line thepi with fome Green Bays, for they -are
very fubjea .tq the Cramp at firft, and atijpht? bpt-*
^m of thc; Cage put fbme fine Mofs or Hay for
themtp fit ; Ofl when they pleafe; alwm obfery-
ing to keep them as clean as may be poflible, for if
ypu bring them up nafty they will always be fo ^ and
fbinall other Birds, it will be convenient to line
their Cages againft Winter, or elfe to keep them in
fome warm place : When you cage them up from
, D 4 the

56 Of Sii ain^-'Birds,

thefJeft, put always fomeoftheir Meat by them,
with a few Ants in it, to teach them to feed them-
felves. You fnuft keepthem a little hungryer than
ordinary when you cage them, and theri they will
fooher take to their Meat, to feed alone •, and when
he doth feed, be fure to give four or five times a
day, a Gobbet or two at a time, for they will not
feed enough at firft to fatisfie thcrtifclves; you mud
fnake frefh Meat every day in the Sumiticr, other-
wife if it (land longer, it will be very fubject to
rtink and turn fower 'when they begin to Moult,
or caft their Feathers, give them half'sh E'gg, -and
the other half Sheeps-Hcart,' with a little Saffron
mixed in the Water, for vou ntulFitiake it not too
ftiff nor too limber,let the Egg be'boiledwery hard,
and not too dale ■, pive them no Duck-Eggs, for
I had 6 Nightingales killed one night with a Duck-
Egg : For want'of this’Meat fufing them to if)
you may give them fome Wood-LarkS Mcat,which
will be (hewed the way of makin^wli'en l come to
treat of that Bird; You may ufe'your Nightingal
tofeveral forts of Meats, fo that for three or four
days, if you can get no Flefh ydtr may keep them
alive. ‘ I (hall (hew you herhafttr to'triake a Pafte
which (hall fcrvc up'on all occafion's'i ifydu can get
no Fleflis I have'fed thdfn two dr three days with
your Red-Worpis,' apd Caterpillars,'and Hpg-lice,
and a few Meal-Wdrms, to giirccthdtii now and
then a Meal-Wornd makes therti familiar, fo yoii
let them take it out of your hands, but ■ tod many
fpoils them, with6i*it they are very poor ?nd droop;

Of Srngb/g-fhrds.

57

HowtofndtheNightingaU Nefi-) mid to
take BraiKhers.

N Ow I have fhewed where they Build,and how
to Feed and Order them, I ftiall fhcw you the
way of taking' Young and Old. For taking of
Young Birds, obferve where the Cock fings, and
if you find him to fing long in a place, then the
Hens (It not far off-, but if he hath young ones, he
will ever now and then be miffing, and then the
Hen when you come near her Ned will fweet and
cur ; and if you have fearchd long and cannot
find them, (lick a Meal-'Worm or two upon a
Thorn, and obferve which way he carried it, and
ftand ftill, or lie down, and yOu will hear them
when (he feeds them, (they make a great noife for
fo fmall aBirdj; when you have found theNeft,
if they be not fledged er.ough,touch them not, for
if you do, they will never tarry in the Ne(f,’'an(f
then it will be loft labour, to be deprived iof it
■(Vhen you have found it; Now for to take your
Bfahchers, which is young ones-that hav^ been bred
up' by the old ones in the FieldvYou muftgo to fuch
places that afemoftlikely for Food,for the Old odes
whfen they have pufhed the Young ones out of the
Neft, (which we pall Pufhers) leads them from the
place they werd bred in, to a place more plentiful
ofFdod, for th'ey commonly deitroy all the Food
that is near in bringing them up, fo are forced to
feck out further to preferve the'ir young ones:
When yon have found where they be, which you
fhall know by their entering and 'fvveeting •, for if you
call !true,they will aiifweryou immediately -/then
. ’ making

50 Of Singhig-Birds. j

making obfcrvation where they moft delight, as
you rtiall perceive by their Dung, and if they be
^ifturbecl from the place, to make to it again ; Now i
having all your Tackle by you, fcrape in the Ditch'
or Baiik-fide (about half a yard or more fquarej
the Earth that it may look frefh, then take a Bird-
Trap, or a Net-Trap, which is thus made; Take
a Net made of Green Thread or Silk about tticl
compafs of a yard,, made after tjie fafliion of a
Shove-Net to catch Fifh, or a Cabbage-Net; then
get fome of your large fort of Wire, bending of it
round, and joyn both ends, which you muft pot
into a fhort (lick about an inch and a half long;
then you mud have a piece of Iron with two
Cheeks: and a hole of each fide, which you mull
put fome Cats gut or fine Whip-cord three orfoai ■
times double, that fo it may hold the piece of Wood
the better that the ends of the Wire is put into,
and with a Button of each fide of the Iron twill
the Whip-cord, that fo the Net may play the quic¬
ker you mud fallen the Net to the Wire, as they
do. a Shove-Net to the Hoop j then get a Boardof
the, Compafs of your Wire, and joyn. your two.
Cheeks of Iron at the handle of yo|y^r Board; thjo
make a Hole in the middle of yourfioard, and piii
a piece of Stick about two inches long, and a Hole
at the top of youi: Stick, which you muft have a
Peg to put in with two Wirep, aq irKh and half,to
Hick your McaNWorm upon j; tl^eri' tie a (Iringin
the middle of thctcyp of ypur Net,drawing theNet
up,having an qyeat the end, of the .handle to put
your Thread through, pull it till it ftands-.upright,
then pull it throughythc Holp of the (lick that llands!
in the middle of your Board,and put your Peg in tk

Of Shigwg-‘~Birds. 59

Hole, and that will hold the String that the Net
cannot fall down ^ you muft put two Worms upon
the Wires before you put it into the Hole, andfet
it as gently as you can, that the Bird may throw it
down witn the fir ft touch; when you have your
Net and Worm ready, after you fcraped the place,
then put fome Ants in your Trap-Cage, and upon
your Board, put fome Worms upon Thorns, and
fetthem at the bottom of your Trap-Cage, little
Holes being made for the fiime purpofe to flick in
the ends ofyour Thorns i then plant your Trap
near to the place where you heard them call, either
in the Ditch or by the Bank-fide, or corner of a
Hedg, and then walk away, and in a fliort time
you will find them taken i you may fet three or
four Traps according to your pleafure.

How to Order them when taken,

S ’' 0 foon as you have taken the Nightingal in July.

or Mgufi,Tic the end of his Wing with fome
brown Thread, that fo he may not have ftrength to
beat himfelf againft the top and Wires of the Cage,
for by this order he will grow tame fooner, and be
more apt to cat his Meat, whereas other wife he will
be hard to tame; for feeing himfelf deprived of his
liberty, he becometh not tame till fome timeafter-
You (haH (hut him up in a Cage covered above half
with green Bays or brown Paper, or elfe tarn the
Cage to the light in fome private place, that fo at
firfthebenotdifturbed, to make him wilder than
he would be, for it is convenient for three or four
days not to let him fee much Company; in the mean
time have regard to feed him five or fix times at the
. Icaft

00 Of Sirgi>:g-Birds.

icad every day; You iiiuft feed hifii witli the Sheeps-
Heart and Egg fhred I'lnall and fine, mingling a-
moneft the fame fomc Red Ants, and three or four
Red-Earth-Wwms mixed with it ^ordering of him
thus, for you arc to take notice that no Nightingd
at the firfl taking will cat any Shccps-Hcart, or Pall,
or hard Egg, but live-Mcat, as Worms, Ants, Cr-
tcrpillars or Flics', therefore taking of him out h
your band, you muft open his Bill with a Stick,
made thin at one end, and holding of it open, give
him a Gobbet about the bignefsofa Gray-Pea, then
when he hath fwallowcd that, open his Bill and
give him another, till he hath had four or five fudi
Bits; then fcl him fome Meat ’ mingled with (lore'
of’Ants,that when he goes to pick up the 'Ants,
he may cat Tome of the Sheeps-Heart and Erg
with it, put alfo good (lore of Ants at the bottom
of the Cage to keep him eating , and from being
melancholy ; at the firftvoumay (bred three 6t
four Meal-Worms in his Meat, the better to entice
him, that fo he may therewith cat feme of the
Shccps-Hcart by little and little •, at la(l when you
perceive him to eat, give him the Icfs Ants in nis
Meat, and at Ia(l'give him, nothing but the Sheeps-
Heart and Egg ; if you perceive him to cat it wil¬
lingly, which thing is cafie . to be difeern’d of anj
Manof Judgment; Thefe .Nightingals that are ta¬
ken at this time of the year, will not fing til! the
middle of OHoherisni then they will hctldin Song
till the midcllc" of

Of Smgifig-Hirds. 6 1

To hrtKJ^ up Nightitigah that arc ta^en, from the
jirfi of Jpril nil the twentieth day.

T He Nightingals that are taken after the firfl:

of /^pril until the latter end, are the only
Birds in the VVoiIJ for Song, and tit'to be
bioui'ht up; you may go out in the Morning and
Eveningand having heard fcvcral Birds, make
choice of them that have beft variety of Song ,
and hold out their Song without breaking off in
fcvcral quirks, and is moft iavifh, throwing of it-
out at pleafure; you muft plant your Trap-Cages
or Trap-Nets, as you did formerly for the Bran-
chers which were taken in June, July., Angii^ ^
When you go a taking, carry a bottom bag with
you, and fome Meat in a Gally-Pottofeed him a-
broad, for if they be over-fafted they fcldom live,
which at that time in the year they require to be fed
every hour, for when you havefet your Trap for
others, you may (it and refrefh them you have in
your Bag; be furc to tie their Wings at the end as
foon as taken, and put or cut their Feathers from
their vent, otherwife they will be fubjeft to clog
and bake up their vent, which is prefent death ^
when you come home, cram them as I direfted in
the Branchers, and in the bottom of the Cage put
Dirt and Ants, and fet fome Meat made with
iSheepS'Heart and Egg, and mingled with Ants,
and twoor three Meal-Worms cut in pieces putin-
itohisPan, and fet him in a place that he may fee
no Body to fright him till he is wonted to the Cage,
^and hath forgot his former liberty be furc to
jfeed him feven or ci ,'nt tunes a day, with three or
Ifourpieces of Meat as big as a Pea, openinii his
: ' ■ - Hill

62 Of Singing-'^irds. |

Bill with a thin Stick, as I direOed before, for at
this time of the year they are aptcr to die for want j
of Food by one hajf than in Jdy or when

you perceive him to eat the Meat with the Ants
and Meal-worms, for ufually at firft for two or
three days they will pick out all the Ants and Meal-
Worms, and cat not one bit of the Sheeps-Hcatt ^
and Egg, and the reafon is, That they feeding on¬
ly upon live Meat, do not know that any thingii
for Food but what ftirs •, when you perceive cer¬
tainly that (he eats of the Meat as well as Ants anil
Meal-Worms, put but a few Ants in, and in a day
or two none at all; then by degrees (hew him more
openly to peoples fight; but if you find he is ful-
lea, as many will be, you muft have the more pa¬
tience, (for there is very great difference in the ha-
mors of them, as (hall be (hewed hereafter j and i
get fome Gentles or Maggots, and take your Padc |
and roll it up in pieces like unto little Worms about
half an inch long, and put amongft them fome
Ants, and put your Maggots at the bottom of your
Pan; then put your Pafte rolled like Worms up
the Maggots, and them ftirring at the bottom will
make the Pafte move as if it were alive, which wii
caufe the Nightingal to eat it more readily than or¬
dinary •, and when he hath tailed the Pa{l or Meal
made of Sheeps-Heart two or three times, he tbeni
is not apt to forfakeit: but if you find him at (iril I
eating to eat fparingly, cram him two or threfl
times a day, and give him (lore of Ants and their
Eggs, for there are fome Old ones that do as far
exceed their Young as Gold is beyond Silver; foi
1 have for many years obferved, That Neftlingsnoi
Branchers,except they have an old Bird to fing over

Of Singing-Thirds. 63

them, have not the true Song for the firft year; on¬
ly that this .can be faid for them, They are a bold
lavift Bird, and fo many do approve of them bc-
caufe of their faaiiliarnefs,

T } know whether the Nightingal ents^ and it
likely to prove good,

W Hen you have accuftomed him that he be¬
gins to be tame, and hear him to cur and
Aveet with cheerfulnefs, and record fafely to himfelf,
it is a certain fignhceateth, and you need not fur¬
ther trouble your felf about cramming of him; fome
will fing before they feed, and them commonly
prove very good Birds; alfo your Birds that are
long a-feeding,andmakeno curring nor fwceting
for the fpace of eight or ten days, feldom prove
good, for they are Hens, or Birds not worth keep¬
ing, or continue a whole month without finging :
But on the contrary, They give great hope of pro¬
ving well, when they take their Meat kindly, and
are familiar and not buckifh, and fing quickly, and
learn to eat of themfelves without much trouble, it’s
a fute token of their proving excellent Birds, for I
have had fome Birds feed in twelve hours after
taking of them, and fing in two or three days, and
them never have proved bad. And again, I had a
Bird that was fourteen days and would not eat,but
when he did, was not worth the Meat he eat: If
you have a Krdthat will flutter and bolt up his
Head againft the top of the Cage in the night, ne-
i ver keep him, for he is never good, but doth a far
(greater tnifehief, he caufeth all the other, by his
evil example, to beat themfelvcs alfo; for nothing

^4 Of Smgit}g-'~Birds.

can be more prejudicial to a Bird than to bruife
himfcif, which is a lignhe takes no pleafure in his
Habitation; therefore either turn him loofe with a
mark to be known, or wring off his head that no
Body may further be troubled with his ill qualities,
than which none can be worfe.

How to kl’ow the CockHightingd from the Hen.

T He Opinions and feveta! Judgments of Mea
concerning Nightingals, fthat is) namely, to
have any perfeft rule to know one Sex from ano¬
ther, are very fundry and divers, you muft under- |
fiand thofe are for old Birds taken in the Spring; I
fhall give you feveral Mens Opinions, and theii my
own at lad, (for it is a very great vexation to keep
your Hens four or five months inftead of Cocks', and
not only the trouble and charge,but to be fruftrated
in OUT expcQation, at laft expefting a great deal of
pleafure, it proves a vexation.) Firft, Somedo
undertake todiftinguifhthe Cock from the Hen',
by their grofihefs, faying, That the Cock is mneh
the larger and fuller Bird, both in length and big-
nefs: Others are of Opinion, That the Cock hath
a greater Eye, a longer Beak, and a reddifher Tail:
Others again diftinguifh by the Pinnion of the
Wing, and the Feathers upon the Head; All which
Opinions and Judgments; I have found very deceit¬
ful, and far wide of the true and perfeft knowledg
of the Truth, fori have had perfeft brave Cocks,
Song-Nightingals, and that a great number of them
that have been very fmall and little, having all the
marks'aferibed to them to be Hens, and Hens with
feveral Marks that have been affigned to the Cocks:

Wlscrc-

Of Sitiging^irdh 6 ^

Wherefore for a more fure and , certain (Ignr, you
fhatl be put out of dbubt^ ;aad4ruft to fiiefc follow¬
ing Obfervations .• Firft, AScWerningyourNeft'
lings that are taken out fro^.thc Old ones in the
Neft before they' caii feed ^ ‘ obferve this Rql?, ra^'d
mark it Well, That if any of the young bird^.or
Neftlings (before they can feed fhemfelvei/ tfb-re-
cord fomething of Song to tffemfclves; andw.-ypu
mirk them well) you ihall perceive their TH^aS
to wag when they record i Mark, thofe bir^lSf
your ufe,, foVit’sa certain' fign, as I have ekpCfi-
mented it, that they are allCtAks; butwhentKcf
come to feed'th'emfelves, the Heri will Rec6td4's
well as the' Cock; therefore give him fome mark
when they are young, for it is very difficult to di:
ftinguifh afterward. In the next place, is'jybur
Brancher, which the old bird hath brought up to
feed himfelf before you take him; when yduhave
taken this bird, and he feeds himfelf, he \r(ili pre-
fentiy begin to Record, both Cocks and Hens; but
the Cock is much differing from the Hen, for the
Cock continues his recording rtiuch longer than the
Hen, and louder, and much oftner in the day-rime •
and alfoyb'j Ihall perceive the, Cock to fweet and
cut much oftrief than the Hen, $nd alfo with more
Spirit and rriuch louder, and ufually you will find
him (landing upon one Leg, and holding on his
warbling notes, which you fhall perceive by the
motion of his brea'l, with a long continuance,
which is ii5t to be found in the Hen, for fhe goeth
hopping and'-A-hiftling tip and down the Gage,
making a Nbifc more like than a Song, that is very
much interrupted and (boit,

F, r,

To crdnthe Niihtini^l vhich eateth «hnt

rHen you tnaunno mat uk
eats wiell % himfclf, andthat fines often,
thout feemingtO(be lij^rbcd at every little noife,
voufyibylitweand little putbad^the Green-Bays

Lfets&WSS

' ■ , and aH th? other parts

venienL by. rcafon of the warmth; ana men in?
SSgal being abuckilh Bird, isapt tofirikehis
;-Snft»i,^nn-wires.which verv often proves

MasainRthetop.wire5,wnitn vciy

Elaea§t,fornoN>€htingilis fittobeput inoneo
tbofeopen Gages, biit.thofe thatarevery tamear^

femiliar; and moft people are deficient in lining J?

other Nightingal cages at top, which is very necejla-
rv for many Birds have beat out their brains (againlt
thetop-boardfor want of lining) every day a lit¬
tle in fach fort that the Bird may not perceive it;
and as you uncover him, fet him by little and little
iciJthefightof People, ^ fohe may grow
bolder, andnotbefrightned with the light and mo¬
tions of People, nor with any fudden noife ; t e
beftwav is to hang him towards the top ot me
Cielin« upon a Nail, fyr they do not delignt to
hatis low; for if he be full in Song, and you hang;
him upon a fudden amongft much Company, and
oDen,^or put back the Green-Bays, and give him
tJo much light all at once, he will immediately
break off fmging, and ten to one if he fings^tni

Of Siti^g-^irds, 6f

nextOflj^'erfoIlowingj then you mufttake grwt
care that you do ail things by degrees; for not*
withftaoding I have read in naturalHiftories, That
it is very hard and difficult tobring him to finging, ’
if you breed him not up from, the hfeft ,;, \yhtc|i-
Opinion of the Ancient Philofophers 'hath proved
very ridiculous and falfe, by many hundred ordin^
ry Experiments,) for it is very often feen (and'i
have often proved) that old Nightingals are far
perfefter and far excellenter in their Songs than apy
Neftlingor Brancher whatfoever, and will come to
llng.aslavilh arid aS: often) and'with, care aqd a fit-
tie trouble wiO;knDW you, and'bc as familiar alfo*-
1 will not deny,, notwithftanding what I have faidy
but fome that have been curious obfervers of Marksj
ijiay if they take them together; but thisis that ,1
affirm,That feveral have been mightily deceived by
thofe Marks before mentioned; but by the finging,
the Nightingals taken inare moft certainly
and evidently apparent to be difeerned. And as
for thofe which are taken in April,. your kuowledg
refteth in thefe feveral obfervations ^ Firft, When,

I Juhave taken the Bird that you,think you heard
igi call again, and if the Cock anfwers and lings
lain, then you have taken the Hen and not the
ock 5 but if you find the Cock not to ling, theft
: affured you have the Male \ for if you takethe
fen at firft, and he miffing of his Hen will fing ex-
aordinarily, alfoin lower partsof the Sex which
le Cocks put forth, which the Hens do not j but
you take a Bird about the middle of May, or be-
inning of Tmie, you may perceive the Hen very
pparently from the Cock, byrcafonall theBreaft
f the Hen will be bare with Sitting, and all full of
. E 2 fcurf.(

^8 Of Singhg-Birds,

(curf, when the Cocks Bread is all well-fcatiiered,
v^ithout any barenefs or fcurf: IThefe therefore ate
the mod certain Rules and Obfervations that ever I
coaid find iii all my Experience,whcreunto you may
trud attd betake your felf.

Hovf tom»ke the Pajle which the Nightin^als eat, it-
' itig likewife gOod' for the WrM^ Rohin-Red Brcf,
fVeod-Lark^ Slfie^Lark, BlackcRird, andThri-
flUs, and'matPj ether Birds.

•TO make this fade for feveral forts of Birds,

■ which before in feveral Chapters we have men¬
tioned, T ake half a peck of your fined Horfe-beans
being very dry, and let them be ground very fine,
and boulted diligently through a very fine Boulter,
as is ufed for Wheaten-Meal; do fo much in quan¬
tity as may be convenient for your turn, or accor.
ding to your dock of Birds you keep. For exam-
pic •, Let your quantity of Meal be two pouiid,
with one pound of the beft Sweet*Almonds blan¬
ched ; which afterwards mud be very well beat in a
Mortcr, rather finer than thofe Almonds that are
beat for March panes; then take four ounces of
frefh Butter, 1 mean without arry fait, which But¬
ter you mud put irva Copper-Pan well tinned, and
mix them very well together, the faid Flower, and
Almonds and Butter •, when you have done this,
fet the Pan i pon a Charcole-fire, that it may not
fiueli of Smoke, continually ftirring of it whilftit
ftands upon the Fire with a Wooden Spoon, thatfo
ft may boil by degrees, and not burn to then take
four Yolks of Eggs, and a little Saffron ; when
you perceive the Butter to be all melted,then havinjj

Of Singing-’^ii'di. 6 g

fome live Virgins-Hony,drop in fo much by degrees
continually ftirring of it, that' it may incorporate
all the things in one, if you do not keep it continu¬
ally ftirring, it will be very fubjeft to burn to :
When you have fo done, you fliall take a Cullen¬
der made with fuch Holes as will let pafs all that is
fraall and lies not in knobs j then take the remain¬
der of the Pafte and beat it in a Morter again ; if
you find it will not pafs through the Holes of the
Cullender, then fet it upon the fire again and boil it
gently ^ then try again to force it through the Cul¬
lender, till it come in fuch quantity and quality as
isrequifite for the neceflity of what ftore of birds
you do intend to keep : if there remains ftill fome

of the Pafte which would not pafs through the

Holes of the Cullender, fet it upon the fire to boil
very well, and make a further effay to force it all
through, fo far forth as it may all be brought to a
juft confiftency : And for the keeping of iCi yon
muft pour Hony above; let your'Hony be melted
firft, and a little clarified, and fo you have ftore of
Provifion for many Months ; this Pafte may be
mixed with yourSheeps-Heart,or with your Wood-
Lurks Meat, or any other birds meat whatfoever,
for it is a brave ftrengthening, cleanfing Diet, for all
forts of foft-beaked birds. This is the only
Meat that is ufed in Italy^ by a!! the Country-Peo¬
ple for the preferving of Nightingals, and is made
by the Apothecaries, and fold out by the penny¬
worth, as frequently as Mithridate or Diafeordium
is here: This is ready at all times,when once made,
and will continue fevcri or eight months.

70

Of Sitiging-’^irds.

The ftvtral forts of Difmfes the Nightingal Is
fubjtU tOt and how to relieve them.

T he Nightingal, as 1 have before obferved,a.

. bout the latter,end of grows cxtraor.
-dinary fat, both abroad in the Fields, and alfo in
Houfes wherethey are caged up, which moft do
idoH upon to be very dangerous when it begins to
abate if they do ndtfing ^ but to help this, They
jisfift be kept viary warm upon the falling of theit
iity tind alfo given^foroe Saffron in their Meat or
,Wafet(5 hutwhdvthey are perceived to grow fat,
they'fnuft be purged two or three times a week
with'fome Wormsthat are taken out of a Pigeon-
.Hdufe, for the fpace of four or five weeks tog^
ther, and alfo you (hall find very frequent aboutthc
beginning of about your Vines or Currans,

orGoofe-berryBofhes, a fort of fpeckled Spider,
(which is to be found at no time of the year elfe)
they are very pleiitiful; fo you may give them two
or three in a day as long as they laft, for thiswii
purge and cleanfe them extraordinary: if they grow
melancholly, put into their Water or Drinking-Pot
fome White Sugar-Candy, with a dice or twool
Liquofifh; and if this doth not help them, but
they frill complain, put intotheir Water-Pot fixer
eight chives of Safifon, or thereabout, continuing
withal fo give them the Pafte and Sheeps-Heatt
flired very fine, and alfo give them three or font
Meal-Worms a day,and a few Ants and their Eggs;
and alfo boil a new laid Egg very hard, and chop it
fmall and ftrew it amongft the Ants and their Eggs,
for I have had them, when very fatj to faft ftven-

Of Shgifig-'^irds. 71

teen or eighteen days together, but itis far brtter
when they eat. Nightingals that have beeti kept
two or three years in a Cage, arc very fubjedt to
the Gout j now when you fhall perceive it, take
them out of riieir Cage and anoint their Feet with
frelh Butter or Capons-Greafe dofo three or four
days together, and it is a certain Cure for them. I
had almoft forgot the principal thing that cidles'thfe
mod of Difeafes in yout Nightingal ; which is
this. That for want of keeping them clean and
neat they clog their feet, which caufes feveral to
have their Claws to rot off^ and it brings the Cramp
and Gout, and makes them never thrive nor delight
in themfelvesjtherfore be fare to let them have twice
9 week Gravel at the bottom of the Cage, and let
it be very dry when you put it in, for then it will
not be fubjedt to clog, for 1 look upon a Bird as
good as dead, when they are continually clogged ^
for if they be in heart, they will pick and clean
their Feet, and prune their Feathers ; no Bird can
be kept too clean nor too neat, for that caufes them
to take delight in themfelves. The next thing the
Nightingal isfubjedt to, Is Apoftems, and breaking
oat about their Eyes and Neb, for which youitbail
likewifeufe your frelh Butter or Capotis-Greaic;/ I.
(hall now (hew you a great fecret to raife Ni^h-
tingals that are very bare. When you fee anabfo-
lute neceflity for it, give them new FiggS chopped
very fmall amongft their Sbeeps-Heart and Pafte,
or hard Eggs, and when they are recovered, bring
them again to their ordinary Diet, that may conti¬
nue to maintain them in their former plight, for as
foonasever you perceive they are growing fat,<;ivc
them Ro more Figs. There alfo happeneth unto the
E 4 Nigh-,

72 Of Singing-’^irdu

Nightingal another Difeafe, called the Steaitnefs or
ftrangling of the Brcaft, which, comes very often
for want of care inmaking of their Meat, by min¬
cing fat Meat therewith ; and yon may perceive it
by the beating pain hot afore accuftomed, which he
abideth in this pldcc; and alfo by thisj when he is
given'very often'to. gape> and opening his Bill,
This Difeafe alfo happeneth, by reafon of feme
Sinew or Thread of the Sheeps-Heart (for want of
weO (hreding.with a fliprp Knife) to hang in his
Throat, or many time? it will clafp about his
Tongue, which caufeth him to forfakc his Meat,
and grow very poor in a fhort time, efpccially if it
be in the Spring-time, or when he is in;Song: Now
as foonas you (hall perceive him to gape,or fhakiiig
openhisBill, take him gently opt of his Cage, and
open his Bid with a Quill or Pin, and’ unloofen any
firing or loofe piece of Flefh that may hang about
his Tongue or Throat 1 have feen very many that
have been killed with fome of the.Sjnew, or loofc
Flefli hanging about the Tongue and Throat; after
you have taken it away, give him fome white Su¬
gar-Candy in his Water, orelfcdilToIye.itandmoi-
ften his Meat, which is a prefent remedy to cure
any thing that is amjfs \ for in brief I muft tell you,
All Birds that cat Sheeps-Heart, or other Heart, if
theKeeper andMaker be not careful to rnince it very
fine, arc very fubjeft to be troubled with the Di¬
feafe afore mentioned, and are fcldom good after-
v/ards..

Of Singifig-^irds. 75

,,1 jhfill five you a breif Obferfuatitn of ;
what Birdf ur'e like to fri>v.e,be(l.

T Hofe Nightingale that inhabit by High-Ways
and Orchards, ^dfing clofcby Houfes, and
are ns’d to the company of People, are far beyond
thofe that are bred in Copices and more remote
places; for I have many times obferved, That Birds
taken where People have much frequented,will feed
much fooner, and fingalfo, and come to be familiar
inafliort time, when others that are taken farther
off, are long before they come to feed, and for the
molt part are very fubjeft to fright, and upon the
leaft diflike will give off finging ; for when you
have taken any Bird, and mid him ftubborn and
not take his Meat kindly, and beat himfelf againft
the Cage, fethim flying again, for he will, never
prove worth keeping. Be careful not to untie the
Wing of your Nightingal tilj they are very tame
and familiar, for if yOu do, when they find them-
fclves free, they will fall immediately a beating
themfelves, fo you tnuft be forced to new-tie, or
clfc your Bird will quickly beat himfelf to death,or
if not, he will make himfelf uncapablc of fingiog
that year.

Now concerning the Wood-Lark^

T His Bird very many hold not much inferior iq
Song to the Nightingal; nay, a great, many
do prefer him before it; but it is of this Bird as of
all other, fome are far cxcellenter than others, both
in length and fwcetiiefs of Song ; 1 have known

74 Of Swgwg-lSirdi.
fomeWood-Larks to havea great part of the Nigh-
tin^, for that being bred by Coppice fides, and
other places where the Nightingals haunts may be.
Now this Bird is a very tender Bird, and yet he
breeds the fooneft of any Bird we have in England,
I had a Nell of young Birds ready to fly by the
i6thof March. ThisBirdisaveryhotmettleforae
Creature, for if they be not taken in January, or
the beginning of Ttbrnary,' they grow fo extraor¬
dinary rank, thatina ftiorttime they pine away,
by reafon of the ranknefs of the Stones, which we
find extraordinary fwelled when dead. This Bird
delights mightily upon gravelly Grounds and Hills
that lie to the rifmg of th; Sun, and in Oat Stubbs;
This Bird is coupled with his Mate at the begin¬
ning of February, (and then they part with all
their laft Years brood) and immediately go to Ned:
they build moft commonly in your Laiers Grounds,
where the Grafs hath been pretty rank,and is grown
Ruflet; they build with fome Bennet-Graft, or
feme of the dead Grafs of the Field, and make it
always under fome largeTuffet to (belter them from
the Wind and Weather, which commonly at that
time of the Year is very cold j they feed their Young
'Wth a fmall kind of Worm ; I have taken feveral
of their Nefts, witha refolution to bring them up,
fwenotunderftandingtheway of taking them by
Net in the Country, as they do here about London)
but could never do it, (though I have brought up
all forts of other Birds) for this reafon,They either
had the Cranfip, or elfe turn’d into a Scouring, in
lefs than a weeks time after I had taken them from
the old Ones •, feveral that have been perhaps dili-
genter than I, havp brought them up to feed, but (

Of Singifig-’lBirdt. 75

cdnld never hear of any that kept !them fo long
till they fung, and made them the leaft part of ai-
meads for their trouble and chaise they had been
at. This Bird hath a moft curious meWious plea-
fant Song, carrying of it|^hrough with fo mudi
fweetnefs and curiofity, and abundance of variety,
that I have had very many that have had ajmolt
thirty feveral forts of Notes; which if they fing
lavilh, is a moft ravifliing Melody, andefpeciaOy
when the Nightingal and they fing both together,
each one ftriving to outvie the other ; for I have
feen a hot-mettled Wood-Lark to ftrain his Note
fo much, that he hath dropt down dead off from
the Pearch, in ftriving to exceed his Antagonift:
Thefe Birds are, as I told you before, never bred
from the Neft, as I could ever underftand. They
are taken at three months of the year, in
fnly ini which we term young Branchers,

having not moulted their Neftling-Feathers; I lhall
fhew you here after that,how at this time of the year
you may take them, with a Hauk called a Hobby.
The next feafon of taking,is the general flight-time,
which is the latter end of Seftev&er^ for then they
rove from one Country to another, and then the
Branchers are all moulted off, and then you can
hardly diftinguifli an Old Bird from a Young one;
at this time of the Year they take them in great
quantities, compared with other times. The next
Seafon is the beginning of January., till the latter
end of February, at which time they are all coupled
and returned to their Laires or Breeding-places:
The Birds that are taken in J««e, July, and at the
beginning of Mgufl, are commonly raken with 3
Hobby adoring •, which is this, Get out in a dewy
. morning

76 Of Singing-!~Birds.

;m)rning, and go to the fide of fome Hills, ivhich
lietothcrifing oftheSuni where they moftufually
frequent; and haying fprung them, obferve where
they fall, then furround them two or three times
with your Hauk upon^our Fift, making of him
hover when you come indifferent near, and they
will lie till you clap a little Net upon them, that
you carry upon the end of a Stick ; or elfe if
three or four of you go together, take a Net made
after the manner of themufed for Partridges, when
yon go with a Setting-Dog only, the Meafh mull
befmaller; let it be a Lark-Meafli, and then yonr
Hauk to the Lark is like a Setting Dog to Partridges,
fo with fuch a Net you may take all the whole
Company at one draught: In like manner you may
take your Sky-Larks, but they feldom arc above
two together; but your Wood-Larks keep compa¬
ny with their young ones till flight-time, and then
they part.

How to l^ow which arc befiy the Bird taken in June,
July, or Auguft; or at flight time ; or in
January or February,

'THe Birds taken in Juncy Jaly or AugHfl fing
prefently, but lad but a little time in Song,
for they immediately fall to Moulting; which if
they withftand, commonly prove very fweet Song-
Birds, but not fo lavifh as thofe that are taken in
.Spring; they are commonly very familiar Birds, by
reafon they are taken young; the birds that are ta¬
ken at flight, are brave ftrong handfome fpri,htly
ftrait birds, and do prove well at Spring, if they
he well kept all Winter; if not, they will be loufie

Of ^inging-'^iids. 77

and come to nothing, as 1 (hall fhew you hereaffer,
wheffi come to the order and feeding of the Bird \
thefe ufually do not fing till after Chrifimai. Thofe
that are taken in January and Vifruary-t fing within
two or three days, or a week at farthefl (if they be
good-conditioned Birds,and will foon become tamei
but your fearful wildbuckifh Birds feldom prove
good, for upon every turn they bolt againft the
Wires of the Cage and bruife themfelvcs, andfo arc
apt to leave off finging ; therefore if you have a
Bird that is a good Bird and wild, have a Net knit
French Mealh, and fo put it in the infide of the
Cage, rowing of it clofe to the fides, and ftrait;
that when he boults or flirts up he may take no
harm. 1 do hold the Birds taken in January and
February for the moft part do prove the beft,by rea-
fon they arc taken in full Stomach, and fing in a
very fhort time after, and are more perfeft in theic
Song than thofe taken at other Seafons ^ and the
only way to preferve him, and help him of thefe
Diftempers, is firfttocive himfrelh Gravel twice
or thrice a week, and let it be fifted fine, otherwife
he will bruife his Feathers basking in the Sand jf>
you leave gravelly Stones. Secondly, Be fure to Icfc
him have fuch Meat that is not too ftale, for if it be
mouldy and dry, the vertue is almoftgone out •, fo
he (hail never thrive upon it. Thirdly^ Have a
£ rcat care to fhift his Water three times a weck,for
it ftinks fooner than any Birds water •, and the rea-
fon is, That the Bird by throwing about his Meat,
f line fills into the Water, whi' h canfes it immedi¬
ately to (link, and then itisnotat all healthful for
him to drink of it; if the Bird be very poor, you
rtJi.ft, at the beginning of Spring, give him every
. two

78 Of Sivging-liirds,

two or three days, a-Turf of Three-leaved (irafs,
as isufed to the Sky-’tark, and boyi him aSheeps>
Heart, and mince it.finall, and mingle itamongft
his Bread, and Egg, and Hemp feed, which will
eaufehim to thrive extraordinarily. To kill hij
Lice, Take him out of the Cage (if it be not a
verygoodBird it isnot worth while) and fmoak
hisFeathers with fome Tobacco, and give himirelh
Gravel, and fettim in a hot place where the San
fliines, and he will immediately rid himfelf of the
Vermin, if he hath ftrength to busk in the Sandj
for the Truth is, Thefc Difeafes almoft happen
through keeping of them nafty, and not giving of
them good Diet : If you would have your Bird
fingvery lavifh, feed him all his time of Song with
fome Sheeps-Heart mixed with his Egg, and Bread,
and Hemp-Seed '*, and put in his Water two or
three flices of Liquorifli, and a little white Sugar-
Candy, with two or three Blades of Saffron ; do
fo once in: a week, and it will caufc him to be long-
winded, and extraordinary lavifh in his Song, c:r.
tying it out alfo at a far greater length then at other
tirnes i and I hold fome WoodiLarksnottobe in.
fcilior to the Nighlhigal; but the bad keeping, and
ilKordering makes them fing fo dully as if they
Wcre alleep, which otherwife he is a very chearful
Bird.; for obfetve them when , they fing in the
Fields, with what raviihing melodious Songs they
charm: your ears, which if well-ordered, would
prove the fame being kept in a Cage.

Of

Of Sffigtf 3 g-‘^ir 4 s.

Of the Wood-Lttrk uni Nightin^d-

79

nhall tell you a fmall Story, I and another Genr
^ tlemanridingin the Country in an evening hard
by a Coppice or Wood-fide,heard a Ni^tingal fing
fo fWeetly, as to my thinking, 1 never heard .the
like in all my life, although I have heard a hun¬
dred in my time } for the place being in a Valley,
aed ihe Coppice on the fide of it, made ail the
N6tk of the Nightingal feem doable with theEp-
cho; Ve had not ftai^d long, but comes a Wood-
Lark and lights upon a dead Twig of an Oak, and
there they fang, each out-vying the other ; in a
fiiortfpaceraore, about an hundred pac.es off, lights
another Wood-Lark, diftant from the firft, and un¬
der him, as near as we could judg, was another
Nightingal; thefe four Birds fang with fo melodi¬
ous Harmony, warbling out their pleafant Notes
for above a whole hour, that never any Mufick
came in competition with it, tothepleafingof our
Ears; as foon as the Wood-larks were gone, the
Nightingals, we fuppofed went a little to refrelh
Nature, having play’d their parts fo well, that

every Bird in the higheft degree ftrovc for maftery,
each ftriving to out-vie the other. My Friend and
1 having flood a full hour to hear thefe Songfters
charming our Ears, at our going, 1 perfwaded him
tofinga merry Catch under the Wood-fide, which
he had no fooner began, but one Of the Nightingals
came and borehis Part, and in a minutes timecame
the other to bear his Part, ftill keeping of their fta-
tions, and my Friend and I ftanding between them,
f lor it is obferved by all that know the nature of the

8o ' Of Singing-Hirds.

Nightingal, that he. will fufer no Competitor, if
he be able to mafter him, fifoot, they will fomc-
times rather die than give place) and fo he fang
three or four merry Songs, and the birds finging
with him all the time, and as he raifed his Notes fo
did they, that he did proteft, He never enjoyed
more pleafure in fo (hort a titne in all his life,for the
Coppice or Wood being opon the fide of a Hill,and
ti Valley in the bottom, fo doubled all their Notes,
with fuch a fweet and pleafanc Eccho, that 1 am
confident none could think the time long iti the
bearing fo fweet and delightful pleafant Harmony,

2 he next Song-Bird m 7 efleeinttl btfiy is the S^i-
Lark.; his flace of Breeding and Fceding.

I T is a Bird that is very common in all parts of
England^ fo is not fo much regarded and taken
notice of; but 1 do cftecm fo.Tie of them to be very
fine pleafant Song-Birds, for in all birds of the
fame kind, there is as much difference as between
skim’d Milk-Cheefeand Cream,both beingCheefe;
fo that in the Lark, both Skic-Lark, the one noi
worth 3 d. and the other worth 40 r. This bird
is a very hardy bird, living almoft upon any Food,
if he hath but a green TurfF of Three-Leav'd

Grafs once in a Week, This bird is much later

than the Wood-Lark by almoft two months, for he
feldom hath young Ones until the middle of MaJi
when the Wood-Lark hath in Mtrch. This biri
though in Winter we fee great flocks, almoft in
every Country throughout England-, yet we find
thefeweftof their Neds of any birds 1 know tha!
arc fo plentiful; they moft commonly build in
. your

Of Smgit}g-’~Bifdi. St

your Corn or thick high Grafs Meadows, and have
ufually three or four in a Ned, tomy knowledg, I
never found five in all my life-time ; they may be
taken at a fortnight old, and will be brought up al- ,
moft with any Meat; but if you- give them at firft
Sheeps-Heartand Egg chopped together, till they
are about three weeks old, or till they come to feed
themfelves it will not be amifs ■, and when they
come to eat alone, give them Oat-Meal, Hemp-
Seed, and bread, mixed together with a little Egg,
bruiie the Hemp-Seed, and they will eat the better:
at firft, be fure to chufe Hemp-Seed that hath a
good Kernel andfweet, otherwifeyou will but de¬
ceive your felf and the Bird too : Thefe Birds that
are fo young, may be brought up to any thing, as
1 lhaO fiiew you when I come to treat, one bird
learning another birds Song ; you muft always ob-
ferve to give thefe birds Sand at the bottom of the
cage, and let them have a new TurfFevery week;
thefe Larks muft have no Pearches in their cages
as the Wood-Larks had, for thefe are Field-Larks.

i/siv to order a Wood-Lurk when taken.

I N the firft place you muft have a cage with two
Pans, one for mix’d Meat, and another for Oat-
Meal and whole Hemp-Seed. Firft, boyl an Egg

hard, then take the cmm of a half-penny White-'
Loaf, and as much Hemp-Seed as the bread ; chop
your Egg very fmall, and crumble your bread and
ittogether i then bruife your Hemp-Seed very fmall
with a Rolling-pin, or pound it in a Morter ^ then
mingle all together and give it him. ■ You muft
have fine red Gi avcl at the bottom of your Cage,
F and

02 Of Singing-Birds.

and fliift it every week at fartheft, otherwife he will
be fubjeft to clog his Feet with his Dung, and will
not take half that delight in hitnfelf, for he delights
to bask hitnfelf in Sand; which I find, if he hath
not pretty often he proves loufie, and then feldom
or never comes to any thing, for they neither are
handfometotheEye, nor give any melody to the
Ear, therefore before to keep them clean and neat,
and they will anfwer your expedtation ^ you muff
line your Pearch in the Cage with fome green Bays,
or elfe make a Pearch of a Mat, which I have found
them fo very much delfoht in. If you find him
very wild when he is taken, keep him three or font
days from Company till he begins to eat his Meat;
ftrew fome of the Hemp-Seed and Oat-Meal upon
the Sand, and fome of his mixed Meat alfo, tor
'fometimes they do not find the Pan till they bcal-
moftfamilhed, and then feldom are recovered to
their former ftrength.

How to know a Cock from a Hen.

I May fay of thefe Birds as of the Nightingal,
That fcvcral have pretended to diftinguifh the
Male from the Female by fcvcral Marks, one by the
fmalinefsof his Head, and another by the lighted
colour,and another by the ftreif.htncfs of his going,
and fome by the White of each fide of his Head,
and others by the largencfs of the Bird, and fomt
by the Pinion of his Wing •, all thefe I have fouri

to be deceitful and fraudulent, which is vcrygroi

perplexity,if we keep Hens inftead of Cocks. Now
the trued way that ever I could find to be certain at
all times, is fird the largcnds and length of his Oil.

Of Swgmg-Hirds. 85

Secondly, The tall walking of the Bird about the
Cage. And thirdly, At Evenings the double of
his Note, which we call Cudling, as if they were
going to Rood j but if you hear him fmg ftrong,
you cannot be deceived, for Hens wiJl fing a little;
this is chiefly to know thofe Birds that are taken at
flight time, for 1 hold it not' worth ones time ani
trouble to keep them round the year, without iti«'
an extraordinary choice Bird for if a Bird 'lings
not that is taken in January and February, 1 within
one month after, you may conclude him not worth
keeping, or elfe for certain it is a Hen. But our
chief aim is, to know thofe Birds that are taken
I at the latter end of September., for many of them
prove excellent Birds, and will begin to fing after
'1 Chriftmas, and hold on until the latter end of Julyi

Concerning the Difeafes of the Wood-Lark^
and k 'u Cure,

iTHis Bird is of a curious Song, and a tender
I Bird to be kept if not rightly ordered ■, but if
[well ordered, I have known him been kept fix or
[feven years, with great pleafure to the Keeper, ha¬
ving been better and better every year that he hath
been kept, and at lall hath fung fuch varieties of

I ’''otcs, even to admiration of underftanding Ears,-
It arc able to judg between the goodnefs in Song
one Bird and another. Thefe birds are very fub-

dto the Cramp, giddiiicfs in the Head, and to

:vcry loeG:. Many People admire how they can
icoldin a Houfc, when others that arc abroad
ffer much more, and are never fubjeft to the
vanip; thercafonis this, That abroad they have
< F a varieCy

84 Of Singing-Birds.

variety of Motion, as flying and runningi which
'■u :i Cage they have not; but being connned. to a
nr.i'i ow compafs, have very little or no motion at
xl, .vhich if the Cage be not often (hifted with
Gravel, the Dung clogs to their Feet, and makes
them numb, which c,aufes the Cramp; and another
thing caufes it alfo, When they hang them out a-
broad and it rains, and fo clogs and wets the Sand,
that they fitting all Night upon it, very often caufes
itfo ; if you hang them out, and the Sun fhinenot
to dry it, they ought tohavefrelh Sand to be given
them, and the Pearch' lined that they may take a
delight to fit upon it, keeps them very neat, and
are not fubjedt to clog, and fings with far mote
pleafurc, then when he lies at the bottom of the
Cage, and is not feen fitting upon the Pearch, alfo
caufes their Song to feem more lavifh, for the bot¬
tom of the Cage takes off the life of the Song. Next
isthc giddinefsof the Head, which is occafioned by
feeding upon much Hemp-Seed •, which when it
firft von perceive, give him of your Gentles that
•you fifh withal, if you can get them •, if not, give
him fome Hog-Lice, or fomc Emets and their Eggs,
and put in his Water three or four Dices of Licorilh,
and it will immediately help him. The third Di-
feafe is Loufmefs and Scurf, which caufes a poornefs
of the Bird.

/jotr te take the Old Skte-Lark, fcveral mys, ad
the rvay of ordering when taken.

t Shewed you when I tfcatel of thc Wood'Larii)

-*• how he was taken with a Hobby and Ncts,fcf
whicli this Lark may be taken alfo, which is noi
, need'

Of Swging-^irds. 8’5

needful to repeat again; but we have feme more
ways for taking of this Skie-Lark, as I fliall direa
you according to my beft ability. This Lark is ta¬
ken in dark nights with a Net called a Trammel,
itisa Net of 36 yards long, and fix yards over, run
through with fix ribs of Pack-thread'j which Ribs
are at the ends put upon two Poles 16 footlohg>
made taper at each end, andfois carried between
two Men half a yard from the Ground, every fix
ftf PS touching the Ground tocaufe the birds to fly
up, other wife you may carry the Net over them
without difturbing of them ; fo when you hear
them fly againft the Net, clap the Net down and
they are fafe under it: All in the Vtie there is hard¬
ly a Farmer withoutoneof the Nets this is a very
murdering Net, taking all forts of birds that it
comes near, as Partridges, Quales, Wood-Cocks,
Snipes, Felfares, and what not, almoft in every
dark Night; I know them that have taken 20 do¬
zen of Larks in a Night, The next way is taking
of them with a pair of Day-nets, and a Glafs,
which indeed is very fine fport in a clear frofty
Morning ; thefe Nets are commonly feven foot
deep, and fifteen foot long, knit with your French
Meafe, and very fine Thread: 1 think it not conve-
nieuttodeferibethem, being I would not feemto
be tedious, you can hardly ever fet them right, ex¬
cept you be at firfl; fliewed by an Artift at it: Thefe
Netstake all forts of fmall birds that come within
thecompafs of the Nets, as Linnets in abundance,
and your hunting-Lark, which hath afhort fort of
hiinike to a Bull-Finch. The next way of ta¬
king thefe birds, is by a bell named a Loo-bell,
with a great Light carried in aTub; this is a plea-
’ F 3

86 Of Si>;gi)7g-"Ti7rds.

fantSpovtbyreafon of its Light ^ but this Bell is
carried by one Man, and the Tub and Candle
alfo, and the Net by another ; This Bell and the
Light fo ainaxeth them, thatthey lie for dead; they
tofs a little Net over them. They take all forts of
Fowls and biyds with this bell, as Partridg, Phea-
fant, (andif a very deep bell, Duck, Mallard,
Wood-Cock and Snipe) 5 This way of birding hath
3 great conveniency before the Trammel-Net, for
with this bell they go amongftbufhes, and by Ri¬
vers, and lhaw-fides, where commonly your Snipes
and Wood-Gpcks lie,.^ it is a fore way for takings
Covey of Partridges. The laft way of taking
your Lark, is in a great Snow ; You mufttakeof
Pack-thread looor-aco yards, and at every fix in¬
ches fallen a noofe made with Horfe-Hair, (two
Hairs twilled together is fofficient) the more
Line the better, for it will reach the greater length,
and confequcntly-h^ve the more Sport; at every
twenty yards you mail have a little Hick tothrull
into the Ground, and fo go on till it be all fet, (1
know them that have a thoufand yardsj ; then a-
mongft the Noofes fcatter fome white Oats from
one end to the other, and you will find the Larks
flock extraordinary ^ and when three or four arc ta¬
ken ("for you will have them by the Neck, Leg, or
very Claw) foe and take them out, for clfe they may
make the others Ihic •, and when you are at one end,
they will be at the other end a feeding, fo you need
not fear fearing of them away, for it makes them
more eager at their Food ^ if it be after Chrifirndh
before the Snow fall, thole birds feldom or never
prove good for linging •, but take them that you in¬
tend to keep for finging in OBob. or Nov, snd then

Of Sh!gi)2g-'~Birds. 87

they will fmg a little after Chriftmafs ; chufe out
the ftreighteft, largeft, and loftieft bird, and he that
hathmoft white in his Tail, for thefe .are the ufiial
Marks for a Cock: Youmuft provide him a Cage
as large as two of the Wood-Lark^Cages, and let
there bea Difh in the middle of tlie Cage, or at
one end, according to your fancy, and put always
fomc Water in when you place the Turf in it, for
the Water caufeth the Turf to grow in the Cage;
if you find him very wild and bucki(h,tie his Wings
for two or three weeks, till he is become both ac¬
quainted and tame alfo ^ then when you perceive
him pretty orderly, untie his Wings, ftill letting
him hang in the fame place he did. You muft feed
thisold bird with Hemp-Seed, bread, and a few
white Oats, for he takes great delight to husk the
Oatsi and when he begins to fmg, once in a week
you may give him a hard Egg, or flared him a little
boiled Mutton, or Veal, or Sheeps-Heart. You
muft obferve in this bird, as in all others. That
you give no Salt Meat, nor no bread that is any
thing Salt.

Concerning the Throflle-, and the feveral hjnds.

THere be five forts or kinds of Throftles, ac¬
cording as I have obferved. The firft fort,
and largeft of them, is your Miftlc-Throftle,which
is far bigger and larger than of the other forts, and
his Food is far ditferent from all the other kinds,
and very few to be feen; he is the bcautifulleft bird
of all the five, but fings the leaft, except he al¬
ways breeds near where ftore of Miftletoe is, and
if he can poflible, in a very thick place, or in fome

. F + Pit,

88 Of Singitfg-^^ifds.

Pit, for he is a very melancholy fort of Bird; he
makes as large a Nell as a Jay, and lays as big an
Egg ■, He builds commonly with rotten Twigs the
out-fide of his Neft, and the in-fide is dead Grafs,
Hey, or Mofs that he pulls from Trees, f this Bird
delights mightily in old Orchards, where common¬
ly is much Feed upon the Apple-Trees) (he feldoin
lays above five Eggs, but four moft commonly ,
file breeds but twice a year, and hath three young
ones, never above four as I could find ^ (he feeds
all her young ones with the Berries of the MilTeltoe,
and nothing elfe as ever I could perceive, havnig
diligently watched them two or three hours toge¬
ther.

Many Writers arc of opinion, That this Bird is
an exceOent Remedy againft Convulfions and Fal-
ling-Sicknefs; for this reafoii, That the MilTeltoe
isfo good (and he continually feeding upon nothing
elfe) a Remedy againft it, and is an approved ex¬
cellent Medicine : The way of ufiiig it is. To kill
him, and dryhimtoa Pouder, and take the quan¬
tity of a peny-weight every morning, infixfpoon^
fuls of the diftilled Water of Midetoe-Berries, or
Black-Chery water, fading an hour after; and they
fay one Bird taking will certainly efFeift the Cure;
I never did experiment the truth of it, but in my
opinion it (lands to a great deal of reafon •• It’s no
chargeable Medicine, only finding of a Neft, or
(hooting an old bird, and make tryal.

The young Birds taken about fourteen days old,
are eafie to be brought up, being a very hardy
bird; but I think it will not anfwer your expefta-
tion if you breed him for Song, for he hath a con-
fufed jambling Song, and not lavi(h neither; the
i young

Of Singing-Birds. ' 89

young ones are fed with Bread and H’emp-Seed, and
a little Sheeps-Heart between whiles; it’s a hand-
fom bird for a voletie, and will breed like Pigeons
if rightly ordered-.

The next IS your Felfare or Northern Throftle,
which comes to us after Muhaelmafs, and tarries
here all the winter, and departs the firftof March'.,
Their Feed with us is Hips and Haws in hard Wea¬
ther, and in open weather worms and young
Grafs, lyin g altogether upon Meadow or Pafturc-
Grounds; they come in very great numbers, and go
away alfo in Flocks. They breed upon certain
Rocks near the Sea-fide, in Scotland., where they
arc in abundance, and have Young three or four
times every year; I have taken them in great num¬
bers at winter with your bird-Lime, as I have be¬
fore direfted you inthelaft Addition ^ I have for
curiofity kept one in a Cage to fee if they had any
Song, but I found it not worth my labour, for
when Spring came, he made nothing but a chatter¬
ing, fo that I found him far better for a Spit than a
Cage, they being excellent Meat when they are ve¬
ry Fat, which is commonly in hard weather; in
open weather they are very bitter, and not worth
eating.

The next isyour Wind-Throftle, which comes
along with this Felfare or Northern-Throftle, but
is much fmallcr, with a dark red under his wing ;
Thisbird breeds in Woods and Shawes, as your
SoRg-Throftlcsin Scotland., and hath an indifferent
Song, far exceeding the two former : In February,
in fine Weather, theSmifliining, they will get ve¬
ry many together upon a Tree, and fing two or
three hours; fame do fancy their Song, by rcafon

90 Of Swging-'^irds.

it is notkrfli,but a pretty kind of fweet chattering
Note like unto the Swallow, only a little louder,
1 think them not worth ones pains to keep them,
for they will not ling above three tnonths, and fo
give off.

The next is the Wood-Song Throflle, whichis
a very rare Song-bird \ firft, For the great variety
of his Notes ; and fecondly, For the lavillincfs in
his Song this, as in all other birds, one far exceed¬
ing another in Song, though birds of the fame
kind. Thirdly, He continues longer than any
bird in Song, continuing at lead nine months in a
year. This bird is fo well known to moft Conn-
try-rnen, that it needs no Defcription •, Heisvery
good ftr Man’s Food, but I never could endure to
kill them, by reafon they are fo fine Song-birds.
The Hen makes her Neff in the b eginniiig of March
(which many times is both Froft and Snow, and ve¬
ry hard Weather J upon the ftump of an old Tree,
oiTidc of the Coppice by a Ditch, according as (he
finds food and ftuff moft convenient for her build¬
ing, and Food for her young one's. She makcih
herNeftof Mofsthat grows upon old ftumpsof
Trecs that are in the W’oods y (he fa(hions her l^ell
round and deep with Mofs, and fome dry Grafs;
when (he hath complcated the firft part, Ihe won¬
derfully, and after a moftcxift and cunning way,
daubs the infide with a fort of Earth called your
Loam, that the poor People in the Country Plaiftcr
their Walls withyfhc doth it fo fmooth and even,and
all with her Bill, that it goes beyond the Art of Man
to perforin with any Tools and the bird common¬
ly leaves a Hole in the middle o( the bottom of her
Kcft, which 1 fuppofe may be to this end, That it
. may

Of Shigmg-Wrds. 91

may not be drowned upon any fudden violent
Showers, or long continuance of Rain, which by
this Hole at the bottom, Ihe preferves both her
Eggs and Young Ones from.being killed and
drowned, which if not fo provided,, might prove
to the deftruftion of both: They bteed commonly
three times in a year, if they meet with no diftur*
bance orcafualties by che way; if the Weather be
fine and warm, they go very foon to Neft ^ the firft
commonly is hatched in and now and then
at the latter end of March, thefecondin and
the third in June •, but the firft birds prove moft
ufually the beft and ftouteft birds. The Throftle
taken in the Neft, may be at fourteen days old,and
muft be kept pretty warm and near, not fuffering
them to fit upon their Dung if it fall into the Neft,
but fo contrive it, that they may dung over the
Neft whilft they are young and fmall you muft
feed them with raw Meat, and fome bread mixed
and chopped together with fome bruifed Hemp-
Seed, wet your bread and mix it with your Meat :
When they begin to be v/ell-feathered, put them in
a large Cage, and put fome dry Mofs at the bottom
and let them have two or three Pearches, that fo
theymay fit orlieattheir pleafurc, for you muft
kno'.v that the 1 hroftle, if not clean kept, is fubjeft
to the Cramp, and wiil neither fmg nor take plea-
fiirc in hiinfclf: you may by degrees give him no
Heart at all, fur bre.idand Hemp-feed is as good
Meat for him, as the Ixft Shceps-HeartandEg^is
for a Nightingal .• be fure to give him frclh Water
twice in a week, that fohe may bath himfelf and
prune himfelf, otherwife he will not thrive • take

9 2 Of Smging-’~Birds.

that Neft where you find the old bird to ling well,

for he always fings near the Neft.

The fifth is your Heath-Throftle, which is the
fmalleft of three forts that we have in England,
you (hall know him by his dark bread; fome Coun¬
try es call them Mevifles, for they differ in their Co¬
lour, Song, and way of breeding- This bird, in
my Opinion, far exceeds that which we generally
call the Song-Throftle, being far fweeter in his
Notes than the other,and a neater bird in his Plume.
The Hen builds by theHeath-fide, eitherinaFrus-
bulb, or by a Ditch-fide in the dump of an old
Haw-Thorn, and feldom haunts the VVoods and
Shawes as the other doth. This birds Neft is
more difficult to be found than the other, and I be¬
lieve ten Neds of the other for one of this. She
builds with a long green Ground-Mofs, and makes
her Neft much deeper than the former and lefs, and
begins not to breed till the middle of ^dpril, and
breeds but twice in a year, and is a fine tame neat
' bird, and will fing nine months in the year, if
well ted, and kept clean, both from Dung and
Vermin. You muft breed up thefe young ones af¬
ter the fame manner that the other was ordered in
all things.

Of Singuig-Hirds. 93

Hovito\i^ov( a CocJcThrofilefroma Hetty
in Young and Old.

'THis is a very difficult bird to know, both when
^ Young and Old ^ I (hall give you the opinion
and Judgment of feveral others, and my own. at
laft ; The ancient Rule amongft Country-People,
was, to chufe the top-Bird of the Nell, as they
term it,that is the largeft and mod feathered ftouteft
Bird, which commonly lies uppcrmoft, for they
fay it is the Nature of the Cock, from the very
Ned, to get on top of the Hens Back. Another
chufes him to be the Male bird that hath the fulled
Eye, and mod Speckles upon his Bread, and deeper
down to his Belly. A third makes choice of a Cock,
for the largenefs of his Spots, and darked, and a
white Gullet, with two black Breaks on each fide.
Another chufes him by the Pinion of his Wing, if
it hath a very dark black thatgoesa crofsit. Now
at lad Hhall give you my own Judgment; Fird, I
take notice of his Gullet to be very white, with
black Streaks on each fide ; and then to have his
Spots upon his Bread to be large and black, and
the colour of his Head to be of a light ffiining
brown, with black Breaks under each Eye, and up¬
on the Pinion of the Wing 5 thefe are the Marks I
mod commonly chufe them by: But if you will be
furenotto fail, obferve my Counfcl; Bring up a
whole Ned, and in a ffiort time after they feed
thciTifclves,you will find thcraRecord tothemfelves.

Note, The Hens will Record as well as the
Cocks, but it is with fliorc catches and jerks, and
not continues it long but the Cock is full, and you

94 Of Smgiilg-'~Birds.

will perceive his Gullet to extend it felf much
more than the others, and to fing much oftner than
the Hen j when you have ohferved them two or
three times, take him out of the Cage and mark
him, and put him in again then obferve again,
and fee if it be the fame bird you marked, and ob-
ferving this way you (hall never fail ^ but in the
other fometimcs you may, for every Country alters
thePlumesof the birds, which muft of necelTity
caufe your Judgments and Marks to err.

Of the King of Birds.) or the little King
called the Robin Red-Brcafi.

^Ho next, in my Opinion, for a Song-bird,
is the little Robin Red-brcaft 5 he fingeth very
fweetly, and 1 have heard many to efteem himlit-
tie inferior to the Nightinga!; 1 muft tell you,That
were he as hard to be had as the Nightingal, 1 do
not know but that he might have as great an efteem
ashirh; but plenty of any bird, or of any thing
elfe, makes them not fet by nor valued,though never
fo good in its Kind. This bird is known to every
little boy, by rrafon they are feen at Winter upon
the Tops and Roofs of Houfes, and upon all forts
of o'd Ruins, onthatfide moft commonly that the
Sun rifeth and Ihineth in the Morning, or under
fome Covert, where the Cold and Wind may not
pinch him, for he is but a tender bird, and hath
moft ufually his Cage lined and made after the form
of a Nightingal-Cagc; they breed very early in the
Spring, andcommonly three times in a Year, in
y^piil) May, zndjnne : They make their Nell
wkh a dry greenifh Mofs, and quilt it within with

Of Siffgvig-lBirds; ^ 95

a little Wood and Hair; they feidom have above
five young ones, and not under four: They build
in fomc old Hay-Houfe, or barn, or Reek of Hay
or Corn j and when they are about ten days old*
you may take them from the old ones, and keep
them in a little basket or box 5 if you let them
tarry too long in theNefr, they will be fullen, apd
foconfequcBtly much more trouble, and not fo fit
to be brought up under another bird, that whiftled
to ^ you muft feed them with Sheep-Heart and
Egg minced fmall, in all points as you feed the
Nightingals, and but a littlcatonce, and pretty of¬
ten, by rcafon of his bad digeftion, 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 is not long-lived,
^efure he lie warm, and efpeciaily in the Night :
When you find them begin to be llrong, you may
Cage them, and let them have fome Mofs at the
bottom of the Cage and (land warm i put the Meat
in a pan or box, both of the Sheeps-Heart and
Egg, and the Pafte that you were formerly direfted
to make ^ andkthimalfo.havefomeo{the Wood-
Larks mixed Meat by them, for thofe I brought up
with Sheeps-Heart and Egg, when they came to
feed themfclvcs, would rather eat the Pafte and
Wood'Larks Meat,than the Sheeps-Heart and Egg^
you may give him which you will,according to your
convcniency; every boy knows almoft how to take
a Robin with a Pit-Fall ^ but with a Trap-Cage
and a Mcal-W'orm you may take a dozen in a day .-
And if you hear one bird to excel another, take
the biid yon have innft mind to, and Cage him,
and he will ling in a fhort time, provided he be not
an old bird. If you take a bird, and do not hear
him

9 6 Of Singifig-TBirds.

him fing, by this Mark you fliall know whether lie
be a Cock or Heti^ if a Cock, his Bfcaft will beef
3 darker red, a greater matter than the Hen, aAd
his red will go up farther upon the Head.

What Difeafes are fubjeBtto the Robin red-Brea^^
and how to Cure them,

F Irft, He is very fub)eft to the Cramp, andgid-
dinefs of the Head, which makes him manj
times fall off the Pcarch upon his Back, and then
is prefent death, without fome help be fpeedily ufed
for him. The beft Remedy to prevent him from
having the cramp, is, To keep him warm and clean
in his Cage, that his Feet be not clogged, which
many times do cat the Joints off his Feet, with the
Dung being bound on fo faft, that it makes his Feet
and Nails to rot off, which takes off the Life and
Spirit of the Bird i if you find him droop, and is
fickifh, givehim three or four Meal-Worms and
Spiders, and it wdll mightily refrelh him : butfoi
the giddinefs in the Head , give him fix or fe-
ven Ear-Wigs in a Week, and he fhall never be
troubled with it, which is very rubjeft to your Ro¬
bins above all other birds, except the Bull-finch: If
you find he hath little appetite to cat,give him now
and then fix or feven Hog-Lice, which you may
find in any piece of old rotten Wood : be fnrehe
never wants Water that is frefh two or three times
a week. And to make him chearfid and long-win¬
ded, give him once in a week, in his Water,a blade
or two of Saffron, andafiice of Licorifh, whicii
will advantage bis Song or Whillliiig very much-

97

Of Siiigit}g-'~Bjrds,

Concerning the Jenny~Wren-

I Hold the little Creature to be a curious fine Song-
Bird, fo not unworthy to be taken notice of a-
mongll the little Birds of the Cage : He is of a fine
chcarfiil Nature, and fingcth fweetly and delight-
fomly, none exceeding him for the nature of the
Song he fings ^ he is a pretty fpcckled coloured bird,
very pleafing to the fuht, and when he fmgs, cocks
uphisTayl, and throws oat his Notes with fuch
pleafure and chearfulnefs, that for his bignefs none
exceeds him. This Bird breeds twice a year, firft,
About the latter end of and makes her Neft
with dry Mofs and Leaves, and doth it fo artifici¬
ally, that it is a very hard matter to difeover it, be¬
ing it is araongft Shrubs or Hedges where Ivy
grows very thick ■, they will build in old Hovels
and Bai ns, but them are thofe that are not ufed to
the Hedges they clofe their Neft round, leaving
but one little Hole to go in and out at , Ihe lays a-
bundaiicc of Eggs, I have had eighteen out of one
Neft, which would feem very ftrange, if it were
not a thing fo generally common ; 1 have had fix-
teen young ones out of a Neft : It’s to admiration
how fo fmall a little-bodied Bird can cover fo great
a company of Eggs; 1 am perfwaded the Cock
and Hen fits both together ; but when they have
hatched, to feed fo great a company and not to mifs
one Bird, and in the dark alfo, ’tis a very curious
thing to confider. Their fecond time of breeding
is in the middle of Jtme, for by that time the other
Neft will be brought up and Ihifc for ihemfelves ,
But if you intend to keep any of them, take them
G out

^8 Of Singing-Birds.

out at twelve or fourteen days old from the Neft .•
You (hall give them Sheeps-Heart and Egg minced
very fmall, taking away the Fat and the Sinews, or
elfe of Cdves or Heifers-Heart. Obferve in all
Meat-Birds, to cleanfe the Meat or Heart of all the
Fat and Sinews ^ and if it be Beef, let it be well bea¬
ten, and (bred very fmall, becaufe of digeftion.You
(hall feed them in their Neft very often in a day, giv¬
ing them one or two morfels at a time and no more,
left they (hould caft it up again, by receiving more
than they can bear or digeft, and fo die; You mull
feed them with a little Stick, and take up the Meat
attheendaboutthebignefsof a white Pea; when
you perceive them to pick it from the Stick theni-
felves, then put them into a Cage, and having a
Pan or two, putfomeof the fame Meat in it, and
about the (ides of the Cage alfo to entice her to eat;
notwithftanding you muft feed them live or fix
times in a day for better fecurity, left they (hould
negleft themfclvcs and die, when all your trouble is
almoft pad. After they have found the way to
feed alone, give them by degrees of your Pafte now
and then, and if you perceive them to eat heartily,
and like it very well, you may forbear giving them
any more Heart,when you find they are accuftonied
to lat the Pafte with delight. Furthermore, You
muft, once in two or three days, give them a Spi-
derortvvo. If you have a defire he (hould learn to
whiftle Tunes, take the pains to teach him and he
will anfwer your expeiftation, for it is a Bird that
iseafily taught. If they be fed only with Pafte,
ti ey will live longer than if they have Sheeps-heart,

Of Singing-^irdsi

Ho'n to knorv the Cocks from the Hens.

T ^ 7Hen you have got a whole Neft, obferve
V V which are browned birds,and thofe which
are largeft, and mark them : And to be fure that
they are what you expeft them to be, obferve their
Recording, for fuch of them that lhall record to
therafelves in the Neft before they can feed them-
felves \ and obferve if their Throats grow big as
they Record, they are certainly Cocks, this is the
fureft way to know them : When they can feed
themfelves, both Hens and Cocks will Record,

Concerning the Tit-Lark*

T'His bird is very much fancied amongft many
Men for his whisking, turning, and chewing,
finging moft like the Canary-bird of any bird what-
foever •, but I have not fo great a fancy for him, by
reafou he is fo very (hort in his Song, and hath no
variety with it. This bird is a Companion of the:
Nightingal, for he appears at that time of the year
when the Nightingal comes, which is the begin¬
ning of pril, and leaves us the third or fourth
of September ; they are fed after the fame manner
as the Nightingal when they are firft taken. There is
no taking of the old Ones but with a Net, fuch as
you take all other fmall birds ^ you mult cram him
as you did the Nightingal, for he will not fecdhiin-
fclf, by rcafon he always feeds upon live-Meat in
the Field, fo he is not acquainred with rhe Meat
that we offerhim ^ b .t when be will feed of him-
fclf, he will cat your Wood-Larks Meat, or almoft
. G 2 any

100 Of Shigtng-Birds,

any other Meat. This bird is much of the nature
of the Nightingal, for he grows exceeding fat,
even as the Nightingal doth a little before his going
away, and fo continues for fome time \ but they
will not fall as the Nightingal doth, but eats his
Meat though he be never fo fat.

This bird makes her Neft about the latter end of
Jprili and hath young by the middle of May ^ (he
always breeds in the Ground by fome Pond-fide, or
Ditch-ride,or in a Garden in high Grafs i (he makes
her Neft of dead-Grafs, and a few fmall Roots,and
commonly lays fix Eggs, or five at leaft, and feeds
her young ones with Caterpillars and Fliesjthcy are
birds very eafily brought op, being they are hardy
and are notfubjeft to Colds and Cramps as other
birds ate, butlivelongif preferved with care. If
you breed this bird up young and cleanly, he is a
very pretty tame finging-bird, and to a great many
hath a very plcafingSong, according to the old Pro¬
verb, Short and fiveet,

Conctrning the Red-Start.

'THis bird is of a very dogged fullcn temper, for
^ I know the Nature of him, that when I have
declared, you will judg the fame by his effefts; for
if taken old, and not out of the Neft, he is very
hard to be tamed \ he will be fo vexed fometimes,
as is a wonderful thing, almoft incredible, if 1 had
not tryed it my felf \ for being taken in a Cage,and
ordered as we formerly direfted you in the Nigh¬
tingal, he hath been fo dogged, that in ten days
time he would never look towards the Meat, and
when he fed himfelf, hath been a whole month
without

Of Shgvjg-'^Birds. 101

without flngihg, nay, I have known them never
fingatall, till they were brought to their accuftom-
ed place. This Bird is a fore runner of the Nigh¬
tingale and comes four or five days before we genc-
•rally hear him, and is of a chearful”'temper, and
hatha very pretty melodious kind of VVhiftiing-
Song. The Cock is very fair and beautifully colou¬
red, and is exceeding pleafaut to the Eye. She
breeds three times in a year, the latter end of /pril,
in Mayy and to wards the latter end of Jum -y this
is their ordinary courfe without fome-body fpoil
or touch their Eggs, and then they may come
fooner or later. They build moft ufually in holes
of hollow Trees, or under Houfe-Eves, and make
their Nell with all forts of things, as dry Grafs,
fmall Roots of Herbs and Leaves, Horfe-Hairand
Wool, according as the place affords them. Of all
Birds that I know, this is one of the (hieft, for if
(he perceive you to mmd her when (he is Building,
Ihe will forfake it, and if you touch an Egg, (he
never comes to her Nefl more ; for you can very
hardly go to it, but ihe will immediately fpie you,
and if (he chance to have young ones, (he will either
ftarvethem, or break their Necks, with throwing
them out of the Ned j for I can fpeak it of my
ownknowlcdg. That I having found a Ned in a
hole of a hollow Tree, took one out of the Ned to
fee how hedg’d they were, and immediately put it in
again; and having occafion to come that way the
next morning, 1 found them all dead under the
Tree, which made me admire j but fince I have
tryed two or three more, and they are all of one
nature for doggednefs; but if you bring them up
young, they alter their Nature and become very
• G 3 tame

102 Of Swgiiig-Htrds.
tame and pleafant to their Keeper. You mud take
them out of the neft about ten days old, for if you
let them be too long in the neft, they are apt to
learn fome of the old birds temper, and be very
fullen. Thefe birds are fed with Sheeps-Heart and
Egg minced and chopped very fmall, and given at
the end of a Stick, when they open their Mouths,
about the quantity of three white Peas ^ for if you
clog their Stomachs too much, they will prefcntly
caft their Meat, and in a Ihort time dye. When
you perceive him to eat off the Meat from the Stick,
Cage them up, and put their Meat in a Pan, and a-
bout the Tides of the Cage; notceafing, though he
feeds of himfelf, to give him three or four times a
day a bit or two, for he will hardly cat his fill for
the firft three or four days he begins to feed alone;
but when you have accuftoitied him to eat five or fix
days without feeding, give him fome of the Nigh-
tingals Pafte, aiidyou will find him very much de¬
light, in it : You may keep him in what Cage you
pleafe, only let him be warm in Winter, and he
will fing in the night as well as in the day. There
is few People know this bird when they fee him:
He is a very lovely bird to the Eye, and very plea-
fant to the Ear.

Comermg

Of StKghig-^irdi. 103

Concerning the Hedg-Sparrow- ''

'THis is a pretty Song-bird ,• and fingeth very
early in the Spring, though little taken no¬
tice of j hch'Jtha very pleafant Song, with a great
deal of variety ; old or young become tame very
quickly, and will fing in a fliort fpace after they are
taken; if you take them in the latter end of fanu-
aryi or beginning of February : They feed upon
Wood-Larks Meat, or any thing e!fe you will give
them. They build their Nefts in a White-Thorn
or private Hedg, and make it of dead Grafs and
fineMofs, and Leaves, with a little Wool ; She
lays an Egg much different from other birds, being
of a very fine blew colour, and hath commonly five
Eggs, and brings up her young ones with all forts
of Food Ihe can get. This is a very traftable bird
and will take any birds Song almoft if taken young
out of the Neft. This bird 1 verily believe would
be taught to whiftle and fpeak; but more of this
when I come to fpeak of Whiftling-birds in their
order.

Concerning the Solitary-Sparrow.

T His bird is naturally given to Melancholy; he
loveth folitary and by-places, and from thence
at firft came his name ; they do much delight to
live by old decayed and uninhabited places, as being
far removed from the company of all forts of birds.
She is very jealous, both of her Eggs and young
Ones^ (he maketh herNeft in Holes, and chiefly
of old banks, or in the holes of old hollow Trees .•
G + (he

104 Of Sii:gU!g-lP:h'ds^

{he builds with any Materials which lies next to her
Habitation, and moft nigh and convenient to her
Neft; for {he is a very idle Bird, and now and then
doth not lay together ftuff enough to keep her
young warm. She breeds three times a year, in
Jprili May., mAjmie-, and hath her young at no
certainty. If you will bring up any young, chafe
out the faireft of the Neft, and biggeft alfo, and
let them be pretty well covered with feathers before
you take them out, for they arc not given to be fill-
len, without you let them alone fo long till they
are juft ready to fly y and if they will not open
their Bills, take them and open them, and give
them the quantity of two grey Peas at three or four
times, and ina fhort time you will perceive them
to eat of themfelvcs ^ you may put in their Pan or
Trough fome of the ShccpSrHcart or Egg as you
feed tine young ones withal; notwithftanding they
do feed themfelvcs, put two or three pieces in their
Mouths, until furh time th It you perceive them to
eat enough to fatisfie themfelvcs. Cage them as
foon as ever you perceive them to eat off from the
{tick, and put fome fine dry Mofs at the bottom of
the Cage, keeping them as neat and as clean as pof-
fibly you can ; for if you do not, they will become
lame, and die in a fhort time, wherefore obferve
thefe direftions until they be moulted y and then
keep Sand at the bottom of the Cage in the Sum¬
mer, and Mofs or Hey all Winter, feeding them
with Sheeps-Hcart and Egg minced fmall, and now
and then fome Nightingals Pafte •, and if you pleafe,
a little Wood-Larks Meat alfo.

Cmerning

105

Of Siftghfg-Birds.

CoNcemtig the Black-Bird.

V Ery many may wonder why-I fliould prefervc
this Bird till |aft my reafon is. bccaufc I
value him the worfl: of ail the (inging birds I have
treated of •, and us leaft is kept of Nightingab,
which is the beft Song-bird in the World, fo I
think this may be accounted the worft of thofe that
arc termed fmging Birds, and more kept of them
than any birds I know ; the Country-Man and
Woman being melancholy without their brave gol¬
den-beaked Black-bird, for your Country-People
value no bird incomparifon of him, and all is for
being loud and coarfe in his Song, as they are clow-
nilh in their Speech and Conditions. This bird is
known to every one, and is better to be eaten than
kept, and is much fweetcr to the Palat being dead
(and well-roaftcd, than to the Ear when they are li¬
ving, for they are delicate Meat if very fat. She
maketh her neft many times when the Woods are
full of Snow, which happeneth. very often in the
beginning of March. She builds her neft uponold
Humps of Trees, by Ditch-fides or in a thick Hedg,
they are at no certainty like other birds i She makes
the out-fides of her neft with dry Grafs and Mofs,
and littledry Sticks and Roots of Trees, and daubs
kll the infide of the neft with a kind of Clay-Earth,
jfafhioning it fo round, and forms it fo handfome
land fmooth that Man cannot mend it; they breed
jthree or four times a year, according as they lofe
jtheir Neft, for if their Nefts be taken away they
preed the fooner. The young Black-birds are
brought up almoft with any Meat whatfoever, they

lo6 Of Siftgitjg-’^irds.

feeding of them with Curds and Bran, or brown-
Bread, or skim’d Cheefe in the Country not fet
ding them as we do here, with good Sheeps-Heart,
or hard Egg, and White-Bread and Milk. This
Bird fings about three months in the year, or font
at moft, therefore I efteemed him not worth anj
thing for his Song ^ but if he be learned to whiftle,
he is of fome value but in my mind his Whiftle
is very coarfe, though it be very loud j fo he is ft
only for a large Inn, and not for a Ladies Cham¬
ber ; fo this Bird brings up the rear of all your foft-
beaked finging-birds that we have common in Eti^-
land, Butin every Country there is variety, accor¬
ding to the nature of the place, which if I though
might be defired, I would give a defcription of moJ
fmging-birds in the World,

Now I have done with all the foft beaked Birds-tl ptl
ufe my endeavour to give you an account of aH lit
haret-beakfd Birdswhich feed upon Seeds-, anim
flentifitl with m here in England ; the frjll
Jhall begin withal is., the Bird called the Camy
bird, becaufe the Original of that bird camefm
thence, ( / held this to be the befl Song-bird) ; Bit
now with indujlry they breed them very plentiflj
in Germany, and in Italy alfo •, and they kit
bred fome few het e in England, though as yet tit
any thing to thepnrpofe as they do in other comtini
1 fliall in order, to my beft under (landing, give ft
what kyjowledg I have concerning him, and the k
way to breed and preferve them when bred j ttiii
the true way of ordering the young ones,

Qtf

Of Smging-'^irds. I07

Concerning the Camtry-Bird,

THis Bird we had formei ly brought over from
the Canaries and no-wherL eife, and fo is gene¬
rally known by that name but of late years we
have had abundance of their kind come out of Cer
nm]-, fo we call them by the name of the Country,
German-Birds \ but 1 believe the firft Original were
broi ght from the Canary l^r.nds.T^t birds brought
from the Canaries are not fo much in eftcem v.'ith us
as formerly, for the Birds brought out of Germany
far excel them in handfomnefs and Songs, the Gtr-
jM-Birds having very many 6ne Jerks and Notes
of the Nightingals, which in its place I fhall de¬
clare howlbey came to have. Many Country-Peo¬
ple cannot diftinguifh a Canary from one of our
common Green-Birds \ but if thcy^would diligent¬
ly obferve how the palTages of his Throat heaves
when he is finging, they might quickly diftinfuifh
him from any other Bird, let him be of any manner
of colour ^ and befides, he is Inftier by much, and
hath a longer Tail. Note, Thofe Canaries that
have the motion of turning their Heads backward,
arc feldom or never good. The Nature of the Ca¬
nary is quite contrary to other Birds, for as others
arefubjeftto be fat they never are, (1 mean the
Cocks j for the great mettle of the Bird, and his
lavifh fingin.:, will hardly fuffer him to maintain
flcih upon his back,, much lefs fat;

Io8 Of Singhig-Birds,

How to chafe a. Canary-Bird,) and to knew when I
he hath^ood Song. \

T N the firfl; place let him be a long Bird, ftandiii!
^ ftreight, and not crouching, but fpritely like urti;
a Sparrow-Hauk, ftanding with life and boldntfi,!
and not fubjedt to be fearful ■, 1 would advife I
People that intend to buy your Canary-Ifland birds,
or German-Canaries, fo lately called, firfttohej
them ling, and then they (hall befure not to be«.
zenedoneway, tobuy Hens for Cocks, And tbs
alfo in the fecond place, they (hall pleafe their Ears,
for one fancies a fweet Song-bird, and another avt.
ry lavilh Bird if he be not fweet; and all phanlle,
I think, a long Song-bird, and you chufe wha
pleafes you belt, and I’le allure you one Mlin’is
very ill-lhved, to buy them as they run out of tit
Store-Cage, for if you have but one Hen in twelvt,
your (hilling in a Bird is quickly loft, and ten to oik
but foraeof the Cocks too hath little or no Soogli
be taken notice of, therefore be advifed to hearhin
in a (ingle Cage, that you may be able to Judg foro
thing of his Song before you part with your Monf
Now moftare of Opinion, that your Canary tlu!
hath moll variety of notes, and is the longeft Song
bird, is the bed; but Mens Opinions vary as tki
Birds Songs.

Firft, Some approve of your Canary , tbl
whisk and chew like unto your Tit-Lark, by tea-
fon it is a fpritely Note.

A fecond is for a Canary that begins like untoi
Skie-Lark, and fo continues his Song much after tbt
ratt

Of Swging-l&ircls. I09

[ate of his finging, having a long Note and fweet,
jjut 1 think not much variety in it.
i A third approves of the Canary that begins the
ikie Lark-:.iid runs upon the Notes of the Nightin-
jals So igj which I do think, if he doth it well, is
bne of the pleafanteft birds in the World.

I A fourth likes a bird that hath a loud lavifh note,
iot at all refpedting either variety or length, fo he
hakes but a noife in his ears.

1 So fome phanfie the way of Tinging after the Tit¬
lark, fome after the Skie-Lark, andalmoftall after
the Nightingal, and few or none after the way of
!he Chaff-Finch.

I Hm to ^fiew if your Canary-Bird he in health
I or not when you buy him.

|T jT 7 Hen you take him out of the Store-cage,put
1V V him in another cage fingle,and let the cage
he very clean, that fo you may fee his Dung j if he
tlands up boldly without crouching, and have no
ligns of fhrinking in his Feathers, and his Eyes
look chearful and not droufie, and that he is not-

I eff to clap his Head under his Wing, thefeare
d figns, and yet he may be an unhealthy bird
; but the greateft matter is, to obferve his
nging, if he bolts his Tail like a Nightingal af-
hehath dunged,it is a great lign he is not in per-
1 health, though he may fingatprefent and look
tty brisk, affure your felf it will not belong be-
e he be Tick. The next is, if he dung very thin
e Water, with no thickening, he is not right,
idlaftof all, if hedung with aflimy white, and
blacknefsinit, it is a dangerous fign that Death
’ is

1

no Of Singitig-TBirds.

is approaching, and he will not continue long witi
you. But when in perfeft health, his Dung lie?
round and hard, with a fine white on the out-llde,
and dark within, and will quickly be dry •, andtht
larger the birds Dung is, I hold it the better, fo ii
belong, round, and hard. A Seed-bird very fd.
dom dungs too hard, except very young.

Concerning the ordering of Canary-Birds rvhen
they begin to build-, or them they in¬
tend for breeding.

I Nthefirfl: place. You muft make aconvenicii!

Cage,or elfc prepare a Room that may be fit for
fuch a bufmefs ^ youmufl; be fure to let it haveas
out-let towards the rifing of the Sun, where yoi
muft have a piece of Wire, that they may havt
egrefs and regrefs at their pleafure; When you haw
• prepared a convenient Room, then fctupintlt
corners of it fome brooms, cither Heath or Frail,
opening them in the middle; if the Roombeprertj
high, you may fet two or three brooms under cot
another ; but then you muft fet Partitions will
boards over the top of every broom, otherwif:
they will dung upon one anothers Heads y and alfo
they will not fiiffer to fee one another fo near cacli
others Neft, for the Cock or Hen will be apt toll)'
upon a Hen that is not matched to them, whenthEf
fee them juft under their Neft, which many timsi
caufes the fpoiling of their Eggs and Young Ones.
In th; next place, you muft caule fomethingtok
made fo convenient, and of fuch a bignefs, tfel
may hold Meat for fome confiderablc time, that yoi
rnay not be difturbing of them continually, anJ*
' ‘ , convt-

Of S inging-Hirds. 111

;onvenknt Vefiel for Water alfo j let your place
ivhere you intend to put your Seeds, be fo ordered,
that it may hang out of the reach of the Mice, for
they will deftroy all the Canary-Seeds, and focon*
feque;itiyniay ftarve your Canary-Birds. Youmuft
ikewife prepare fome fluff to build withal of fe-
veral forts of things, as . Cotton-Wool, fmalldead
Grafs, your Elks-Hair, and your long fort of Mofs
that grows along upon the Ground by your Ditch-
fides, or in the Woods you muft dry it before you
put them together, then mingle them all, and put
them up into a little Net like onto a Cabbage-Net,
hanging of it fo that they may with conveniency
pullitout. You muftfet Pearches all about your
Room, and if big enough, fet a Tree in the middle
of it, that fo they may take the more pleafure. You
muft proportion your birds according to the bignefs
of your Room, rather let it be under-flocked than
over, for they are birds that love their liberty.

What things are mof needful when they
begin to breed.

I N the firft place, u hen yon perceive them begin
to build and carry fluff, give them once a day,
or in two days at Icaft, a little Greens, and fome
Loaf-Sugar, for that will caufe a flipperinefs in the
body, that fo the Eggs may come forth without in¬
juring the birds, for many times the bird dies in
laying her lit ft Egg, which is a great lofs to the
breeder feveral ways: Asfirfl, tothelofsot his firft
breed’, then next, to the unpairing of the Cock,
to which you fliould put in atiothcr Hen, whether
be will pair or no; fo that Cock \t oul J be far better

112 Of Swgujg-’~Birds.

taken out, than fuffered to tarry in your breeding-
place, efpecially if it be a fmall place ; but with
pairs in a large place he cannot do that injury; and
it will be very hard to dillinguifh which Hens
Cock that dyed, and as hard to take him in a large
place, without doing more injury than the bird
comes to; therefore Jet him reft till the end of the
year, when you draw them out to part them. If
you have but two or three pair together, it will be
the beft way to take him out and match him with
another Hen, and then put him in again : And alfo
when you find that they have built their nefts, you
■ may take away the nets that have their breeding-
fluff in them, for they will be fubject to build upon
their Eggs with new fluff, if they do not lay pre-
fently.

They do breed mod ufually three times in a year,
begin in April-, and breed May and Jime-, and fomc-
times in /iKgiifi, which is not very uiual neither
here nor in Cfiv/wHy.

How they breed them in Germany.

] Shall fihew you every thing cxaftly how they
breed them in Cmiwriy, according to the heft
information that I have received of thole that have
feen them and bred them alfo. In the firft place,
prepare a large Room, and build it in the likenefs
of a Barn, being much longer than broad y and
at each end there is a fquare place, and feveral holes
at each end to go into thofc fquare places; inthofe
Out-lets they plant feveral forts of fine Trees,which
grow pretty thick, (for they will take much delight
both to ungand breed in them); and at the bottom

Of Singwg-IBiyds. 115

of the place they ftrew it with a fine fort of Sand,
with which they ftrew feeds of Rape, Chick-weed,
and Groundfel; which the Old Bird doth eat both
at time of laying, andalfo when they have young
ones; they put in the Houfe all forts of fluff for the
building of their Nefts, they put Brooms up and
down all the corners, oiie under another, and to
the height of the place that is built for the purpofe,
and make partitions between every Neft, to make
them breed the quieter, without diftnrbing one an¬
other; and in the middle of the Room they will fet
a board edge-ways to darken th$ light of each fide :
for no Bird almoft doth naturally love to have much
light come to his Neft. They planta Tree ortwo
if the Houfe be big enough, one at each end, with
many perches alfo along each fide of the Houfe, and
all along where they make their Nefts; and in the
place that is the Air, it is alfo full of perches, they
hang their fluff for building all up and down the
Houfe, that the rain cannot come at it, and ftrew
fome in the ground alfo ; they make places very
convenient every one according to his fancy, and
for their Water alfo, fome having fine Fountains
in thofe places, that are the out-lets for the Birds,
to go at pleafure into' the Air, in which the Birds
take very much delight to wafti and prune them-
fclves, and it makes the Seeds to grow up that are
thrown in upon the Sand.

Hon to order them when they have young ones.

1 1 4 Singing-Birdf.

they are pretty flout, and can crack hard Seeds,they
have fmall places for the young to come to feed,
and they give them of all forts of Green-Seeds to
feed upon, and have a kind of clap-door to take
them: they fay, if they, do not foak Seeds for the
Young ones, that very few will live, by reafon the
Hen is apt to forfake them, (and the Seeds being
very hard, they , pine away and die) and go to Neft
again. This Man alfo did truly affirm, they never
came to any perfeftion till they came to have Birds
oftheir own breeding in their ownGountrey, and
theii being feafoned to, the Countrey they breed ia
abundance, furniffiing all PoUndi Germany^ and
Vrunce-, and of late years England, where they vent
as many as any place in the World.

How to hrttd the Toang ones that are taken
m of the Ne(}.

T Hefe Birds muft not be left too long in the
Neft^ for if you do, they are very apt to grow
fallen, and will not feed kindly : therefore take
them out about 9 or 10 days old, and put them in a
little Basket, and cover them over with a Net, elfe
they will be very fubjeft to jump out upon the firft
opening of the Basket ■, and if they fall to the ground
they will be bruifed, and in a ffiort time confeqiient-
lydic. You muft keep them very warm for the firft
week, for they will be very tender, fubjeft to the
Cramp, and not digeft their Meat if they take cold.

When you take them from the Old Canaries,lake
th.un in the Evening; and if you can poffibly let
the old birds be out of figlit, otherwife they will
be very apt to take diftaft when they (it again, and
have

Of Sif/gwg-Hirds. 115

have young ones; and wilj be apt at every fright
to forfake both theii: Young and Eggs. When
you have taken them outand put them in a Basket
covered at top: Make their Meat after this manner;
Take fome of your largeft Rape-Seeds, and foak
them in water 24 hours or Icfs, if the Water be a
little warm, I think 12 hours will ferve ; ’ drain
the Water from the Seeds, and put a third part
! of white bread to the Seeds,and a little Canary-Seed
ill flower, and fo mix them all together ; thcnha\r'
ing a fmall ftick, take up a little at the end, and
give every bird fome 2 or 5 times over; give them
butalittleat firft, and often, for if you over-charge
their Stomachs at the firft, they fcldom thrive after
it; andalfothcy will call up their Meat, which is
a fure fign they will not live long after it: There-
(o: c take a great care at firfl; to feed them by degrees,
that fo their Stomachs may be able to digeft it ■, for
you muftundcrftand that the Old ones give them
a little at a time, and the Meat they receive from
them, is warmed ill the Stomach before they give
it them; and then all the Rape is huld, which lies
not fo hard at the Stomach as thofe Seeds which
havetheskins on. Therefore much'care muft be
ufed at the firft, t > preferve their Stomachs and
keep them in health, Vou muft not make the Meat
too dry, for then they will be apt to be vent-burnt,
by rcafon all the Seeds arc hot; for 1 have obferved
that the Old birds do conftaiitly drink after they
have eaten Seeds, and a little before they feed their
Young ones ■, and they commonly after feeding of
them, fit a quarter of an Hour or more, to keep
them warm, that the Meat may better nourifh them ^
therefore wiien you have fed them, cover themip
H 2 very

Il6 Of Singing-Birds.

very warm, that their Meat may the better digeft

with them.

Difcafes of the Canary-Bird.

T' H E Nature of the Canary-Bird is never to be
fat, nor to maintain or keep her Flefli well,
by reafon of her great heat and laviflinefs in fing-
ing. She’s fubjeft to feveral Diftempers, as Im-
poftumes, which happen upon her Head, andthefe
are of a yellow colour, andcaufea great heavinefs
in the Head, and many times the Birds drop from
their Perch and dye within a Ihort time, if it be not
cured at the firft appearance. The beft approved
thingthatl know of, is to make an Ointment of
Frefh Butter and Capons-Greafe melted together,
and anoint the Top of the Birds Head for x or 3
days, and’twill diffolvc it, and cure him 3 but if
you let him alone too long, then after you have
anointed him 3 or 4 times, fee whether it be foft
upon his Head 3 if it be, open it gently, and let
out the Matter which will be like unto the Yolk of
an Egg, then anoint the place with fome of the
Ointment, and it will immediately cure him with¬
out any further trouble ; If you do perceive the
]mpoftume at any time to return, do as you are be¬
fore direfled 3 you muft give him Figs, and in his
Water let him have a flice or two of Liqiiorifh, and
fome Sugar candy.

The Old Birds above three years old are called
Rms-, and thofe about two years old are called E-
riffes., and thofe of the firlh year that the old ones
bring up, are Branches', When they can crack hard
feeds, and they call them that are tiew-flowii and
cannot feed thcmfclvcs, Biifucys-, and thofe that are
bred up by hand, Neftlmgs ; which 1 do approve

Of Swgwg-'~Birds. 117

far better than any of the firft, by reafon of his
tainenefs and familiarity with his Keeper, which is
the chief pleafure of a bird : For if a bird be ex¬
traordinary, and not tame, but wild or buckilh,
there is no pleafure in feeding or hearing of him
fing, being apt upon all occafions to bruife himfelf
and to forfakehis finging when moft defired.'

Concerning the Linnet-

T'Hey make their Nefts in black Thorns and
white-Thorn buihes, and in Fur-bulhes upon
Heaths more than any-where clfe: T hey baild their

Nells with very fmall Roots, and other fort of
(luff like unto Feathers, thofe that build in the
Heaths 5 Thofe that build in the Hedges, build
with Mofs the out-fide of their Neft, and line it
within according as the Place will afford : Some
uot-metled birds will have young ones four times
in a year, efpeciallyif they be taken from them be¬
fore they fly out of their Neffs, The hotter the
bird is in mettle, the fooner he breeds in the Spring,
You may take the Young ones out at four days old,
if you intend they fhall learn to whiffle, or hear any
other birds Song ; for then they being fo young,
have not the Old birds Song, and are more apt to
take any thing, than if yon fuffer them to be in the
Neff till they are almoff quite fledged. You muff
be fure when you take them out fo young, to keep
them very warm, and to feed them but a little at a
time. Your Meat muff be foaked Rape-feeds, and
then bruife them , and put full afmuch foaked
white-bread as the Seeds ; you muff make fre(h
every day, for it it be fower, it immediately makes
them fcour, aud not long after die. Y^ou muff not
H ^ give

118 Of Singing-lairds,

give them {heir Meat too dry, for if you do, it will
make them vent-burned, and that’s as bad as if they
fcoured. If you intend to whiftle to them, do it
when you feed them : For they will learn very
much before they can crack hard Seeds j fo hang
them under any bird that you intend, the Limet
fhall learn his Soni’. The Linnet is a very apt bird
for any Tune or Song, if taken out of the Ncft very
young: I have known feveral that have learnt to
fpeak, for there is nothing fo hard, but labour and
diligence will overcome. You may know the
Cock-Linnets from the PIcns by thefe two Marks;
Filft, by the colour of the back of the birds:, if it
be of your dark-coloured Linnets, the Cocks are
much browner than the Hens on the, back and Pin-
nion of the Wing; and io of the White-thorn Lin¬
net, the Hens being much lighter-coloured than the
Cocks. Butobferve this, that a Hen Linnet of the
dark-coloured Cock, is darker than the Cock of
the light-coloured Linnet. But the fureft way of
all is, to know him by the White in his Wing.

This bird is likewife troubled fometimes with
Melancholy, and then you will find the end of his
Rump to be very much fwcllcd, which you mull:
prick with a Needle and let out all the Corruption,
fqueefing of it out very v;cll with the Point of the
Needle ; then anoint him with the Ointment
made of frclh butter and Capon-Greafe, and feed
him with feme of thefe herbs for two or three days;
your Lettice and bects-fccds, and the Leaves alfo,
and you may alfo give him the Seeds of Mellons
chopped in pieces, which he will cat very greedily;
and when you find him mend, take the Mellon-
Seeds away, and give him of his old dyet again;

put

Of Singing-^ irds. 119

Put into his Water two or three blad^i^ Saffron
and white Sugar-candy, for a weekot^inore, till
you perceive the bird to be wholly recovered. The
next Difeafe that this bird is moft troubled with,
is a Scouring, which fomeare notfo dangerous as
others: The firft fort of Scouring, which count
not very hurtful, is very thin and with a black or
white Subftancein the middle : this is not very
dangerous, fori have known very many fing very
ftrong and lavilh, when they have had this Scour¬
ing in a very violent manner, and not been in the
leaft hurtful. The next fort of Scouring is between
a black and a white, but not fo thin as the other,
but is very clammy and flicking, which is never
very good in a Bird \ this is recovered by giving
your Bird at the firft feme Mellon-Seed i'hrcd, and
Lcttice-Seeds and Beet-Seeds bruifed, and fo give
himin his Water fome Liquorifh and white Siigar-
candy, with a little flower of Oat-Meal in the wa¬
ter. You muft be diligent at the firft to obferve
him when he is Tick, that fo he may have a ftomach
to eat, for in two or three days his Stomach will be
quite gone, and then it will be hard recovering of
him again. The next and worft fort of Scouring
of all the three, is the white clamming Scouring \
which is very bad and mortal, if it be not well
looked after at the firft. This is occafioned by bad
Seeds, and many times for want of Water, feeds
that have taken any dammage at Sea, or have been
over-heated, or lain in the wet too long before they
have been houfed, is a very great occafion .of this
Diftemper. If they be not taken at the firft appea¬
rance, it immediately takes away his Stomach, and
caufeth him to droop &fall from his Meacimmedi-
H 4 ately :

i 20 Of Sitiging-’^irds,

ately.* Tl(j|feforeobfervethiscureforhimi In the
firft place give him Flax-Seeds, taking away all his
other Seeds then give him of your Plantain-Seed
if it be green, otherwife it will do him no good; if
you cannot get Plantain-Seeds, give him fome of
the Leaves fhred very fmall, and fome Oat-Meal
bruifed with a few crums of Bread ; and in his
Water give hfm fome white Sugar-candy and Li-
quorifh, with a blade or two of Saffron; You mud
obfervej if youcan poffible, the firft beginning of
this Diftemper, otherwife when his Stomach is
loft, all thefe Medicines fignifie nothing.

Horn to kftoiv a Cock^ from a Hen.

T His Bird is a very good and melodious bird in
his kind, thofe which are bred out of theNeli
proving much better than the Wild ones. There
be two forts of Linnets., your black-Thorn and
white-Thorn Linnet., or your-black-Maled or
white-Maled Bird, one being of a brown Plume,
and the other of a light Greymoft do account the
blacked Malethchardier bird,and thehotter-metled
bird alfo. But I am of opinion that they all take
after the Old ones, kt the eld ones be high-metled
birds, let them be Brown or'Grey, the young birds
take after them, v hich is thus: Take your young
Linnet when the Wing-Feathers are grown, and
ftretch out his Wing, holding of his body faft with
the other hand (otherwife I have known them upon
a fudden jerk to break their Wings) and then ob-
fervethe white upon the Feathers of the 4th, 5th,
and 6th Feather, if it caft a gliftning white, and
the white goes clofe to the Quill 5 this is a. furc

Of Singing-'^irds. 1 2 J

fign of a Cock : Take a Hen and a Coi^ together,
and you fliall perceive it better, This is the cer-
taineft way not to be deceived, to keep a Hen inftead
of a Cock, for it is not fo much the coft in keeping
of the Bird, but our difappointment in the expefta-
tion, of having fome pleafure after our trouble and
care, efpecially to them that take delight tp whiftle
to him Tunes,

The feverd Dtfeafes that the Linnet is
SuhjeB to,

F Irll, She is fubjeft unto the Difeafe called the
Pthtfick, which may eafily be perceived by fee¬
ing him pant, and to heave his Belly faft, and fit
melancholy, with his Feathers ftanding big andfta-
ling, and by the Belly when itlhewsit felf more
puffed up than ordinary, full of reddilh veins, and
his breaft very lean and fliarp, and feeing him fpill
and caft his Seeds about the Cage, not caring to
cat at all. This Difeafe comes to the Linnet many
times for want of Water, and having your Char-
lack-Seeds mingled amongftyour Rape^Seeds, and
for want of giving him a little green meat at the
Spring of the Year, when you perceive the bird to
begin to be troubled with this Difeafe, firft to cut
the end of his Rump, and to give him lome white
Sugar-candy in his Water, with two or three flices
of Liqumifh \ for want of Sugar-candy, lot him
put ill fine Sugar: And for his Meat you (hall give
him beets, Lettice, to feed upon, or fomc of the
Herb called Mercuries which is a very good Herb
for this Diftemper for any Seed-bird: you may like-
wife give her Mellou-Sccds chopped finall, and at
' the

122 Of Swgitig-n^irds.

the bottom of the Cage put fome fine Gravel with
a little Powder-Sugar, and a little ground Oat-
Meal ; you may put alfo fome Loom, that the
Country-People do daub their Walls withal inftead
of Morter and Sand, every one almoft knows j
bruife this fmall, and it will brini^ him to a Sto¬
mach, if he be not too far gone and paft cure. The
Linnet is alfo fubjeft unto the Streins or Convul-
fions of the Bread:, wherefore being oppreffed with
this Difeafe,you fhall feed him with Lcttice-Seeds,
Beet-Seeds, and Mellon-Seeds bruifed and in his
Water you (hall difTolve fome Sugar-Candy, and
fome of the Nightingal’s Pade, with a little Li-
quorilh, fo much that the Water may have a tafte
of it, and fo continue it for the fpace of four, or
five days, now and then taking of it away, and
giving her Plantain-Water : be fure to give her a
Beet-Leaf, or Lcttice-Leaf upon the day that you
give her Plantain-Water. The linnet is alfo fub-
jeft unto a Hoarfnefs in his Voice, which many
times comes through draining her Voice in finging,
and many times (he gets a Husk in her Throat,
which is feldom helped to come fo clear off at firft ;
many times alfo if it bea ftrong-mctlcd Bird, he
will break fomething'within him, that he will ne¬
ver come to fmg again; for the hoarfnefs which is
very often taken in his Mouth, which is thus, to
keep him very hot, and upon a fudden to open his
Cage to the Air, which immediately ftrikes acold
to his Bread and Throat, and oftentimes kills him;
for if you have a bird in the Moult, you muft not
carry him to the Air, but keep him at a flay till he
is moulted off, and then open him by degrees, that
fo he may not take cold , and give him after his
' Moult

Of Sifigitig-Birds. 12 5

Moult fomething to cleanfe him, your beet-leaves
j and fome Liquorifb in his Water ; There is no bet¬
ter Remedy in the World for a hoarfnefs, than to
put into his Water fomc Liquorifh, and a few
Annife-feeds,andthenfethimina\varm,place, The
Linnet is alfo fubjeft to a great Scouring, 1 gave
you an account of feveral forts of them in the fore¬
going Chapter, where I treated of the Canary -
bird.

Qncerning the Gold-Finch.

THE next to the Linnet of Seed-birds is the
Golden-Finch, which is a very rare and curi¬
ous coloured bird,and were they not fo plenty, they
would be of very great efteem amongft us here ;
but plenty of any thing makes it flighted, and not
regarded. This Bird is taken in great plenty about
Michaclmafs time, and will very foon become
tame; the bcaiitifulncfs, with the pretty melodious
Song that this Bird hath, caufes very many to keep
them: (They were formerly carried beyond Sea to
feveral places for a very great Rarity,^ Thefe Gold-
differ very much in their Tunes, for fomc
of them fingafter one falhion, and fome after ano¬
ther, which needed not further be proved but by
them that have kept them, fiffr it is in this bird as
in all others variety, one Bird lurpafling another,
bothingoodnefs, variety, and lavifhncfs of Song :
They breed commonly in your Apple-Trees and
Plum-Trees; and to my knowledge 1 nevpr fawa
Nefl: in a quickfet-Hedge. They make their Nell
of Mofs that grows upon Apple-Trees and Wool,
and Qitilt the infide with all forts of Hair they find
upon

124 Of Swging-'^irds.

upon the Ground : they breed three times in a
year. You muft take young ones with the Neft
about ten days old, and they mud be fed thus ;
Take fome of your bed Hemp-feed, and beatitdn
a Morter very fine, then fift it through a Sieve, and
put as much white-bread as Hemp-Seed, and put
alfo a little flower of Canary-Seeds to it j fo with a
fmall ftick or quill take up as much as the bignefs of a
white Pea,and give them three or four bits at a time;
you muft make it frefh every day, it is foon done
when the Hemp-Seeds are bruifed and fifted j if it
be Tower it will immediately fpoil their Stomachs,
and caufe them to caft up their Meat, and then it is
ten to one if they live. You muft be fure to keep
thefe birds very warm till they can feed themfefves,
for they are very tender birds, you may almoft
bring them up to any thing being a very tame bird \
be fure that in feeding of this bird you make
clean his bill and Mouth, and if any of the Meat
fall upon his Feathers take it off, otherwife they
will not thrive. This bird that eats Hemp-Seeds,
(hall take for a Purge the feeds of Mellons, Succory
and Mercury, which is a principal Herb for the
Limett but this bird you may give Lettice and
Plantain, which are excellent Herbs for this bird to
purge him ^ and when they have no need of purg¬
ing, you muft give tl^em two or three times a week
3 little Sugar or foma’Toom in their Meat, or at
the bottom of their Cage j to this end they may eat
fo.me to fcour their Stomachs, which for want there¬
of isthe,great dcftrufVionof our birds that feed up¬
on Seeds; For nothing can be more wholcfome for
them than Wall or Loom-Earth and fome fine
Sane, and a lump or knob or two of Sugar always
in

Of Smgwg-‘~Bjrds. ' 12?

in their Cagfe \ for all feeds ha^e .a great oylinefs
in them, and if they have not fomething to dry up
that Oylinefs in the Stomach, in length of time it
fouls their Stomachs, and puts them into a Flux,
and nothing is worfe than unfound and damaged
feeds, which in a (hort time deftroyes them.

Canctming the Chaff'Finch,

^His Bird is a very plentiful bird, and of fome
is much admired for hisfong ; but I have no
great fancy for him, by reafonhefeldom varies ia
his Song like unto other birds, and hath no pleaf-
‘ ingnefs nor fweetncfs in his Song like unto the afore¬
mentioned birds. At flight time this bird is very
plentifully caught, but their Nefts are very fcanty
found, asoftheC'ffW-f/wfjalfo, This bird breeds
in hedges & trees of all forts, and makes his Neft of
MofsandWoo], or any thing almoft that he can
gather up where fhe breeds. They have young ones
two or three times a year, but they are fcldom bred
up from the Neft, being no bird that is apt to take
another birds fong, nor to whiftle j fo they let the
Old one breed them up that they may have the true
fong. Your Ejfex-Finches are in all Mens Opini¬
ons accounted the beft, both for length of fong, and
variety, fhe ending with feveral notes, which is very
pretty ; 1 do not know but this bird, if he were
niadetryal of, might not only take the notes of any
other bird, but alfo may be brought up to whiftle
any Tune, as well as theC<«»i«^j or and I

am confident it is a hardier bird than cither of them,
by rcafon he will almoft live upon any feeds, none
coming amifs to him : he is very- fildom futiea
to

126 Of Smgwg-‘~Birds,

to any Difeafe, like the Canary-Bird or Linnet :
This Bird will be very Loufie, if he be not fprinkled
with a little Wine two or three times a month.

Concerning the Green-Finch.

T 'Hisbirdisof a,very mean Song, and yet is
kept by a great many people for his cheapnefs
and hardinefs,,and by nioft people to ring the Bells,
being a good-bodied heavy bird. This bird is plen¬
tiful in every Country, and breeds the fillieft of
any, making commonly hisNeftby theHigh-way-
fidc, where every boy finds them, and deftroys,
them at firft, till the Hedges are pretty well cover¬
ed with green Leaves, They breed very early in
the Spring before thcHed :cs have leaves upon them,
which caufes every one to fee their Nefts at firft, fo
that feldom their firft Nefts come to any thing.
They build v. ith Mofs that is green that grows at
the bottom of Hedges, and quilt their Neft very
forrily within •, and many times they are fo flight,
that a great Wind (liakcs them to pieces, and drops
both yoang ones and eggs. They brcid three times
in a year, and the Young is a very hardy bird to be
brou ht up; You may feed them with fome white-
bread and Rape foaked; and he is a very apt bird
totake the whiftie, tather than another birds Song;
All that can be faid of him, he is a very dull bird,
not having the Spint of a Canary-Bird, nor a Lin¬
net \ for he will never killhimlclf with finding or
whirling. I have heard foine have given great com¬
mendation of him, to learn to whilTle as well as any
bird whatfoever, and that he will not be f.ibjcft
totakeany birdsSongtopathimout of his Notes.

He

Of S wgwg‘‘^irds. 13 7
Heisfeldom fubjeftto anyDifeafe but to be too
fat \ and of Seed-birds there is none like him for
growing fo exceffivefat, if you give him Hemp-
feeds, then he is good for nothing but the fpit,
therefore give him no other but Rape-Seeds.

Tk my to how how mny Difeafes 4nd Makdies
all Skgifig-Birds are fabjed to.

■plrft, the Difeafes are divers according to every
X Birds Food, and this diverfity caufeth divers ef-
' fefts and divers figns, which being hid, theDifeafe
I to our outward apprchenfion is unknown, and fo
there is no adminiftring of any thing, in as much
1 as it is not known from whence is the true Ground
' and Original of the Difeafe j fo that no Medicine
or Remedy can with any certainty be made conve¬
nient for true Cure of the Diftemper; wherefore it
is very nccelTary that there fhould be had a good re¬
gard and infpeftion unto the outward Signs, to
know the ground of the Diftemper that lies and
lurketh within, and that no Icfs in the behalf of
Birds, than generally of all other Creatures: there¬
fore 1 (hall now endeavour briefly to gather and coi¬
led (according to my beft skill and knowledge in
thisChipter what hath been fcatteringly delivered
in other places, touching the Infirmities and Dif-
eafes of all kindol Singing-Birdsaiid Difeafes there¬
of, for the benefit and inflruiTtion offuchas would
know the Difeafes whcrcunto fcch birds as they de¬
light in, and love to keep for their own pleafure,
arc fubjed to.

Firft,

nS Of s'wging-'~Birds.

Firft, Birds are fubjefti amongft other Difeafesi
Mnto Impofthhmes which do happen uhto them,
and appear in the Head of a yellow Colout, as big
as a Hemp-feed, fometimesasbigasaPea; aDif-
eafe commonly haunting all birds, efpecially thofe
which are of a hot Complexion.

The Second kind of Difeafe with which moft
Birds are troubled, I'S a fubtile Difeafe called
Tthifis ; for thofe birds that are troubled with this
Difeafe, do moft commonly fwcll in their Bodies,
and you may perceive, if you make a narrow fearcti
their breaft is befet with veins full of blood, though
at that time the bird be very (harp and thin, and
very lean upon the breaft; and thofe birds that are
afflifted with this Difeafe, cannot well digeft their
Meat, but are fubjeft to caft and overturn their
Meat in their Stomach, fo in a fhort time the Bird
confumes away and dies.

The third fort of Difeafe is the Gmi, which is
very common to birds that have been kept long in
the Cage, it caufes a fore vexing pain in his Feet
and Leggs, and caufes them many times to forfake
their Meat, by reafon they can neither ftir nor ftand
with any pleafure, but on the contrary a remaining
Pain and vexation. This Difeafe is known by muci
roughnefs in the Legs and Feet, and fwellings alfo
which arc in the Feet, and legs, and Knee, when
moft commonly it troubles them word of all.

The fourth Difeafe is difficHlty of Breathing-, c
hard and troublcfoir.e drav;ing of their Breath
andthijis known by the Hoarfnefs in their Throats
that they cannot utter the Times and Notes wit
any pleafure tothcmfcivcs or Keepers .• forif the
do, they doit foharfhly and impcrfcdtly, that iti

Of Shgifig-Hirds. 129

as good they were filent. And furthermore, if you
lay your Hand upon his Breaft, or diligently mark
him as he fits upon hisPearch, you {hall eafily per-
ceive it by his extraordinary beating, as it were
{hewing himfelf that he is very much troubled with ,
a very great oppreffion and difficulty of breathing;
and if you lay your Hand upon his Breaft, it (hall
beat againft your Hand as if he had fomelive-thing '
in his Body ; by all which Symptoms you may
juftly gather and conclude that he is moft certainly
infefted with this Difeafe oftentimes, efpecially if
it be a high-metled Bird, and he hear another fmg,
and is not.able to come near him by reafon of this
Difeafe; he will caft forth lamentable noifes, as if
he were fenfibleof his own Difeafes. This evi¬
dently declareth that he hath this Difeafe called
Jjlhm, or (hortnefsof Breath.

The 5 th difeafe fufajeft to Singing-Birds is BHnd-
ntfst which oftentimes happens by extraordinary
finging, each Bird ftriving to outvie the other in
5ong. This muft be quickly helped upon the firft
appearance, or they will never be cured , and this
Difeafe is at firft perceived by the trickling of tears
from their Eyes, and by certain Feathers that arc
ibout their Ears, which immediately do curl and
:rook by turning in again.

The 6 th Difeafe is the Vding-Sicknefs, which is
ikewife incident unto very many Birds, whereof
i\'ithout diligent care & obfcrvation,tbey are feldotn
)r never cured; for 1 could never find any other Re-
nedy for it, but this ^ To keep the Birds which
fou bring up, (and efpecially Bd-Finches) from
he heat ot the Sun all the Summer long, and at the
[all of the Leaf cut all the Nails of his Feet to the
I very

1

1^0 0 / Sitigitig-Hirds.

very quick, and pull 5 or 6 of his Tail-Feathers,
and when he mouts, berprinkle him with a little
White-Wine and Water, andfethim not in the
Sun, butlethimdryhimfelf all times in the (hade,
and give once in a Week fomethingto pur^e him,
The 7 th Difeafe that Birds are fubjeft to is the
Vif, which may be known by the hardnefs of the
endqf their Tongue, andalfoby the (ides of their
bills; Your fmall-Birds that feed upon Seeds are very
feldom fubjeft to this Difeafe, but moft commonly
your ThrojlleS', Black:Birds^ and Stmes, which
feed upon foft Meat. 1 have alfo known your
Nightingales to be troubled with it, that have been
fed too much with Eggs boild hard. For the reme¬
dy of this (for the bird will never eat his Meat kind¬
ly, nor (ing with any Stomach fo long as he hath
it) take the Bird in your Hand, and having opened
his bill with a Needle, take that hardnefs off from
the top of his Tongue, and the fides of his bill alfo;
then give him the Seeds of Mellons, being bruifed
and fteeped in pure Water, let him drink thereol
three or four days •, then when you perceive him
to grow better, and to take delight to prune am
peck himfclf, give him a little fine Loaf-Sugar, am
put into his Water alfo. To keep your Black:bii
and Throftle from this Diftemper, give them one
in a week a little painted fine-Coloured Snail, am
lay him a ftone in his Cage, and he will break hii
to pieces and eat him, and this will preferve thol
two birds from having a Fit,

• The 8 th is the Difeafe of the Rump, which i
hard to be known, and no other way that I coul
ever find to be a better fign, than the bird groR
ing Melancholy, as by furceafing and abftainin
fro

Of Singittg-'~Birds. I ^ t

from fmging ; And the beft Remedy is, to cut off
that fharp part which lyes upon the top of the
Rump, and give him fome cleanfing thing in his
Meat, and refrefhing thing in his Water, and he
{hall find great good by it. This is a grief which
all birds are fubjeft to, which arc kept in Cages:
for if they have their liberty and are abroad, every -
bird hath his certain Medicine for every Diftemper
he is fubjeftto for I have obferved it many times
when Iwwtrfcedmoft upon Chick-weed and plan-
tain-Seeds, that they have come as duly to a Chalk¬
pit every morning, as they have gone to bed at
night, and picked Chalk to bind them.

The lall difeafe birds are fubjeii to, is the Flux
of the belly, which is known by their making of
their dung thinner and more liquid than ordinary,
and by often (baking and beating of their Tail, and
keeping of it clofe together. The remedy is to cut
the Feathers of his Tail, andalfothofe which are
about the Fundament ^ anointing it with a little
I Capons-greafe, and inftead of Hemp-feeds or Rape-
Ifeeds, give him Mellon-Secds, and red Beets-feeds
Ibruifedforthefpaceof three or four days, till you
Iperceive his Dung altered : And you mull: do this
latfirft, otherwife it will not help when the bird is
Iwafted and poor. But for thofe birds which eat
not feeds, butSheeps-heartor pafte, give them a
jveryhard roafted Egg, in fuch fort as you have
been before direfted.

The

13:2

Of Sit gh;g-’~Ends,

The fcver^tl DIfeafes which happen to evny
piiiticiiLir fort of Bird.

F Irft, The Old Nightingales that are kept long
in a Cage, are very fubjeii (if not kept very
clean) to the Gout., and if their Meat be not chop¬
ped very well, to the Convulfion of the Breaft, witli
the Falling-Sicknefs and GidJinefs in their Heads.

The Wood'Lark^is very fubjeft to be LoufiCiand
to be Melancholy, and troubled with the ftraitnefs
of the Breaft, which caufes them to pine away ini
fhort time if not helped, and then a Flux of the
Belly, which if not immediately helped, it con-
fumes them to nothing.

The5l^e-Z-<jyih. is alfo fubjeft to all the fame In
firmities of the Wood-Lark,, except it be Loufinefs
The Robin is fubjeft to the Cramp, to a greai
GiddinefsinhisHead, and to have the ends of hi
Nails perifh, if he be not kept clean in his Cage
and will be very fubjeft to the Falling-Sicknefs, i
it be not prevented.

Almoft all your birds that feed upon Flefh hav(
almofl: all the fame Diftempers, except the
bird and Throjlle., which feldom almoft die, withot
it be for want of Meat or W ater.

The hath many Difeafes that hei

fubjeOto, as to the Giddinefs in his Head, Falling
Sicknefs, Convulfion, and Opprefiion of Stomjc
and Breaft, by reafon of her exceffive heat y as
alfo .very fubieft to a Flux in the Belly, which
not timely prevented, caufes prefent death.

The Ldnnet., and all other Seed-birds arefubje
almoft to the foregoing*Diftempers, but none ai

j Of Sw^hf^-Birds. 1 55

apt to the Falling'Sicknefs as the EuH-Finch I
: think thefe Rules and Defcriptions foi Difcafes are
fufficient for any ordinary underftanding.

To know how long birds Jhall live. ,

I F any Man be dcfirous to know how long thefe
Singing-birds may live, let him undcrfland
■that amonglt Nightingales forac live but one year,
Tome three, fome five, others unto eight, and till
^twelve-, and (ing very well, rather better and bct-
Itcr, for the firft eighth years, but after that they
Ido a little decline by degrees, and from that time
forward are not in fuch a height of perfeftien, but
^decline by little and little : They muft have very
good Mailers and Keepers that do prolong their
Lives three or four years-, and where one is kept in
a Cage till that Age, a hundred die ; fo its the
carefulnefs of the Keeper preferves the Life of Birds.
It hath been known that Nightingales have been
kept and lived till fifteen years old, and have con¬
tinued Tinging little or much for the mod part of
;all the years; fo that you may plainly perceive their
Life depends much according to the good or ill ma¬
nagement, or elfe according to the good Complexi¬
on of the bird.

The Wood-Lark feldom lives in a Cage above five
years, by reafon he is a tender bird, and fubjeft to
many Cafualties, and we arc ignorant of what they
eat abroad to preferve themfelves.

The Robin feldom lives above feven years,'by
reafon he is fo lubjeT to the Falling-Sicknefs, and
Cramp, and oppreffion of the Stomach,

I 3

The

134 Of Singing-Birds.

The Skie-Lark. is a very long-lived bird, and
hardy alfo, and there is not much fear of his Death,
if you provide him al utf once in a Week, and
give him Meat and Water plentifully. All forts of
Seed-birds live longer than any foft beaked birds,
efpecially the Camry and Litwet^ feme having been
Matter of a Canary tmnty years, and a Lwmalfo:
But there are difeafes amongft birds, as amongft all
forts of Cattle, which,if not timely prevented,make
a very great flaughter.

Now I have done with all forts of Singing-birds,
I (hall give you fomc fhort direftions about fome
Whiftling-birds: And thofe that have no fong,
that are not worth keeping for finging.

As firtt, The Sterling, which is moft generally
kept of all forts of people, above any other birds
for whittling; and the great fault almoft in all peo¬
ple is, that they have them too fledg’d out of the
Nett, and that makes them retain fo much com¬
monly of their own harfh notes: Therefore thofe
that do intend to have them rare, and avoid their
own fqueeking notes, take them from the Old ones
at two or three days old; do fo in all birds that you
intend fliall learn to whittle or fpcak, and learn an¬
other birds fong by hanging under him.

The next is the Btill-Finch^ which hath no fong
of his own, nor whittle neither, but is a very apl
bird to learn if taught by the Mouth.

The next iszBlackzhird^ which hath a kind of
a rude Whittle, and will learn very well, if taken
young enough out of the Nett; for moftpcopleto
fpare themfelves a little more trouble than ordinary
defire to have them very fledg’d, and fothey retain
fo much of the old birds Song, that moft tak(

Of Sitiging-’^irds. 155

treble the pains they need, and the others have
them much better.

The Robin Red- breaft is an excellent bird for the
Whiftle, and.to fpeak alfo j bur this is the mifery
of moftPeople, they breed forac-nv together, that
one fpoils another •• for a Robin is a hot-metled
Bird, andmuft not be in the hearing of another;
therefore if you breed two, have them in fcveral
rooms, that they may not hear each other, and
fo confequently fpoil one another.

The next for whittling of Seed-birds, is your
Canary-bird-, which will learn any thing almoft, if
takenvery young but of the Nett, other wife not;
for he is an exceeding hot-metled bird, and will
run upon his own Song do what you can.

The next is the Linnet-, which will learn almoft
any tune if not too long and too much variety for
you muft not teach any bird after the FlaggelUt, or
your Mouth, that are too long or too much varie¬
ty ; Learn them one tune firft, and then proceed
to another, and keep him dark and ftill, out of
the noife of other birds, for he is very apt to re¬
member any Roguery above a Tune. Take this
for a general rule for all birds, that the younger
the birds be, the better they will prove, and an-
fwer your expeftation and trouble for keeping
them ten days extraordinary, when they are very
young.

If what I have written be accepted, it mav be a
further encouragement for me to feck out more of
thefecrctsof Nature;for of all things that were^re-
ated, nothing praifes and fets forth the Creator, -
mongft Animal Creatures, more than thefe poor
I 4 harm

136 Of Singing-^irds.
hatmlefs birds. And it is a thing much to be ob-
fetved, that of all the Animal Creatures that ever
were made, none can learn, or by any means be
taught to fpeak but the bird,

FINIS.

An Alphabetical TABLE, to the Epitome of
the Artof Husbandry.

A

Nmyid or cloying thi foot
with thepict^of a Nail.

htttint, how toKmtdy. 114
Angling, the Art, V[t, andDin-
llions for the [me. 148
B

'^LainintkTongxe, to Del?.

Birleyjiow to order and forv. 20
Barley or Oats, to Mow and
Shear. 26

Barbs Barbils, with the Reme¬
dy. 105

Br ivich a Sddli, a.

rare Midicini. 116

Beans or Peafe or Fitches to fever
22

Biar.s or Ptafeto rea? or mow. 27
Bees how to order. $4

Beads and other cattelto keep. 66
Beads that are goared to help. 81
Belly-bonnd, or Coliivenefs. 117
Breath jhort and pnrpe. 191
Bliiidnefs to help. 120

Bridle a'.d Saddle and all other
things belonging to a Horfe.

214

Bloed-pifingtohelp. 80
Bots or Maw-worms the remedy.

99

Botches in the Groins of a Horfe.

116

Bnom-falvttomal>e.

Bleed akuniing, a timtly Re¬

medy. ' 144

Bound-leap and Tarf_ in a Horfe,
how to order. 2^6

C

Attel fat how to bay. Sy
\j Cattelleanhow tohuy. 6iS
Calves to rear. ibid.

Calves to geld. 70

Calf, Lamb, or Foal, which is
the greated lofs. ibid.
Cattel, what fort to put into one
pajhre. 71

Cratches with pains in a Horfe
to remedy. pd

Canl^er in the mouth. 117,119
Catarrh in Hogs. 124
Capriole and Corntlti in Horfe.

2^6

Clover-grafs, vid. trifoyle.

Corn of all f01 ts to harrow. 19
Corn of all forts to few, and
commonly how much upon an
Acre, ly

Cornofallfortsfmwtocover. 29
Corn, to load,and mow it. ibid.
Corn to weed. 2,5

Choice Rules and Secrets for or¬
dering of all jorts of Plants,
Roots, Flowers, and Herbs,
with fmral direLlions for the
Kitcbin-garden. 48

1 folHvenefs in Cattel, an approved
Remedy. .'-88

\ Collicl^in cattel to cure. po

I ' Cough in cattel, an txctllent re¬
medy. pi

Coari,

The

Coirh, with till Kmtd), 9$
Colts evil, and Rmidi. 109
Cii)ds in i hoi ft t'ut pmhltth,
how to riwdy. ibid.
Cods jwtilins, n Rtmdp 115
Cotdin tht Htd, n8
Cough in Shitp. 128

Cimin Fi^i. ibid.

Chokr in jkiip. 129

ComMmof ahoift. 212
Crying and fritting of tht Guts
inCmltocm. 86
D

D Ewholm, and thi Kmiiy.

7d

Vitthts, how to ma{i. ?o
Viftaftsof Cittilind rmidiis^
and firfl tht Murrain. 7 5

Dung or Muc^ to carry out and
fprtad. 11

E

E Tts watry and dropping No-
, (iril, ixctllint Rimidy. 86
Ewts tut to Ram, what timi
ofthinar. m

Ewts to canfi tolovt thdr Lambs.

F

the Ground, tht htfl

Faintmfs in a labouring Ox, to
■cm, 85

far fa, with the Remedy. 9 j
Fatten a Ho)fe, an excellent Re-
etit. 122

Flax to husband, with tht im¬
provement. 182

FtmrinOxor Cow, anexctl--
■ lent Remedy. 82

Fretting tf the guts incatttl, to
cure. J07

Fritting of the guts, 119

Table.

For^s and Ralts, how to make.

Fold, and the Remedy.
Flowing of :h- gad to curt
Frothy hiof to -.'j.

/->Rafs,hwttmow. 35
* T Grafting, things nictffa-
> thereto. J9

Grafting, how to do it. 40
Graf id, what fhould be flrjl. 4 1
Graft betwixt Bark and the tree.

42

in excel-

■ Girgainthi Miw,toi
' Garget in the throat,
tent Rrr.tdy.

Galling oj the Neck or Throat i
with the Yoke, to c ire. 89
GLviders, withtheremedy. 102
Gravelling a Horfe, with the re-
midy. io 3

Qikg of d fforfl, htioi (I.M-

gtroHS to curt.

Garget in Hogs, to CHri.

Gall fowing, a remedy.

Glanders or Snivel, to CM
Gentlemans HtroUk exeriife, «r|
thimftHmof Horfemanjhm
and prallice of riding. 204
Giggs in the Mouth, a remedy!

I2S

Giddinifs in Sheep, an excilm
remedy.

Gout, without rtmedr.

Geared by a bcafl, to cun. 8;|
Gums fwelting, an excellent
mtdy. iH

H

The Table.

Htminthtiyt, an ixcillmt re- Iiiipo(lhmes to riftn, m
medp. 90 Interjire mith the remedp, 1/0

Hawinthecie^areadutire. 105 K

Hair 14 to b) ing. 112 Ibes in the Heels to rtmdi.
Haw in the e)e, and other di- i\ • 91

fiernpers ef the epts, approved L ,

remdp. 133 T Axes to Hop, the bejl times

Hedg-'tomake. 32 L- to be oHfirved. 87

Hedges to pWih, or phthe. ib. Lamp.ts and its remedy. 108
Hiad-paifvith the remedy. 135 Lax a remedy. iitf

Heat in t‘-e .'‘taifth. n8 Lambs at w/ur time (honld bt
Hmp its benefit, and may of maned. ■ 137

p’.Mthg 180 l.asb,h a\i«g. 125

High-mays to mend. 34 Lethargy in hogs mith the reme^
Hide-bomd or afraied, an ap- dy. ibid.

proved remedy. 12 e Leannejs of a Com torecover 8}

Hide bound inabeaSl, an excel- Lice and Ticks in cattel to kjU.

lent cure. l8 100

Horftsand Marts to dr me- 8 Liqiiorilh at large horn to plant
Horfes and their properties. 73 and order. iqS

Hcof broken to make grom. 119 Ungfanght mith the remedy. qS
Horfes fiirfeiting mith provender, Loufinefstocuri. 119

a remedy. 123 Lottfie hogs, a remedy. i2i

Horfes Provender to put things in Loufintfs in Sheep, to cure. 129
to freftrvt them from Difiofts. Lungs iiifcM of Cittd, atlx*

ibid. ceUent remedy. 85

Hogs bitten by a mad dog, an I Ling-jickor purfinefs. 132

approved remedy. 124 1 M

Hogs eaten poifonous herbs, f j) \ A Altnder mith the remedy.

cure. 1251 iVl 191

Hogs to make fcoiir. ibid. 1 Matering of the Tard. 11 j

Hops horn to plant, and improve- Maggots in a Hog to kyU. i a J
ment of land thereby. 1^4! Maggots to kfU- 128

fdotfes not morth teaching, wr I Marie his benefit, ufe and nature,
fit for the Saddle. 213 158

I Madder its nature, ufe, and ad-

J Andice. 131 vantage. 12a

Itch in cattel to cure. 89 Meaxles in hgs, their cm and
Itch or (cabin Sheepto cure. 1^2 pnftrvative, ■'’'127

Inpofimes in my beafitocure. Milhtsmitkntremedy. 120

87 Milting of an Ox or any other
Impoflhimts under iHogsIhroae. beafi. 8$

1:6 Milts

The Table.

Mlts 1 liihfi in hogs, tsn np-
proi-td rimd)’. 12 5

Mourning-chiiic irith thi rmudy.

Mon found with tknnid'i. 110
Mourning of thiTongm without
nmid}'. 115

N

Avil-Gdl with the ranedy.

N

0

0 /ts to (nr. 21

Orchnrds of ill forts to or¬
der and plant, 240

P Antafuin a heaif, to reme¬
dy. Si

Plague in cattel, a prveraign re¬
medy. ibrd

Peafeand Fitches, how to fever.

Peafeor beans toreap or mow. ^ !
Peafe and hems to fow. 2 p I
Penitence among fhtep, a prefer- \
. vative. 1301

Piftng to help in any beaJI, a fpt- j
. 'dalremtip. ' 84

Pifingtohtlpindimfe. iii
Pinch or gall in theWuhtrs. 115
Plows if dhtrs forts. ' 1

flows tbt names of all parts to j

Plows right tempering. 4
Plows neceffary things that be¬
long to it. . 6

Plow with horfes or oxen, which
m, - 7

Plow all times of theyear. 16
Plow for beans aud peafe. 17
Pox and the remedy thereof 144

O Vicf-fts, how to get and
plant. :?o

«(//«/] in any beaffdo help. 84
Ulddlojl in Sheep, iohe'f. 150

R,

R Aks and Fork haw to
mafe. , ?4

Kape and. Coal-Seeds, their dij-
cavery and husbandry. 1 85
Rid-waler in a Sheep, with the
remedy. 128

Rye- h,nvtsbe(horn. 27
Rif.nupon, and the remedy. 77
Ring-bone in a barfe, rvith the
remedy. 91

Ri-,tsandCarrtiptim in the Fa-
ht of the Mouth. 117
Rules to be pracTijid by horfemen.

253

S

S Praia or frofe, a fudden re¬
medy. S7

Scabs or galls in Cattel, at ap¬
proved remedy. 89

Spavtn, with the remedy. 97
Spavin being wet and bloody, the
remedy. P9

[Scab with till midf, lii

\ Secrets in gardening. 4'!
Staggers, a prefint remedy. 115
Strangullion. 120

Strangles, a prefnt remedy. ,i 15
Staggers in a hog, an excellent
rimedy. ■ 124

StaggtrsinSheep, to cure. 150
Saffron, the mifitry ad way of
planting. 174

Serew or Straw, with the re¬
medy. 100

Splnt, with the remedy. 101
Scelandir,with the remedy. 111
Simp,

Skmtofut.
Shuf-foid, hi

to fit and fit

. Shiiji to draw out and fnir thim
in diivs Ham. i ^3
Sl)til>,toirea{e. 140

Sbfi?, to ha. j’jid.

Skill), to 141

Skip, to jhijr. ibid.

Skip had, to fi'parati f>om the
good. 142

Skit), whither tbiMathli.

The Table.

Trees to (bred, lop and crip, 45
Titter in cjttel, an approved rt-
mtdi. 82

Tttir an ixctllint remedy. 1 1 6
Tilth lofift to help. 129

Teats Ikppid. ' 154

Timijoi!t_ or Clmair-grafs, hetl
way of planting, 159

TinbirtojiH. 4j

Tummmtod-.f.roy. 129

Tons or Ihivirs h pull out. 120
Tongue krt with a bit to cm.

ibid.

Skips i/lHnifs. 14? I Taning difiaft in Simp to help.

Seiiptoliin, what fort of things ^ 78, iji

doit. 145 V

Skifr-ottinLowto b.n/w tkim di- I Tes with the remedy. loj
2i).i wa'isfominivirui', 146 1 V
.StmingojihegroHndthejh'ii. i: I

Slit t i ng flj the ground the iecond.

ibid.

Spring-wood, to {eep ani pre-
fcn-e. 4?

Sic^hlsofthe Lungs, an excel-
Itn.ttimidy. 91

Sinews huifed ani cut. 1 15
Sinew bacfypain, or any other

WJMsi
V V (pang

general, and
fpi/ngr Warts, nj
Water in the hilly or head. 129
Water in thihi'ly of 1 jhap. 151
Watir bUidir nnitr the chine.

132

W'ttt and Rye to fnv^

Wieds of divers forts to\im. 24
drain. " 114 1 iW. 28

String-hatlit or any old firfin or Wttkrtd k a Cow after Calv-
laminifs. lar I ing, to cure. 84

Swini-pock, trith a bath and re- 1 Wti’ich in the Tttlocf^ or any 0-
medy. 126] tber Jointfiidden!}'done. 112

Seoneor Collidpin ainrfe, rkj Wrench or jirain k the Paflern.

remidf. it2i 114

Surhating or fonnefs of aho'fts ^ Wntherkg of Shetp.

T Ar to mingle. 130
Trees to rimove and fit 38
Trees to fit without roots and yet

n Horfis

Wind gads
remedy.

W.nd-broknwithihexemidtss))

Wild-fte. '' '

Wood and other ntciffarits to car

Wood [or the koufi tofeUsrfilla^a,
Worms

7<irDis k eM a wnidy. 8^ Wotd-tvil, aid m'Jy tbtmj,

'/ormincahes-klUtstocuri.SS '45

Voms in ihe4s-tall, a ur- Wtldormldor Dyirsmid. m
tain rtmitij. 89 Wand or wsde toordirto btjt i-

Vms in gtnird rvith thi n- vnnUge. '

Kidy, 92 ^

Mtomtagiin. 127 \7 Ellows, a ptiint mi

Voritts in the Guts, 129 1 ^ '

Vorms in Shiip-pt with the Tnrd-fodisg with tin rm<

An Alphabetical Table, to the Additions ol
the Art of Husbandry.

A Rbours to btcomt gritn md
fhad)inoniye.ir. 32
Anricukps to frtftrve and in
creafe. 45

E

tal^e with bird-lim.
Water bird-limt to maiie. 2 1

tal(in, 761

~kw long they (halllive. 15}
Of the Bkck^bird, 105 1

imcks of the Kkhtingalt to I
take. 57

C 1

C Abbage-fonts to main grow j
great Cabbages in very bar- \
ren ground. 26'

Carnations to (referve and in-

criafe. 45

Carps to make grow to an extra¬
ordinary bigmfs and length. 15

Colly-flowers to plant. 4c

Cowtorecmr thatis (lijfwiti
coldbeing mired in a ditch. 41
Crows to tal^t with lime-twig!

Crowitotaktwhtn they poll»;

the Corn by the Roots, ihid
Cucumbers to plant. 4 (

Currans to order.

Of Canary-birds. i

—How to chiift a Canary-bi
■ and to know when he hat

good Song. I

—■To know they are in hea
when yon buy them. I
—To order them when they be
to build, or intend for bn

j ing. I

! —IVhat things are moll neei
' when they begin to breed, i

j —How they breed them in G

TheTaWe.

r-Hoxv to brnd uf the yomg i —Cor\fmththin'to^m. .99
! out tktunuiiino.t of the] ’

i mr

i-ni

— 71 /£(|' difea/es with the c.

iv6

j’of the Chof Finch,

Ipyl/farM and Maladiit^ all
ij J Singing-hirdt an juhjiSi

r toinoyv. 127

happen to every partim-

I tar fort of Bird. 192

I F

Ufe with water

-Their feveral difeapes mdcari.

M Endows, Barron, Moffy,

and Spiryto bttomrich.

Melons to plant.

Mohs to dt^roy.

—To take in March.
N

T Ightingak,

iFt.

Ufo take another way. 2 j IghtiiigaU. jj

Fisld Micetodejlroy. 29 | LN —Tlteir Ne^to fad. 57

■I—j 4 wtb!r approved way to it-] —To or dir when taken. 59

I flro] Mice. i6\ —Taken from i^. to cbeaolb.

Fijb, and Fijh-Ponds to im-' Apt]], to bring up. St

' * ' —tVlntiiir they eat, and art

like to prove good. 6-^

-To ordet which eateth alone,
'and fngeel). 6fi

—Jiseir jeveral difeafes and curt.

G Fruit that is waterifh, to be-\
I com firm and fweet. 39

Arden-kans to make grow
inabarrinSoik. 28
’deads to take with Lime twigs.

1 =4

Giotberries to order. 49

’of theGold-Finch. 125'
‘^Grire-Fincli. 126

IT , ,

pte Hern to take.

'Hogs to make thr'n

O Rcljarrij to
_ new fafhm.

■ after t

??

■To order that they pail never
mifs bearing. 38

'El is to gather, and a true I P

way to dry th,m. 49 j 'f)Hyfieal Herbs how to order,

' i fo that they may thrive and
, - - , . ptofper. _ 47

Worfeto recover that is flip with \ PigmstotaktwkhLm-twigs
\ cold being mired hi aditch. lyy I 23.

0\ tk Hedg-Sparrow. lo^ ] Pompions to plant and order. 40^
I I Pies to take with Lime-twigs.

Enny-wren, 97 1 24

The Table.

P4 i W Kightingik, and
giod for tht Wm, Kohin
Rid-brm(l, Wood-Urk^ Skii-
Liti^, Bkc^Bird, Tiirojik,
andmnyothtr Birds. 6i

R Ed-linrt.

Robin Rid-brajl, called
the King of Birds. 94

—Their Difeafes and cure. $6

to take ndth IVater
Bird-lime.

QNijies
O Bin

Skie-Lark, his place of breed¬
ing and feeding. 80

Skie-laif, old to tafe and or¬
der. 84

Solitary Sji.mw. 103

T

T Eifch to take in a muddy
Pond. 15

Trees old and decayed, to ini{
them bear as well lU ever. 3;
Tidlps to make of any colour, ic
Tot Tlnflli with the fsviri
kinds. ?;

—T)t Cock ho'

Hm, in young and old. jj
Tut Tit-Lark 5)

W

tingale.

Wood-Lark to order when tabu

—To kiow the Cock from
Hen.

-'Tlmr Difeafes and curt. \

FINIS.