Book il' O^^lT HO LO QT. <f 5 



down the middle of the back. * Alfo another feries not unlike this of whitiili fea- * it is hard 

 there* terminating in an acute Angle about the middle of the back, covered all the c^dy"^^ 

 lower part of the back toward the complications of the Wings, fbmewhat refembling Authors 

 a Clock. , The Tail was broad, and or* a mean fize. The Feet dusky, and all over 3!efew 8 rd 

 covered with Scales. The Beak and Talons were of one and the fame dusky horn-co- The Tail, * 

 lour. The feathers on the thighs reached not lower than the knees. It would with- Fe «, 

 out difficulty fuffer it felf to be touched or handled, whence you may note its Aug- Taions > 

 gifhnefsand cowardife. Being angred it cried like a Kite. 



The third \sGefners. This Eagle ( faith Gefner ) whofe figure we here prefent you 

 with, if it be not the Gypa'etos, i. e. ThzVidturine Eagle, or Oripclargus, i. e.the Moun- 

 tain Vulture, yet feems to be bred at leaft of one Parent of this kind. For in Beak it its Beak, 

 refemblesa Vulture, in colour a Stork* being ignoble and fluggifli. It was unknown Colour « 

 to our Fowlers, being never, that I know of, taken with us. But in the year of our 

 Lord, 1 551. on Septemb. 29. there filling an extraordinary Snow, a Bird of this kind, 

 her Wings being wet and heavy, fell down into a narrow place in the open Air ad- 

 joy ning to one of our Citizens houfes. It did for fhape and colour wholly refemble 

 a Stork. It was Carnivorous, yet would not touch Fifh 5 impatient of cold : The its Food, 

 body intenfely hot, fo that the cold hands of them that touched it were prefently Temperature. 

 warmed thereby. It would fit ftarkftillin the fame place for four or five hours 5 and Nature and 

 fometimes look upon the Sun when it (hone out. Hens and other birds fcorned, de- qualities, 

 fpifed, and neglecfed it as harmlefs and innoxious. I kept it at my houfe above a 

 month, and gave it meat with my hand, the fmaller gobbets whereof it would fwal- 

 low, the greater pieces it tore afunder with its Claws. Though it drank not, yet from 

 its Beak drops of water diftilled. 



In the Year 1664. we (aw at Venice in the Palace of a certain Nobleman of the City 

 ftanding upon the Gran d Channel, a bird of this kind, which we thus defcribed. 



For bignefs it equalled or exceeded any Eagle we have feen. The Head and Neck its bignefs, 

 were deftitute of feathers, only covered with a white down. From the Bill to the Neckiwre 

 Eyes the skin was bare, and of a blue colour. Almoft all the feathers of the body of feathers', 

 were of a pale ferrugineous colour. Oh the lower part of the Neck below the Down Colour 

 there was as it were a kind of Collar or RufFof long white feathers. The prime fea- 

 thers of the Wings and Tail were black. The Bill was large, more like a Gulls than an Beak. 

 Eagles, the tip of it white. The Nofthrils were covered with a black membrane : 

 The hides of the Eyes of a reddifh teazel colour. The Nofthrils turned direcfly Eye r s ' , 

 downward, and from them conftantly dropped a liquid humour or water. It was ped? 00 

 feathered down a little below the knee. The Feet were of a Lead colour, the Claws Ics Fcet amJ 

 black, leiTer, and not fo crooked as an Eagles. The middle Toe much longer than claws. 

 the reft : The outmoft joyned to the middle by a membrane as far as the firft joynt, or 

 further : The infide of the Legs white. The Craw hung cJown from the body before The Gravv 

 like a bag. It (food almoft always with the Wings ftretcht out like the figure of the Manner of* 

 Vitltur Leporarius of Gefner. ftanding. 



Thefe three defcriptions I faipecl: to be of one and the fame Bird, differing only in 

 Age or Sex. For the firft of Aldrovandm in moft notes agrees with ours 3 excepting 

 the Triangular fpot in the back, which either was not in ours, or not obferved by us, 

 ( which yet I fcarcely believe) and that he makes no mention of any humour dropping 

 from the nofe of his, perchance becaufe it was feen and defcribed after it was dead. 

 Aldrovandus confeffeshis fecondto be in many things not unlike to Gefners ; But that 

 Gefners and ours are the fame Bird, that one note of the water diftilling from the 

 Nofthrils isfufficient to evince, notwithftanding the difference of colour. I judge the 

 firft of Aldrovandus and ours defcribed at Venice, to be of the fame Sex 5 likewife the 

 fecond of Aldrovandus, and that feen and defcribed by Gejner to be of the fame 

 Sex, but different from that of the other two. But herein I dare not be very pofitive 

 and confident. 



K Chap, 



