The Porcupine likewise I have treated of, only this I forgot to acquaint you with, that they lay Eggs, and are good meat.
The last kind of Beasts are they that are begot by equivocal generation, as Mules and several others, that when the Beasts were brought by the Almighty Creator to Adam, who gave them names, were not then in rerum natura. Of these there are not many known in New-England. I know but of one, and that is the Indian dog begotten betwixt a Wolf and a Fox, or between a Fox and a Wolf, which they made use of, taming of them, and bringing of them up to hunt with, but since the English came amongst them they have gotten store of our dogs, which they bring up and keep in as much subjection as they do their webbs.
[p. 95.] Of birds there are not many more than 120 kinds as our Naturalists have conjectured, but I think they are deceived; they are divided into land-birds and water-birds, the land-birds again into birds of prey, birds for meat, singing-birds and others.
The Pilhannaw is the King of Birds of prey in New-England, some take him to be a kind of Eagle, others for the Indian-Ruck the biggest Bird that is, except the Ostrich. One Mr. Hilton living at Pascataway, had the hap to kill one of them: being by the Sea-side he perceived a great shadow over his head, the Sun shining out clear, calling up his eyes he saw a monstrous Bird soaring aloft in the air, and of a sudden all the Ducks and Geese, (there being then a great many) dived under water, nothing of them appearing but their heads. Mr. Hilton having made readie his piece, shot and brought her down to the ground, how he disposed of her I know not, but had he taken her alive & sent her over into England, neither Bartholomew nor Sturbridge-Fair could have produced such another sight.
Hawkes there are of several kinds, as Goshawkes, Falcons, Laniers, Sparrow-hawkes, and a little black hawke highly prized by the Indians who wear them on their [p. 96.] heads, and is accounted of worth sufficient to ransome a Sagamour: they are so strangely couragious and hardie, that nothing flyeth in the Air that they will not bind with. I have seen them tower so high, that they have been so small that scarcely could they be taken by the eye. Hawkes grease is very good for sore eyes.
The Osprey I have treated of. There is a small Ash-colour Bird that is shaped like a Hawke with talons and beak that falleth upon Crowes, mounting up into the Air after them, and will beat them till they make them cry.
The Vulture or Geire, which is spoken of in Levit. 11. 14. and called a Gripe, their skins are good to line doublets with, and the bones of their head hung about the neck helpeth the head-ach.
The Gripe; see New Englands rarities, and for the Turkie-buzzard.
The Owl the most flagging Bird that is, of which there are three sorts, a great grey Owl with ears, a little grey Owl, and a white Owl, which is no bigger than a Thrush. Plinie writes that the brains of an Owl asswageth the pain & inflammation in the lap of the ear. And that Eggs of an Owl put into the liquour that a tospot useth to be drunk with, will make him loath drunkenness [p. 97.] ever after. But now peradventure some will say, what doth this man mean to bring Owls to Athens? verily Sirs I presume to say, had I brought over of the little white Owls they would have been acceptable, they are good mousers, and pretty Birds to look upon; the Athenians, no question are better imployed than to take notice of my Owls, poor ragged Birds they are and want those glittering golden feathers that Draiton’s Owl is adorned with, yet they are somewhat of that nature; if an Athenian chance in this season of divertisement to cast an eye upon them I shall be glad, but more glad if he vouchsafe to prune and correct their feathers, which I confess are discomposed for want of Art; plain Birds they are, and fit for none but plain men to manage. Sirs do not mistake me, there’s no man living honours an Athenian more than I do, especially where I perceive great abilities concomiting with goodness of nature: A good nature (saith Mr. Perkins) is the Character of God, and God is the father of learning, knowledge, and every good gift, and hath condescended to become a School-master to us poor mortals, furnishing of us with Philosophy, Historie, Divinity by his holy Scriptures, which if we diligently learn and practise, we shall in [p. 98.] time be brought into his Heavenly Academy, where we shall have fulness and perfection of knowledge eternally. But there are a Generation of men and women in this prophane age that despise Gods learning and his Ushers to the Athenians, choosing to wallow in the pleasures of sin for a season. I shall conclude this excursion, with that which a Poet writ sometime since, and then return to the trimming of my Owl.