An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

¹Thirdly, There's another reason given by Naturalists, why Ravens feed not their young ones: For when the Raven hath hatched her young, they look whitish, which the old ones cannot abide, being themselves black, and therefore the Raven forbears to feed his young ones for seven days (saith my Author) that is, till their feathers begin to grow black, whereby he knows them to be his own, being loth to bring up a spurious brood; so that all this time of their estrangement and forbearance, the Lord feeds their young ones, some say, with a dew from heaven, or with little flies (say others) bred out of their dung. But I shall not stay upon these things, especially considering that they who professedly write of the nature and manners, both of beasts & birds, are very silent, as to any such observations concerning the Raven; yet because so grave an Author as is noted in the Margin insists upon this latter reason, take this Note from it.

¹Thirdly, There's another reason given by Naturalists, why Ravens feed not their young ones: For when the Raven hath hatcht her young, they look whitish, which the old ones cannot abide, being themselves black, and therefore the Raven forbears to feed his young ones for seven dayes (saith my Author) that is, till their feathers begin to grow black, whereby he knows them to be his own, being loth to bring up a spurious brood; so that all this time of their estrangement and forbearance, the Lord feeds their young ones, some say, with a dew from heaven, or with little flies (say others) bred out of their dung. But I shall not stay upon these things, especially considering that they who professedly write of the nature and manners, both of beasts & birds, are very silent, as to any such observations concerning the Raven; yet because so grave an Author as is noted in the Margin insists upon this latter reason, take this Note from it.

1. 1Dicitur, quòd corvus pullos non pascit, donec suos depreh•ndens plumis ••grescere viderit, unde septem diebus iis cibos non ministrat, sed à Deo suste•tantur per naturalem vim iis indi••m. Aquin. Sed apud authores historiae nturalis hujus re testimonium vix invenitur. Lege Arist. l. 9. Hist. Animal. c. 31. Plin. l. 10. c. 12. Aelian. l. 15. c. 39 Hieronimus ad illud (