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^. fffiffifffffffffffff 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-, :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-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