638 PURPLE GALLINULE 
the south of Russia, and western parts of Sibe: a, amony reedy places ; 
and in the neighborhood of the Caspian Sea not uncommon ; but in 
the cultivated rice grounds of Ghilan in Persia, in great plenty, and in 
high plumage. The female makes her nest among the reeds, in the 
middle of March; lays three or four eggs,* and sits from three to four 
weeks, That it is common in China, the paper-hangings thence will 
every where testify. It is also met with in the East Indies, the islands 
of Java, Madagascar, and many others. Our late navigators saw them 
at Tongataboo ¢ in vast numbers, as well as the islands of Tanna, and 
other parts. It is also common in the southern parts of America. _ 
“In respect to its manners, it is a very docile bird, being easily 
tamed, and feeding with the poultry, scratching the ground with the foot, 
as the Cock and Hen. It will feed on many things, such as fruits, 
roots of plants, and grain; but will eat fish with avidity, dipping them 
into the water before it swallows them; will frequently stand on one 
leg, and lift the food to its mouth with the other, like a Parrot. The 
flesh is said to be exquisite in taste.” ‘ 
“The moderns,” says Buffon, “have given the name of Sultana 
Hen toa bird famous among the ancients, under the name of Por- 
phyrion. We have frequently had occasion to remark the justness of 
the denominations bestowed by the Greeks, which generally allude to 
the distinctive characters, and are therefore superior to the terms 
hastily adopted in our languages, from superficial or inaccurate views. 
The present is an instance; as this bird seemed to bear some re- 
semblance to the gallinaceous tribe, it got the name of Hen; but as, 
at the same time, it differed widely, and excelled by its beauty and 
port, it received the epithet of Sultana. But the term Porphyrion, 
indicating the red or purple tint of its bill and feet, was more just and 
characteristic; and should we not rebuild the fine ruins of learned 
antiquity, and restore to nature those brilliant images, and those faith- 
ful portraits from the delicate pencil of the Greeks, ever awake to her 
beauties and her animation ? 
“Both the Greeks and Romans, notwithstanding their voracious 
luxury, abstained from eating the Porphyrion. They brought it from 
Lybia,t from Comagene, and from the Balearic Islands,§ to be fed|| and 
to be placed in their palaces and temples, where it was left at liberty 
as a guest, whose noble aspect, whose gentle disposition, and whose 
elegant plumage, merited such honors. 
“Scarcely any bird has more beautiful colors; the blue of its 
plumage is soft and glossy, embellished with brilliant reflections; its 
long feet, and the plate from the top of its head to the root of its bill, 
are of a fine red; and a tuft of white feathers under the tail heightens 
the lustre of its charming garb. Except that it is rather smaller, the 
* “ Buffon says that the pair, which the Marquis de Nez eintroduced into France. 
Jaid six round, white eggs, about the size.of a demicbillian 
t Forst. Voy. i. 4483 ii. 358. Coox’s Last Voyage, « 239.— Am. Ep. 
;_“ Alexander the Myndian, in Athenzeus, reckons the Porphyrion in the number 
of Lybian birds, and relates that it was sacred to the gods in that country. Ac- 
cording to Diodorus Siculus, Porphyrions were brought from the heart of Synw. 
with other kinds of birds distinguished by their rich colors.” : 
§ Puiny, lib. x. 46, 49. 
|| Bron. 
S] ABLIAN, lib. iti. 41 
